A Conversation with Daniella Ohad

Dr. Daniella Ohad is a design historian, connoisseur, educator, curator, writer, talk show hostess, and an influencer, who received her PhD degree from the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design and Culture. Her commitment to modern design history and collecting design includes extensive work in education in the fields of design culture; history and theory; interiors; material culture; contemporary design; connoisseurship; and the decorative arts. As a returning member of our Honorary Committee, Daniella joined us for a rapid-fire round of questions on collecting myths, advice for newcomers, and more.

What's one myth about collecting that you'd love to debunk?

There are two persistent misconceptions surrounding the culture of collecting: that one can build a meaningful collection without knowledgeable guidance, and that collecting art and design is the exclusive domain of the wealthy. I have never subscribed to either notion.

An art advisor can play an essential role in shaping a collection. The role of the advisors is not simply tell collectors what to buy, but to educate the eye, provide knowledge and access, sharpen discernment, and ultimately help the collector develop an independent point of view. As an advisor who has worked in the field of collectible design for decades, I have learned that collecting without informed guidance can lead to costly mistakes and regrettable choices—many of which can easily be avoided. A great advisor brings experience, connoisseurship, historical perspective, and an understanding of the market, while allowing the collector's own identity and taste to remain at the heart of the collection.

The second misconception is that collecting is fundamentally about wealth. I believe it is far more about priorities, passion, curiosity, and the desire to live with objects of meaning. Collecting is about cultivating taste and developing an eye; above all, it is an intellectual pursuit. Living with art is akin to living with music, literature, or theater. It enriches daily life, stimulates thought, provokes emotion, and creates an ongoing dialogue between the object and the person who has chosen to live with it. A life surrounded by art is fundamentally different from one without it.

Historically, collecting was certainly associated with wealth, privilege, and patronage, but that definition has long since expanded. Many important and deeply personal collections begin with modestly priced works, discoveries made in unexpected places, or objects acquired directly from emerging artists and makers. The significance of a collection is not determined by the amount of money invested in it, but by the intelligence, discernment, curiosity, and passion behind the choices. Ultimately, the most compelling collection is not necessarily the most expensive one; it is the one that most authentically reflects the mind, eye, and sensibility of the person who created it. 

What's one object you've lived with—or encountered—that continues to reveal something new every time you see it?

The sofa in my living room was designed by the Italian architect Gino Levi-Montalcini—for his own home. Levi-Montalcini was brilliant and a true talent who held a central place in the evolution of Italian modernism during the 1930s. He grew up in an intellectual Jewish family, and his sister, Rita Levi-Montalcini, became the celebrated neurobiologist who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1986.

The sofa is so sculptural and singular that I've never seen anything quite like it. With its simple planes, absence of ornament, and unusual proportions, it's immediately clear that this form was conceived by an architect—it lends the space an exceptional architectural quality. The fact that it once stood in his own home in Turin adds a special narrative to the piece, one that makes it all the more precious to me. And the fact that his career was severely curtailed by Fascist Italy's anti-Jewish racial laws brings it even closer to my heart.

What's currently capturing your attention—whether it's a project, a collection, or a new area of interest?

The most important event in my life this fall is the publication of my forthcoming and first book, 100 Milestones in Modern Design: Objects, Ideas, and Events, published by Rockport Publishers / Quarto in November.

In the book, I have identified 100 pivotal moments—objects, ideas, buildings, technologies, cultural events, and turning points—that have shaped the story of modern design and, in many instances, modern life itself. Among these milestones are William Morris’s Red House, conceptually one of the most influential single homes in the history of modern design; Levi’s blue jeans, which evolved from utilitarian workwear into a global cultural phenomenon; the utopian experiments in glass architecture that emerged in the years following World War I; and Steve Jobs’s first visit to Japan, an encounter that would profoundly influence his understanding of design.

Throughout the book, I sought to connect design to the larger forces that have shaped modern society—industrialization, urbanization, war, feminism, consumer culture, globalization, environmental consciousness, and sustainability. I did so because design does not exist in isolation. It is both a reflection of its time and a powerful agent of change: a force that responds to society while simultaneously helping to transform the way we live.

What's the best exhibition you've seen recently—or one you're especially looking forward to this fall?

Definitely the exhibit Goddesses in the Machine at the Bard Graduate Center, which reveals the untold story of costume and style in the silent film of early Hollywood, from actors wearing their own clothes to the birth of the movie costume designer. It seeks to demonstrate how silent films transformed fashion from personal expression into powerful storytelling, creating the blueprint for modern movie glamour.

Bringing together a selection of rare surviving objects from the advent of cinema, the exhibition highlights the behind-the-scenes work of famous designers such as Travis Banton, Henri Bendel, Clare West, and Lucile, Lady Duff-Gordon, as well as lesser-known names including Madame Frances, I. Miller, Natacha Rambova, and Lilian St. Cyr. A vibrant display of ensembles and accessories at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery will be enriched by accompanying film clips and works on paper including photographs, posters, film stills, and costume design sketches.

What's one piece of advice you'd give someone buying their first significant work of art or design?

I would tell them that they are stepping into something that's going to transform their life—in the best way.