• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

How Women Helped Shape Auto Interiors

March 16, 2015 By Nadeem Muaddi

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - General Motors Women Designers

The automotive interior industry is dominated by men, but women have long played an integral role in its growth and development. In fact, they’ve been influential as industrial sewing machine operators, auto upholsterers, business owners, textile innovators and even cabin designers.

Fastlane, an automotive blog run by General Motors, recently published an interesting piece revealing how women helped shape modern car interiors — making them more appealing, practical and safe. The article is a must-read for everyone in the industry.

Below is an excerpt:

In 1943, Harley Earl, GM’s legendary Chief of Design, hired Helene Rother as a designer on the interior styling staff. Rother, who focused on upholstery colors and fabrics, lighting and door hardware, was the industry’s first female auto designer.

As the American economy improved after WWII, Earl realized women were playing a larger role in the automotive marketplace. Women were increasingly responsible for and involved in auto purchases, with some estimates showing them as having the final say in up to 75 percent of decisions.

Earl had a longstanding relationship with many art and design schools, and he began to recruit female industrial design students. This group of women, sometimes referred to as the “Damsels of Design,” worked for a variety of marques at the GM Tech Center and focused primarily on interior styling. By 1956, GM had 11 female designers on staff.

Earl and other GM designers were immediately impressed by the new perspective the female stylists brought to the studio.

“They prove conclusively that women have established a real toe-hold in automotive designing and that they have a limitless future,” said Earl in 1958. “The skilled feminine hands helping to shape our cars of tomorrow are worthy representatives of American women.” […]

Along with stunningly detailed interiors and custom hardware, the designers proposed ideas that would lead to improved safety, including retractable seat belts and open door warning lights. The women also focused heavily on storage in the vehicles, and included a variety of compartments for umbrellas, maps, cameras and even picnic supplies.

To read the full article, see “Designing Women.” Also, check out the “Industry History” section of The Hog Ring for more stories from our shared past.

Filed Under: Archive, Industry History Tagged With: Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior, General Motors

Primary Sidebar

anal porno bangbros rus porno yaşlı porno konulu porno olgun porno porno izle sarışın porno bakire sex 69 porno

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation - Right Rail Ad 3
  • Keyston Bros
  • Albright's Supply
  • OEM+ Banner Ad - The Hog Ring
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • Hyde Leather
  • Big Z Fabric
  • Leather Craft

THR Favorites

The Hog Ring - Real Men Sew

It’s True, Real Men Sew!

Real men sew. We've always known that. But it … [more] about It’s True, Real Men Sew!

The Hog Ring - Meet Stuart Foster Pagani of SFP Design

Meet Stuart Foster Pagani of SFP Design

Stuart Foster Pagani discovered the craft of … [more] about Meet Stuart Foster Pagani of SFP Design

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Brent Parker Motor Trimming

Lambo Stitching with Brent Parker 1

On the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, in the … [more] about Lambo Stitching with Brent Parker 1

The Hog Ring - Spotlight Customs - Spotlight Coffee

Spotlight Customs Just Launched its Own Coffee Brand

Like most trimmers, we start each day with a … [more] about Spotlight Customs Just Launched its Own Coffee Brand

The Hog Ring - 7 Things to Consider Before Retrofitting Bucket Seats

7 Things to Consider Before Retrofitting Bucket Seats

Lately it seems every car owner wants to swap … [more] about 7 Things to Consider Before Retrofitting Bucket Seats

The Hog Ring - Meet Stephen Kurzman of The Custom Stitching Co

Meet Stephen Kurzman of The Custom Stitching Co.

Formal training at one of the country’s few … [more] about Meet Stephen Kurzman of The Custom Stitching Co.

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • WWF Teams Up with Big Brands to Clean Up the Leather Supply Chain
  • Trimmer James Byran Whitlock Dies at 56
  • Rant: As Touch Screens Took Over, Interior Quality Suffered
  • Mistakes to Avoid When Starting an Auto Upholstery Business
  • Toyota’s Self-Cleaning Car Interior is a Germaphobe’s Dream

Recent Comments

  • Edward Munday on Hidden Mouse Nest? How to Charge for the Extra Dirty Work
  • Jack on Keyston Bros. Acquires DLT Corporation
  • Brodie Smith on Aston Martin Just Introduced a New Convertible DB12
  • THE CAPTAIN on 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers
  • Dmei on Star Wars Seat Covers are ‘So Wizard’

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in