Anais Missakian
A design consultant for the textile industry, Anais Missakian has spent the past 25 years designing textile collections for the interior market. Recent work includes design and production of printed and woven interior fabrics for Laura Lienhard, Inc. In addition, she and Lienhard created jacquard and printed upholstery fabrics for the Kreiss Furniture Company in San Diego, CA. Other clients include Sunbury Textile Mills, Quaker Fabric Corporation, Malden Mills, Martex, Macy’s and Westpoint/Stevens.
A 1984 honors graduate of RISD, Missakian also attended Central/Saint Martins in London and Michigan State University. Before returning to RISD to start her teaching career, she spent six years in New York working as a designer for textile companies including Decorator’s Walk and China Seas. From 1990–95, Missakian ran a business with fellow alumna Elise Contarsy in New York City, where their clients included German firm Taunus/Zimmer Rhode, Japanese company Fujiie Textiles and US companies Lenox China, Dansk and Greff Fabrics. She has also served as director of industry on the board of the Surface Design Association.
During her tenure at RISD, Missakian served as graduate coordinator from 2000–04 and department head since 2004, with an interim period as dean of Fine Arts from 2011–14. Her extensive committee service includes work on RISD’s Instruction Committee, Academic Standing Committee, Financial Aid Committee, European Honors Committee, the Committee for Faculty Appointments and numerous faculty and administrative search committees.
