Aerin Lauder introducing her new collection of fabrics for Kravet.
On our last day of Blogfest 2013, we had the opportunity to visit the design studios of Kravet, Lee Jofa, and Brunschwig and Fils, which are all under the same roof in New York’s Flatiron district. One of our stops on the tour was a visit with the inherently stylish Aerin Lauder – granddaughter of Estee Lauder – who showed us her new collection of fabrics designed for Lee Jofa. Aerin is known for her lifestyle brand that includes beauty, fashion accessories, and home decor, all infused with her signature, effortless style.
“Estee was an incredible role model. She taught me the importance of passion, style, hard work, family and, of course, all things beautiful. Her dream to make women feel beautiful and special still lives on today. My vision is to create a beauty and lifestyle brand shaped for my generation and those to follow.” – Aerin Lauder
Aerin’s fabrics are a combination of stately traditional and modern playful, with an elegant look, sumptuous feel, and tell-tale gold thread running through most. I think they would be perfect for an historical estate make-over project that I am working on ... will keep you posted ...
Gold threads add a hint of Lauder glimmer to Aerin’s collection.
There are numerous interior design stars that have textile collections with the Kravet brand. Thom Filicia, Candice Olson, Alexa Hampton, Ralph Lauren, Barbara Barry, Barclay Butera, and many more. Why does a well established fabric house partner with interior designers? The answer is simple. When you think of these designers, each has a specific point of view and that is what you will find in their collections, which makes it easier for other designers and home owners to make decisions based on what they know they like.
Thom Filica for Kravet
Ralph Lauren imagery, mood boards, and fabrics
Coming soon to the Kravet label is Canadian designer and HGTV star Sarah Richardson. Look for her softly-colored fabric collections this fall.
Kravet offers classic furniture pieces that may be customized with their fabrics. I loved this work-in-progress pinboard featuring floor plan selections for a contract interior.
current fabric trends and colorways
The history of fabric design as an artform goes back for centuries. David Toback, Director of Design at Brunschwig and Fils, shared with us the story of a particular archive-quality pattern that had been reinterpreted over the years in many different ways. A pattern may be translated on linen, cotton, silk, wallpaper ... with each differing slightly in appearance, but telling a similar story. If you love a particular pattern, it’s very possible to find just the right application of it to suit your needs.
from the archives to fabrics to wallpaper
The carpet studio at Lee Jofa was very interesting. The possibilities are seemingly endless on ways to customize a carpet, from color choices to scale of pattern to combination of materials from silk to wool to blends. The designers who work the pattern magic had me fascinated with their stylus, tablet and super size Macs. I could see myself doing this kind of work ...
pattern check on a large ink jet printer
The contract work that Kravet handles ranges from edgy rocker hotel suites to gracious table linens for the First Lady and so much more. If you have visited Disney World lately, chances are you have seen their work. Look at any pattern in a Disney resort and you will see a Mickey Mouse logo embedded in the design thanks to the art directors at Kravet.
a table linen fabric designed for a White House event
More highlights from the studio tour:
On the board at Lee Jofa: Fornasetti fish wallpaper
seen at Kips Bay Showhouse (shown here in blue)
Trims and window hardware: Kravet has it all.
bloggers recording the latest trims offered from Kravet
current trends in window fashions
The last stop on our very informative Blogfest 2013 Kravet studio tour was a glimpse at their couture line which is actually manufactured right here in Massachusetts. These fabrics are their most exclusive collections, influenced by the world of haute couture fashion, translating luxe runway looks into home decor ready materials. They were fabulous!
Thank you, Kravet and Blogfest 2013 organizers for showing us such a wonderful time in New York this spring and for providing a veritable month’s worth of blogging content! I will follow up later with a post on trends that I saw at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. For now, here is a sneak peek of a recently completed client project of mine that included a gorgeous Kravet silk fabric used for the floor to ceiling window treatments. I was really happy with how they came out.
Stay tuned for additional pictures of this living room and adjoining dining room redesign ... I plan to show more photos of my work as soon as I finish up my spaces at the York Decorator Show House which opens on July 13th. This summer show house nestled in a picturesque cove located in Kittery, Maine, is definitely worth fitting into your travel plans. Watching the other designers transform their spaces over the last couple of months, while I have been working on my own, has been such a fun experience. If you love on-trend design, beautiful textiles, and ocean-inspired color palettes, then you will not be disappointed! Let me know if you plan to attend – I’d love to see you on a day that I am there. Click here for tickets and show schedule.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for visiting! I would love to hear your thoughts on today’s post. Please note: all comments will be reviewed before being published to protect readers from spam. Thank you!