Liora Manne

Born in Israel, educated in the United States and now a true New Yorker, lifestyle products designer Liora Manné has been a study in breaking the rules from early in her career. After graduating from Georgia State University with a degree in journalism and drama, Liora was anticipating a life in theatre. A textile design class at North Carolina State University changed the course of her career. Intrigued by the dependency of design on cutting edge technology in order to make ground-breaking advances, she pursued a master’s degree in both textile design and textile engineering. Armed with her dual credentials in art and engineering, and sparked by an insatiable curiosity she headed to New York City to test her creativity. Her first stop was to design textiles for the fashion industry, but she soon found herself challenged to explore something more creative and non-traditional within the textile industry. Liora gravitated toward home fashions, and rugs in particular. Her entry into the area rug business truly changed the directions of the industry. Bold, contemporary colors sparked a revolution in a category dominated by traditions. Today, Liora Manne's LAMONTAGE™ products are featured worldwide. Liora continues to travel the world to unearth inspiration from sites off the beaten path and to develop both product and technology before it hits the mainstream. The versatility of the products coupled with their international design appeal make them at home in institutions such as the Rubin Museum and Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the Mondrian Hotel in California, Brown University in Rhode Island, and some of the most exclusive nightclubs around the world. They are also in the permanent collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Liora’s involvement in the world reaches beyond her quest for designer inspiration. As a leader in a dynamic woman owned company, she has been involved in design work for floor coverings that have created job opportunities in an area of India where woman are not part of the workforce. Liora has also made great strides at the LAMONTAGE™ factory in China, employing over 150 women and training them in her unique artistic processes. Liora is also involved with several non profit organizations. Alfa Workshops trains and employs people living with HIV/AIDS in the decorative arts. She is also involved with the Partnership for the Homeless.