Why I Give: Charlotte Moss
Charlotte Moss. Photo: Brittany Ambridge
Designer Charlotte Moss, the founder of her eponymous firm, is known for her timeless aesthetic, layered interiors, southern warmth, and keen eye. Named a Grand Master of Design by Elle Décor, Moss has used her thirty-seven-year career in decorating homes and two previously owned retail stores to inform her design of licensed collections with Century Furniture, Fabricut, Stark Carpet, Pickard, P.E. Guerin, Soicher Marin, Artemis Design Company, and more. She is the author of twelve books, the most recent of which were Charlotte Moss Flowers (Rizzoli, 2021) and Home: A Celebration (Rizzoli, 2021). The third pillar of Moss’ work is philanthropy. She finds ways to give back. The sales of her recent book, Home, go to benefit No Kid Hungry. She serves on the Advisory Board of the New York School of Interior Design; she is Emerita Trustee of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, on the Advisory Council of Edith Wharton’s Restoration at The Mount and on the boards of the Bone Marrow Foundation and American Corporate Partners, where she mentors veterans. In 2022, Moss delivered the commencement address for her alma mater and received an honorary doctorate of letters from Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2017, NYSID awarded Moss with the Centennial Medal, an award the College gives only to individuals who have impacted the design community over the course of decades through their work and altruism. Many years earlier, NYSID gave her an honorary doctorate. Moss endowed the Charlotte Moss Scholarship at the New York School of Interior Design.
NYSID: Why did you endow a scholarship at NYSID?
CM: Through a scholarship at NYSID, I am able to provide someone with the education to pursue a career in our incredible industry and to do it in a city that nurtures by virtue of all it has to offer. Now, more than ever, owing to a cataclysmic pandemic, all of us have a renewed connection to our homes that has been incalculable. I believe we will have a growing need for professionals in our industry and the better equipped and educated they are, the stronger, richer an industry we will have.
NYSID: What is it about the New York School of Interior Design that makes it worth supporting?
CM: Education ensures our future. At this stage of my career, I feel it is incumbent upon our generation to help guide the next one. Mentoring, volunteering, establishing scholarships. . . everyone can do something to give back as a thank you for the successful careers we have had.
NYSID: Looking back at your career, what makes you the proudest?
CM: As a board member of several organizations, I have learned about science, medical research, and historical preservation. I have mentored veterans, raised money for those in need of a bone marrow transplant, and have been on the inside of several capital campaigns.
I’ve had a long career and am very fortunate that my company has been successful. As a result of that success, I have been able to give back. That, I feel, is one of my greatest accomplishments. As a trustee of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation I learned about governance, history and the merchandising and running of a gift shop. At American Corporate Partners, I mentored veterans returning to the workplace, making a yearlong commitment to counsel someone every month. When the pandemic caught us by surprise and thousands were without jobs and food, I decided to create a book to raise funds and awareness for No Kid Hungry. One hundred twenty-five artists, writers, poets and photographers answered the call and Home: A Celebration became a reality.
In every instance, the giving has been rewarded with new friends, a deeper comprehension of social issues, immeasurable knowledge, and a reaffirmation of just how important it is for all of us to give of ourselves. There are as many ways to give as there are people.
NYSID: What’s your best advice for an emerging designer?
CM: Invest in yourself. Do your homework. Listen. Keep learning. Be curious. Ask questions. Be kind. Work hard. Listen (again!). And don’t forget to give back.