Experiences with Authors™

We’re excited to introduce our Experiences with Authors™ program at this year’s Fair, which gives you the chance to win unique “behind-the-scenes” design experiences — studio and atelier visits, curator-led exhibition tours, VIP tickets to select industry events, or lunch with a favorite author.

Purchase a book by one of the participating authors at any time during the Fair (including during their signing sessions) and your name will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a special experience created by the book’s author. A complete listing of all the Experiences with Authors™ being offered appears below. Winners will be chosen after the close of the Fair and notified by Designers & Books and the Experiences will be arranged between the winner and the author. Additional information about entering is available in the contest rules, which are available on request from Designers & Books. Please note that to be eligible to be entered into the Experiences with Authors™ drawings you need to be 18 years of age or older.

Valerie Steele Fashion Underground: The World of Susanne Bartsch The winner of the Experience drawing for Fashion Underground: The World of Susanne Bartsch will receive a free tour of the exhibition of the same name at The Museum FIT, conducted by Valerie Steele, curator of the exhibition. Up to 25 of the winner’s friends can come on the tour, which must be arranged through the director’s office at The Museum at FIT. The Museum at FIT will be featuring the exhibition “Fashion Underground” from September 18 to December 5, 2015. To enter this drawing, purchase Fashion Underground at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Fri., Oct. 2, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
April Calahan Fashion and the Art of Pochoir The winner of the Experience drawing for Fashion and the Art of Pochoir will receive a private invitation to view the exquisitely rare and valuable examples of the hand-stenciling technique known as pochoir on-site at the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Special Collections accompanied by a one-on-one discussion with co-author and Special Collections Associate April Calahan. FIT’s Special Collections and College Archives holds one of the richest, most extensive collections of pochoir in the world. Pochoir characterized the golden age of fashion illustration of the 1910s and 1920s and was used in luxury publications that featuring the designs of Poiret, Jeanne Lanvin, and Madeleine Vionnet, among others. To enter this drawing, purchase Fashion and the Art of Pochoir any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Fri., Oct. 2, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Fern Mallis Fashion Lives: Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis The winner of the Experience drawing for Fashion Lives: Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis will receive two VIP tickets to the next Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis event at the 92nd Street Y. In addition to priority seating at the event, the winner will be invited to the VIP reception afterward to meet Fern Mallis and her guest. Past guests have included Tom Ford, Diane von Furstenberg, Bruce Weber, and Marc Jacobs. To enter this drawing, purchase Fashion Lives at any time during the Fair. Note: Fern Mallis will not be present at the Fair, but signed copies of her book will be available for purchase on Fri., Oct. 2, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and unsigned copies will be available during the entire Fair weekend.
Daniel James Cole & Nancy Deihl The History of Modern Fashion The winner (plus a friend) of the Experience drawing for The History of Modern Fashion is invited by noted fashion historians Daniel James Cole and Nancy Deihl to one of their upcoming fall symposia at New York University. Choose from either: Film Costume/Rendering Realities, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2016, 10:00 – 5:00 at New York University Location: Einstein Auditorium, 34 Stuyvesant Street, New York, NY 10003 This one-day conference explores the history and importance of Costume Design in film. Speakers include costume designers, film scholars, and museum professionals on topics that range from designing for Bollywood to collecting film memorabilia. The day includes a catered lunch with the presenters and organizers (at which the winners will meet Cole and Deihl) and a closing reception. OR Serpents and Eagles: Dress and Textiles of Southeast Asia Saturday, Nov. 14, 2016, 1:00 – 6:00 at New York University Location: Einstein Auditorium, 34 Stuyvesant Street, New York, NY 10003 A celebration of the unique and beautiful fashion and textiles of a region where tradition and innovation coexist. Featured speaker is Carol Cassidy, a renowned weaver and entrepreneur and the founder of Lao Textiles. Other participants will address symbolism and cultural identity in batik, and the importance of costume and textile tourism in Southeast Asia. The event includes a closing reception (at which the winners will meet Cole and Deihl) with Southeast Asian food and drink. To enter this drawing, purchase The History of Modern Fashion any time during the Fair. These authors will sign books on Fri., Oct. 2, 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Eames Demetrios Beautiful Details (popular edition), An Eames Primer (revised edition) The winner of the Experience drawing for Beautiful Details (popular edition) and An Eames Primer (revised edition) will receive an invitation to join author, director of the Eames Office, and grandson of Charles Eames, Eames Demetrios, at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA) for lunch and a special guided visit to the museum’s Charles and Ray Eames collection. To enter this drawing, purchase Beautiful Details or An Eames Primer at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sat., Oct. 3, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Judith Turner Zaha Hadid /Judith Turner: A Dialogue The winner of the Experience drawing for Zaha Hadid /Judith Turner A Dialogue will be given a unique nighttime tour of Times Square with the book’s photographer, Judith Turner. You will experience this electronic wonderland through her eyes as she points out how buildings have been transformed via signs using the latest electronic technology and how these signs now read as colorful collages of lighted signs and symbols. The tour will end at a cafe in the area with tea/coffee with Turner and a further discussion about photographing architecture. To enter this drawing, purchase Zaha Hadid /Judith Turner: A Dialogue any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sat., Oct. 3, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Chip Kidd Judge This The winner of the Experience drawing for Judge This will receive a personally guided tour — by Chip Kidd — of “Chip Kidd Presents: Batman Black and White: The Sketch Covers.” This exhibition, presented at the Society of Illustrators gallery on East 63rd Street, in New York, features an extensive selection of Batman drawings drawn from Kidd’s personal collection. The exhibition runs through Nov. 7 To enter this drawing, purchase Judge This at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sat., Oct. 3, 1:00 p.m – 2:00 p.m.
André Leon Talley Oscar de la Renta: His Legendary World of Style The winner of the Experience drawing for Oscar de la Renta: His Legendary World of Style will have the opportunity to have lunch with André Leon Talley at a restaurant chosen by André. To enter this drawing, purchase Oscar de la Renta at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sat., Oct. 3, 2:00 p.m – 3:00 p.m.
Louise Fili Graphique de la Rue The winner of the Experience drawing for Graphique de la Rue will receive an invitation for two to join Louise Fili at her East 23rd Street studio in Manhattan for gelato and a tour. Also included for the winner: a box of Louise’s Perfetto Pencils. To enter this drawing, purchase Graphique de la Rue at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sat., Oct. 3, 3:00 p.m – 4:00 p.m.
DJ Stout Variations on a Rectangle: Thirty years of Graphic Design from Texas Monthly to Pentagram The winner of the Experience drawing for Variations on a Rectangle: Thirty Years of Graphic Design from Texas Monthly to Pentagram will have the opportunity to join the book’s author, DJ Stout, on a New York City “mural crawl.” Stout, who is known for his advocacy of the art of illustration, will start the tour at the Society of Illustrators bar and then he and the winner will be whisked away in a limousine to five other Manhattan drinking establishments featuring important murals including the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel with its whimsical Maxfield Parish mural, the bar at the Carlyle Hotel featuring a mural by Ludwig Bemelman, the creator of the Madeline children’s book series, the Edward Sorel mural at the Monkey Bar depicting sixty Jazz Age icons and more. At each stop Stout will regale his lucky guest with the story of the mural and its creator–and he’ll buy them a cocktail or two along the way. To enter this drawing, purchase Variations on a Rectangle at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sat., Oct. 3, 4:00 p.m – 5:00 p.m.
Michael Bierut How to . . . The winner of the Experience drawing for How To . . . will receive an invitation from Michael Bierut to join him for lunch at his New York design firm, the renowned Pentagram, followed by a tour of his studio. To enter this drawing, purchase How to . . . at any time during the Fair. Michael Bierut will not be present at the Fair, but signed copies of his book will be available for purchase on Sat., Oct. 3, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and unsigned copies will be available during the entire Fair weekend.
Ina Saltz Body Type 2: More Typographic Tattoos The winner of the Experience drawing for Body Type 2: More Typographic Tattoos will receive a signed copy of the first Body Type book, Body Type: Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh. Also, you will be accompanied by Ina Saltz to the Saved Tattoo studio in Williamsburg (NY), where you will meet celebrated tattoo artist Stephanie Tamez. At the studio you’ll receive a tour and have the opportunity for a one-on-one consultation with Tamez — and, if you are up for it, you’ll also get one of Tamez’s “one-hour tattoos.” To enter this drawing, purchase Body Type 2: More Typographic Tattoos at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sat., Oct. 3, 6:00 p.m – 7:00 p.m.
Gary Hustwit Helvetica, Objectified, Urbanized: The Complete Interviews The winner of the Experiences drawing for Helvetica, Objectified, Urbanized: The Complete Interviews will have the opportunity for a special meet-up with filmmaker and photographer Gary Hustwit. You’ll meet Gary at his studio in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, have a look around his studio, and then have lunch. After lunch Gary will take you on a walking tour and street photography session in his neighborhood. Each of you with camera in hand, you’ll walk the area taking photos and talking technique, while enjoying and learning about one of the most historic and dynamically changing Brooklyn neighborhoods. To enter this drawing, purchase Helvetica, Objectified, Urbanized: The Complete Interviews at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sat., Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m – 7:30 p.m.
Jesse Reed & Hamish Smyth The New York City Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual full-size reissue The winner of the Experience drawing for the 1970 NYCTA Graphics Standards Manual full-size reissue will be able to meet Jesse Reed and Hamish Smith at Pentagram New York, where they are designers, located in the Flatiron neighborhood of Manhattan, take a tour of the studio, and have the opportunity to browse through the original 1970 Graphics Standards Manual designed by Unimark International. You’ll be able to take photographs, ask questions, and discuss the history of the original and reissued Manual. To enter this drawing, purchase The New York City Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual full-size reissue at any time during the Fair. Reed and Smyth will sign books on Sat., Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m – 7:30 p.m.
Courtney McCarthy Gaudi Pop-Ups, Star Trek Pop-Ups, Dali Pop-Ups, M.C. Escher Pop-Ups The winner of the Experience drawing for Gaudi Pop-Ups, Star Trek Pop-Ups, Dali Pop-Ups, and M.C. Escher Pop-Ups will receive a complete collection of the pop-up books designed by author Courtney McCarthy: M.C. Escher Pop-Ups, Gaudi Pop-Ups, Dali Pop-Ups, Pop-Up Numbers (which is only available in Europe) — as well as the forthcoming Star Trek Pop-Ups. This prize also includes a tour, by McCarthy, through several of the sections of the Strand Book Store that feature pop-up books and books that emphasize paper engineering. After the Strand tour, there will be lunch with McCarthy to discuss the making of pop-up books and the intricacies of paper engineering, plus a sneak peek of the design process for McCarthy’s next pop-up, which will focus on the artwork of Katsushika Hokusai. To enter this drawing, purchase Gaudi Pop-Ups, Star Trek Pop-Ups, Dali Pop-Ups, or M.C. Escher Pop-Ups at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sun., Oct. 4, 11:00 a.m – 12:00 p.m.
Bruce Boyer True Style: The History and Principles of Classic Menswear The winner of the Experience drawing for True Style: The History and Principles of Classic Menswear will be accompanied by Bruce Boyer on a tour of Leonard Logsdail’s custom-tailoring atelier on 53rd Street in Manhattan. Logsdail is famous not only for his beautiful custom business suits, but also for tweed shooting attire, and for his work in films. Lunch to follow. To enter this drawing, purchase True Style: The History and Principles of Classic Menswear at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sun., Oct. 4, 12:00 p.m – 1:00 p.m.
J. Michael Welton Drawing from Practice: Architects and the Meaning of Freehand The winners of the two Experience drawings for J. Michael Welton’s Drawing from Practice: Architects and the Meaning of Freehand will receive special guided tours of one of two prominent New York design studios featured in the book. One winner will tour Studio Libeskind, home to architect Daniel Libeskind, who designed the master plan for the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site. The other winner will tour Reddymade Design, where architect Suchi Reddy works on retail boutique designs for stores like Henri Bendel and Jimmy Choo. The winners (along with a friend) will have the opportunity to meet Libeskind and Reddy and hear how freehand drawing is integrated into the design process of each studio’s work. To enter this drawing, purchase Drawing from Practice at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sun., Oct. 4, 12:30 p.m – 1:30 p.m.
Julie Iovine New York in Fifty Design Icons The winner of the Experience drawing for New York in Fifty Design Icons will travel by car with author Julie Iovine to Corona, Queens, to visit the National Historic Landmark home of jazz legend Louis Armstrong where the aura of cool lives on from the den where wife Lucille allowed Satchmo to smoke his weed to the turquoise-lacquered kitchen, replete with customized ’60s gizmos, and a gift shop selling LP record-shaped Frisbees. To enter this drawing, purchase New York in Fifty Design Icons at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sun., Oct. 4, 1:00 p.m – 2:00 p.m.
Page Dickey Outstanding American Gardens: A Celebration – 25 Years of the Garden Conservancy The winner of the Experience drawing for Outstanding American Gardens: A Celebration – 25 Years of the Garden Conservancy will enjoy a private tour of the magnificent Hollister House Gardens, featured in the book and a preservation project of the Garden Conservancy. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this stunning Litchfield County, Connecticut, garden is an American interpretation of a classic English manor. We will also arrange for you to visit two additional outstanding, private gardens that are not typically open to the public. Your tour for one or two people will be led by acclaimed garden writer and editor of the book, Page Dickey. A delicious lunch will be included. Bring your design, plant, landscaping, and curiosity and questions along with you as you experience this rare opportunity to be delighted, inspired, and informed! To enter this drawing, purchase Outstanding American Gardens at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sun., Oct. 4, 2:00 p.m – 3:00 p.m.
Fran Leadon AIA Guide to New York City, 5th edition The winner of the Experience drawing for the AIA Guide to New York City, 5th edition will get the chance to tag along with author Fran Leadon, as he heads out to one of the city’s neighborhoods on an exploratory research trip for his next book. See the city through the eyes of one who knows it like few others, with a coffee or two along the way. To enter this drawing, purchase the 5th edition of the AIA Guide to New York City at any time during the Fair. This author will sign books on Sun., Oct. 4, 3:00 p.m – 4:00 p.m.
Megan Hess Coco Chanel: The illustrated World of a Fashion Icon The winner of the Experience drawing for Coco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon will receive the opportunity to have an exclusive lunch date with world-renowned illustrator Megan Hess. Re-creating the scene of one of her most known illustrations, “Brunch at Bergdorf’s,” you will enjoy a delicious lunch, beautiful views overlooking Central Park. and great conversation while Hess completes initial sketches for your bespoke portrait. The one-off portrait will be finalized in Hess’s studio once she returns home and will then be gifted in a beautiful Vera Wang frame. To enter this drawing, purchase Coco Chanel: The illustrated World of a Fashion Icon at any time during the Fair. Megan Hess will not be present at the Fair, but copies of her book will be available for purchase on Sun., Oct. 4, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., as well as during the entire Fair weekend.