Suzanne Heilmann

Working with ties and clips to hold each piece in place while she applied layers of glue and paint that hardened the fabric to simulate a wind-blown look, Heilmann intricately seizes time in memoriam. A self-described “texturalist” who works in many mediums often using everyday objects, Heilmann is fascinated by light, space, and time.

Our laundry line is part of her series, Memorialized in White, which began one year while spring-cleaning. Having stumbled upon a child’s old dress and a couple of heirloom pieces of clothing, she was drawn to preserving their intricate beauty, and the underlying narrative of these garments and the people who wore them. She developed this unique, yet exquisitely ordinary way to hang them so they could be seen, recognized, and remembered.

We are delighted Heilmann’s work can help us tell the stories of family farmers and their important work, not just for our restaurants, but also for the diversity and security of our country’s food supply.

Born in South Africa, Heilmann has lived all over the world. Her artistic career began early. After high school, she went to work for a New York City design firm before going to college at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She finished her Bachelor of Fine Arts in design at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. She started her own business, Heilmann Design Associates, at 27 with a focus on package design, corporate identity, and promotional materials. Her clients include Colgate-Palmolive, Nestlé, and A Taste of California. Heilmann’s artwork can be seen in New York and Connecticut.