Mary Bright

Mary Bright (11 January 1954 – 29 November 2002) was a Scottish curtain designer. She began her career doing a short apprenticeship at Paris' Lanvin fashion house. In 1979, Bright relocated to New York City and worked as a hat maker as well as designing clothes. She began designing curtains in her own studio Mary Bright Inc. in 1983, and her clientele included contemporary architects and other well-known celebrities. Bright was also a contributor to exhibition design. She experimented with corrugated paper, rubber and fine metal meshes with cut and sewn linen and wool.

Biography On 11 January 1954, Bright was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was the daughter of a family doctor. Bright learnt fine arts in London and then fashion and millinery in Leeds; despite this, she did not formally train as a designer.

Personal life She was married to David Paskin from 1990 to 2002. She said in 1997: "I try to find other ways besides using fringe and tassels to make curtains look interesting." Bright also used silvery metals in her works starting from 1987, which gradually became fashionable, and included of silk taffeta lining peering at the centre and bottom in the style of a petticoat to distinguish.

John A. Hoch described her legacy in the January 2003 issue of Metropolitan Home: "As a needle woman, she certainly flourished in her exacting craft in the most inventive and creative sense. And then there was Mary's depth of perception--whether at a showroom, an East Village restaurant or local coffee shop. Mary could assess a group or individual and ignite the situation into fiery brilliance with wit and sparkle, or calm it with that inner serenity of hers." Hoch also referred to Bright as "a larger-than-life individual" and "a unique talent". William L. Johnson of The New York Times wrote of Bright's artistry: "from controlled chaos – a crinkled polyester curtain for a New York apartment that looks alive with the electricity of an approaching storm – to a flatness as tranquil as a flat sea."