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Every Fall there is a major debut of new products, trends and brand marketing that takes place at the Decoration & Design Building in New York City. It is a two-day event focused on new merchandise, philosophies, and directions.
As I visited the showrooms this week I found a prevailing situation (though not a new one) that featured many collaborative endeavors involving artists and designers from other design disciplines. The results are primarily targeted to textiles and rugs.
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One of my popular crusades of late is enlisting my industry peers into embracing the “Made In America” stance. I can’t stress enough the importance of being aware of how each of us can help rebuild our economy.
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You know the phenomenon – someone’s name comes up in conversation so often that you finally decide you need to learn more about them. Zak Profera was that guy on my radar as 2012 came to a close. Friends were talking about how incredible stylish his printed linens were. I’d also been told that his beloved Shiba Inu ‘Shinji’ represents the ‘Fox’ in his company’s name.
So last week I asked him to meet me at Studio Four, where he is represented in New York, to show me his collection. We had a lengthy conversation about his career trajectory, and the fascinating intellectual design process behind each of his prints.
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Earlier this month ‘Fashion and Technology’ opened at the FIT Museum on 7th Avenue at 27th Street in NYC. The exhibit explores the impact of emerging technologies on the nature of fashion design and production over the past 250 years; focusing on innovations that have influenced the materials, aesthetic, and function of fashion.
The Chandelier at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House
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My life as an interior designer is all about details. I love to go to extremes whenever possible. With the drab winter season fast approaching, I’m feeling the need for some shimmer and sparkle. Since my home is a total reflection of my life, I embarked this week on a shopping excursion in search of just that rare entity: fabrics, wallpapers, and trims that lend dramatic effects by virtue of their reflective qualities.
Photograph by Erik Kvalsvik from Fortuny Interiors by Brian Coleman. Reprinted with permission by Gibbs Smith.
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From the curiosity and passion of one person – Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo – a design empire was created that encompassed fine arts, photography, theatrical design, lighting, fashion and textiles. The inventor, and the world he created over one hundred years ago, still thrives and advances today thanks to Maury and Mickey Riad, the brothers who operate his namesake firm.
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-Pierre Frey
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Last week I had the great pleasure of meeting Patrick and Pierre Frey in their company’s New York showroom. Patrick, the family patriarch, is the second generation President and Creative Director, while his son Pierre (named after his Grandfather who established the firm in 1935) is the head of International Relations. Matthieu and Vincent Frey – pictured above in the family portrait – are Patrick’s other sons. They are also company executives.
During my visit Patrick and Pierre shared some of their storied history, and walked me though their collection of fabrics. I’d like to share some of what I consider to be the standouts.
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Velvet is presumed to have been developed on the shuttle loom by the Chinese more than 4500 years ago, and was constructed of pure silk. It was woven by the Persians about 2000 B.C., and by the Italians during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries – and was coveted by royalty and nobility. When weavers began experimenting with mohair fiber from angora goats in the 16th century, velvet became less precious. In 1785 the mechanized loom was invented by Edmund Cartwright, which with the introduction of cotton and linen fiber versions, made velvet much more accessible.