Raymond Loewy
For those in the know, French-born American industrial designer Raymond Loewy is the “father of streamlining.” He is widely recognized as a pioneer of industrial design consulting — a creative powerhouse who took aim at cluttered designs and simplified them. Loewy left his mark on everything from toothbrushes to trashcans to spacecraft interiors. He designed cars, worked in illustration, and crafted comely dressers and other furniture.
Loewy was born in Paris, France. At age 15, he designed a model airplane that was powered by rubber bands. It won the James Gordon Bennett Cup of 1908. Loewy patented the model kit for this plane by the following year and saw brisk sales. With his savings, Loewy was able to study at the University of Paris and then at Ecole de Lanneau, where he earned an engineering degree in 1918.
Loewy moved to New York City in 1919 and found work as a window designer for the department stores Macy's, Wanamaker's and Saks and as a fashion illustrator for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Loewy’s big break in industrial design came in 1929 when he altered the Gestetner duplicating machine — removing jutting parts and encasing the moving works in an understated cover. It caused a sensation within the industry — and companies began to call on him.
Loewy designed packaging for Coca-Cola and revised the look of Lucky cigarettes. The “Loewy Look,” which referred to the designer’s efforts to strip a product of any unnecessary detail and streamline its appearance, began to characterize hundreds of products.
Loewy found clients in a dizzying number of companies. He did everything from retooling logos to redesigning products. His 1934 Sears Coldspot refrigerator was a sleek innovation that broke sales records. His Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive resembled a speeding bullet and was the darling of the 1939 World’s Fair. Loewy even reworked shapes for snacks at Nabisco. By the time World War II gathered steam, Raymond Loewy Associates — the industrial design firm he founded — had been operating in a number of American cities. When Time magazine featured him on the cover in October 1949 — Loewy was not shy about publicity — his profile soared.
Loewy worked with Studebaker for decades. The success of their 1953 Starliner coupe was due to his revolutionary design, while their 1963 futuristic, fiberglass-bodied Avanti, which came with advanced safety features and materialized at a time when the company was experiencing financial hardship, was his crowning achievement for the maker.
Returning to his roots in aviation, Loewy worked for NASA from 1967 to 1973 on the interior design of the Skylab space station. He was also involved in the interior designs of the Concorde supersonic jet and Air Force One. Loewy delighted in creating furniture and collaborated with manufacturers such as Mengel Furniture, Rosenthal and Doubinsky Frères. In the 1970s, Loewy and his wife shuttered their businesses and retired in France.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Raymond Loewy cabinets, serveware, seating and more.
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1960s French Space Age Vintage Raymond Loewy
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1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Raymond Loewy
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Raymond Loewy
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- What did Raymond Loewy design?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021Raymond Loewy is known as the father of industrial design. While he has designed razors, railroad terminals and more, Loewy is well known for notable logos such as the Lucky Strike cigarette packet and Coke bottle.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024Raymond Loewy is influential because of his approach to industrial design, which emphasized simplicity and sleekness. Called "the father of streamlining," he is widely recognized as a pioneer of design consulting. Loewy was a creative powerhouse who took aim at cluttered designs and simplified them, leaving his mark on everything from toothbrushes and trash cans to spacecraft interiors. He also designed cars, worked in illustration and crafted dressers and other furniture. On 1stDibs, explore a variety of Raymond Loewy furniture and decorative objects.
- What did Raymond Loewy make?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 16, 2024Raymond Loewy made many things. He left his mark on everything from toothbrushes to trashcans to spacecraft interiors. Loewy designed cars, worked in illustration and crafted comely dressers and other furniture. Early in his career, he designed packaging for Coca-Cola and revised the look of Lucky cigarettes. His 1934 Sears Coldspot refrigerator was a sleek innovation that broke sales records. His Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive resembled a speeding bullet and was the darling of the 1939 World's Fair. Loewy even reworked shapes for snacks at Nabisco. Explore a selection of Raymond Loewy furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024Raymond Loewy designed a few cars over the course of his life. He worked with Virgil Exner to create Studebaker's full lineup of vehicles during the late 1930s. In addition, he is responsible for the sleek, streamlined appearance of the Studebaker Starlight, the Studebaker Starliner and the Studebaker Avanti. For his contributions to the field of automotive design, Raymond Loewy became an inductee of the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1997. Shop a variety of Raymond Loewy furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 13, 2024Some of Raymond Loewy's most famous designs include the packaging for Lucky Strike cigarettes and the Coca-Cola bottle. His 1934 Sears Coldspot refrigerator was a sleek innovation that broke sales records. His Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive, resembling a speeding bullet, was the darling of the 1939 World's Fair. Loewy even reworked shapes for snacks at Nabisco. Loewy also worked with Studebaker for decades, designing acclaimed vehicles like the 1953 Starliner coupe and the Avanti. He designed the interiors for NASA's Skylab space station, the Concorde supersonic jet and Air Force One. On 1stDibs, explore a collection of Raymond Loewy furniture.