Honoring Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Retail Store Design

Retail Design Legion of Honor

Sponsored by the Retail Design Institute

About the Award

In 2001, recognizing the retail design profession was driven not by business executives but by visionary designers, the Retail Design Institute established the Retail Design Legion of Honor. This award recognizes and validates that talent regardless of membership in the Retail Design Institute. Annually, the Institute seeks nominees that meet the criteria established in 2001.

Candidates who successfully meet the Retail Design Legion of Honor criteria will be asked to furnish a detailed resume of their career and a portfolio of their award-winning work.

All portfolios will be reviewed by a confidential panel of judges from the Retail Design Legion of Honor selection committee.

Please Note: Candidates must be present (excused for medical reasons) at the Retail Design Legion of Honor induction held in conjunction with the Institute’s annual design awards and member recognition event.

Notable inductees include Raymond Loewy and Bill Snaith (posthumously), who established themselves and their firms as leading product and store designers. Larry Israel was responsible for the open floor plan, while Dick Shipley was the pioneer of the total environmental design we practice today. Later, Jim Terrell, Ed Hambrecht, and Ken Walker would distinguish retail selling spaces they designed by way of interior architecture. Dudley Pope of Rich’s, Harry Le Grand, Myer Grace Brothers, and Barbara D’Arcy, Bloomingdale’s, put their respective stores into the record books. Alton Doody added marketing research and branding to our discipline.

Qualifications & Rules

Legion of Honor candidates must provide documentation or evidence that they meet the following requirements:

1. Career spanning at least 25 years in store design.

2. Active in the store design/interior design profession, or retired from the profession.

3. Body of work – such as product design, graphic design and visual merchandising as well as store design — recognized for its design excellence and influence on the store design community.

At least three design projects should have received national or international recognition – Retail Design Institute’s Annual Competition Award; Shop! (formerly A.R.E., NASFM); the former National Association of Display Industries annual awards; CSA, Contract, design:retail, Interiors, VMSD magazines awards; and/or others relevant to the store design global industry

4. Show a progression to becoming an influencer in the design industry and retail design over the span of their career:

Positions either with consultancies or retail stores with design, and design direction/design management responsibilities culminating in a leadership role.

Candidates should have garnered industry attention – publication of their projects, and recognition of the individual.

Consistently gained attention for their design firm or retail organization based on creativity and design excellence.d. Expert at managing human and financial resources.

5. Candidate should have furnished support and contributed time and effort to the design profession and the design industry overall.

Professional membership in a professional or trade organization is preferred, but not mandatory. (Examples: AIA, ASID, IIDA, NADI, NASFM, NRF, Retail Design Institute (formerly ISP) and Shop!)

Candidate should have a reputation as a design industry spokesman, garnered through speaking engagements and assisting with and as part of major industry events and organizational activities in their country.

Candidate should have worked as a mentor, guiding students and newcomers to retail design and the design industry overall.

6. Candidate should stand out as a role model for others in or joining the industry. Candidate must demonstrate the highest standards of personal character, integrity, professionalism, personal ethics, and business ethics.

7. The candidate’s body of work should be recognized by retailers and the retail design industry for its significant influence on retailing.

Work has set standards for quality and creativity within the context of retail.

Work is directional and innovative within the context of retail.

The work has achieved notice and retail success, i.e., met directional or financial expectations.

8. Candidate or sponsor must furnish a detailed resume of their career and at least photos of their award-winning work.

9. Candidate must be present (excused for medical reasons) at the Retail Design Legion of Honor induction.

10. Institute by-laws specifically prohibit reciprocity, and any evidence of such will automatically disqualify the candidate.

Retail Design Legionnaires

2001: Ken Walker, FAIA, RDI, WalkerGroup/CNI; Robert Young, RDI, Robert Young Associates; Dominick Segrete, AIA, FRDI, Tucci, Segrete & Rosen; Jim Terrell, AIA, RDI, Hambrecht Terrell International; Raymond Loewy, Raymond Loewy Snaith; Larry Israel, AIA, FRDI, WalkerGroup/CNI; Ed Hambrecht, AIA, FRDI, Hambrecht Terrell International; Robert Daggett, DIA, FRDI, Daggett Architects; Dudley Pope, Rich’s.

2002: Robert Schafer, RDI, Schafer Associates; Ronald Pavlik, HDA, ASID, RDI, Pavlik Design Team; Naomi Leff, Naomi Leff Associates.

2003: Jay Fitzpatrick, RDI, Fitzpatrick International Group; Michael Boccadero, FRDI, Filenes; John Roberts, FRDI, John Roberts & Associates; Alton Doody, Retail Planning Associates; William Snaith, Raymond Loewy Snaith.

2004: Norwood Oliver, Norwood Oliver Associates; Dick Shipley, RDI, Shipley Associates; Harry LeGrande, RDI, Myer Grace Brothers.

2005: Russell Sway, FRDI, R. Sway Associates; Rodney Fitch, CBE, Fitch Worldwide; Rudy Javosky, RDI, Federated Department Stores.

2006: Clodagh, Clodagh Design International; Joanne Newbold, RDI, Joanne Newbold Associates; RoxAnna Sway, RDI, Retail Intel (ddi magazine and Macy’s).

2007: Peter Marino, FAIA, Peter Marino Architecture, PLLC; Charles Sparks, RDI, Charles Sparks + Company; Tom Herndon, RDI, Macy’s.

2008: Ken Nisch, AIA, RDI, JGA Inc.

2010: Elle Chute, RDI, Chute Gerdeman; Dennis Gerdeman, RDI, Chute Gerdeman.

2011: Jeff Henry, CID, Gensler.

2012: Bevan Bloemendaal, Timberland; Marc Gobe, Emotional Branding LLC.

2015: Kevin Roche, LVMH, DFS Group Ltd.

2017: Joseph P. Nevin, Jr., FRDI, Bergmeyer; Kathleen Jordan, RDI, Gensler.

2018: Brian Shafley, RDI, Chute Gerdeman.

2019: Paul Lechleiter, FRCH Nelson.

2022: Andrew McQuilkin, FRDI, BHDP Architecture; Bruce Barteldt, Little Diversified Architectural Consulting.

2023: John McNulty, MBH Architects; Rebekah Sigfrids, Bank of America; Sanjay Agarwal, RDI, FRDC; Mardi Najafi, RDI, Figure3; Ron Pompei, Pompei C3.