The Office of Academic Affairs awarded Alexis (Allie) George ’22 (BFA), whose thesis project is featured on this page, the Chairman’s Award for her overall performance at NYSID. At NYSID, thesis projects are long journeys that challenge students to brainstorm, conduct research, and synthesize all they have learned. The journey ends with a presentation to a jury of faculty and industry professionals. Our students work closely with faculty to create hypothetical designs that offer solutions to real-world problems.

Student: Alexis (Allie) George
Project: La Maison De Givenchy
Program: Bachelor of Fine Arts
Instructor: Robert Dadras

Allie George wanted her thesis to be a marriage of her two great passions, interior design and fashion, and for many years she’s been an admirer of Hubert de Givenchy’s “classic, elegant, and sophisticated style.” She set out to create an all-encompassing space for Givenchy’s design process and specialized staff. There would be dramatic public spaces for customers, and inspiring spaces for creative/artistic directors, designers, sewists, archivists, executives, and board members.  She says, “I wanted to pick a historical building that mimicked the characteristics of those in Paris, especially those on the Rue de Montagne, where many of the haute couture ateliers are located. I sought to bring that sensibility into New York.” She chose a six-story building at 20 East 65th Street, and her goal was the adaptive re-use of as much of the original structure as possible. The key to the customer’s journey through the space is the beautiful grand stair hall. Clients would enter through the stair hall to find the lobby, and also use it to access fitting rooms on the second floor. They might also visit the roof garden (with rainwater collection) for runway shows or parties. The majority of spaces in the building are dedicated to the workers behind the brand. The cellar is an archival library. Behind French doors on the first floor are a staff lounge, lockers, and kitchenette. There are work-based areas for the atelier on the upper floors, such as spinning, cutting, and dying areas, as well as meeting rooms and a photography studio. Says George, who now works as a junior designer at Champalimaud Design, “The idea was a fresh take on Parisian, traditional design.”