Ever sat in a conversation pit? Then you have one man to thank: Alexander Girard (1907–1993), the midcentury luminary who masterminded textiles, interiors, and even corporate identities brimming with an unmistakable vibrancy. While modernism gets a bad rap for austerity, Girard's brand of design was anything but—it was steeped in folklore and history, festooned with prismatic patterns, forward-thinking, and above all, functional.