Design has played a significant role in Leslie Ann Pilling’s life since childhood, when she often spent time with her parents in museums.
“I wanted to buy all the relics and interesting pieces with my quarter,” she says. “My mom would say they weren’t for sale.”
Today, she can spend as much time as she wants in the museum she founded. Eleven years ago, she opened the Metropolitan Museum of Design Detroit (MM-O-DD), which popped up at various locations around the city before securing a home on the third floor of 905 Henry St.
The museum is described as “the singular design museum in Detroit” that “provides access and champions the design industry.” Pilling says the museum is based in experiential opportunities and educational enrichment where people come to research and discuss.
Here, Pilling talks about how her style is influenced by design and more.
I describe my style as …
A clean silhouette, like architectural, and then pick the edges off to give it texture.
My fashion philosophy is …
You can wear everything as long as it’s balanced. How do you know it’s balanced? If you ask, “Do I like it or not?” If it’s not a yes, it’s a no.
My favorite trend right now is …
Loafers. I love that we’re getting out of so many tennis shoes but staying with the flats.
My signature piece of clothing is …
Black, black, black. My mother used to say to me, “Leslie, why do you always look like you’re going to a funeral?”
I dress for an event at my museum …
For comfort because I’m bouncing around. I usually have a few different looks with me. Sometimes I get tired of [what I’m wearing] and throw something else on.
My style icons are …
Vivienne Westwood, definitely, and Ann Lowe. I think they got it right, especially Ann Lowe. If you look at her, how her aesthetic was, it’s still relevant today.
When I’m looking for inspiration …
I go to Belle Isle. There is inspiration in the water, in the architecture, within the aquarium and the conservatory.
This story originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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