Lawenda / Kneedler-Fauchere

In 1948 Dorothy Kneedler co-founded Kneedler-Fauchere with Lucienne Fauchere in San Francisco. Kneedler and Fauchere had met in the Philippines during the Japanese occupation. Dorothy, her husband at the time, and their children spent time in an internment camp in the Philippines. They were allowed back into the US in 1945. Kneedler and Fauchere then started a business in San Francisco importing the oriental fabrics they had fell in love with overseas. Dorothy, in 1949, hired designer Harry Lawenda. The Parsons-trained architect from the University of Pennsylvania was previously the head of the decorating department at Modernage. Harry and Dorothy married in 1950 and when Fauchere left the business, Lawenda  became Dorothy's business partner.  Dorothy encouraged Harry to create designs to compliment the Japanese aesthetic of their textiles.  Lawenda, along with other Bay Area designers like Luther Conover, Muriel Coleman and Peter Rooke-Leye were the creative force of a this design trend that retailer Harry Jackson would soon brand "Pacifica". More on Jackson and Pacifica can be found here. Kneedler-Fauchere grew into a major design showroom with multiple location.  The couple eventually moved to Los Angeles and were among the first tenants in the Pacific Design Center. Dorothy passed away in 2008 and Harry in 2011.