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"When they need inspiration, the creative teams at Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Ralph Lauren, H&amp;amp;M, and many other fashion and decor giants can be found in the flyspeck Hudson Valley village of Wappingers Falls, New York, burrowing deep into the holdings of the little-known but internationally acclaimed Design Library. Long a destination for designers in search of rare and intriguing patterns that can be leased or purchased and then adapted, resized, and recolored, the Design Library is absolutely private, a secret repository for professionals only. That is, except on Wednesday, May 14, when it will open its doors to an increasingly curious public for just one day.\n\nPinterestFacebookThe Library's collection of over seven million designs is carefully catalogued by textile, fabric, and print type.\n\n\"We've never had a public event like this,\" says Peter Koepke, who purchased the 35-year-old archive in 2002 and, as its owner and director, oversees its collection of seven million textiles, a breathtaking trove that stretches back to the 1750s. \"Occasionally college classes would be allowed through for a tour, from Marist or the Fashion Institute of Technology,\" he continues, \"but we've always had to politely and reluctantly say no to people who are just aficionados.\"\n\nPinterestFacebookAlong with loose swatches, the Design Library has shelves of sample books containing examples and descriptions of historical prints.\n\nThose nonprofessional fans are now officially welcome. On May 14, Koepke and his staff will lead two tours, one at 10:30 a.m. and another at 1:30 p.m. Visitors will have the chance to wander the stacks with guides, and, afterward, chat with the Design Library's archivists. \"If a guest has a specific interest, such as Art Nouveau fabrics or textiles from the 1950s, they will be allowed to see and touch the real thing,\" Koepke explains, noting that the archive contains everything from 18th-century toiles de Jouy to jazzy prints used by couturi\u00E8re Elsa Schiaparelli to tribal textiles from Southeast Asia. \"You can't do that in a museum.\"\n\nPinterestFacebookProfessional designers go to the Design Library to look at and, just as important, feel rare and antique prints.\n\nFor information about the Design Library's public day and to make a reservation, call 845-297-1035 or send an email to info@design-library.com."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/design-library-wappingers-falls-hudson-valley-new-york>