What's inspiring you now, Stephen Elrod?

We are HUGE fans of Lee Jofa, the American fabric house founded in 1823. We also adore its VP and creative director, Stephen Elrod, who seems to embody the brand's refined-but-never-stuffy-aesthetic.

We asked Elrod to share a picture with us of something that recently inspired him. Here's what he had to say.

"I took these pictures of the Joseph window display at their shop in Knightsbridge, London. I really loved the unusual assortment of saturated bright and jewel toned colored dresses combined in such a fresh and sophisticated manner."

"I'm always finding something in London that gets my creative juices flowing. I suppose it is the unique mix of tradition juxtaposed with modernity that one finds in London that makes it so special for me. Whether I'm just walking down the street, as in this instance early this summer, or seeing the latest exhibition at the Tate Modern, there is an abundance of beautiful and exciting experiences that infuse my work."

Elrod pulled together this assortment of Lee Jofa fabrics for us.

A new multi-colored velvet stripe and coordinating textures in a range of colors you can see nicely captures the mood of the Joseph window in a palette perfect for our Fall interiors. Thank you, Stephen!

Stop by and see more of the finished product of his inspiration at the DCH (Suite 150), DDB (Suite 234), PDC (Suite B639), DCOTA (Suite C150).

Kravet Asks Alice...

We love the seasonal Kravet Inspired.News newsletter, the most recent of which debuted last week.
The "Ask Alice" column is always a favorite. Written by Alice Guercio, a 15-year Kravet veteran who is Vice President of Product Coordination, the column shares her expertise on specific fabrics. Maybe it was all of the Fashion Week happenings in NYC last week, but we found ourselves thinking of Chinoiserie. Turns out Guercio had already offered this distillation of its rich history, which we wanted to share:

"Recently I attended a meeting in which one of my colleagues told us all about the origin of chinoiserie. As he was telling the story to others in the room, I saw how they were enjoying his animated story of its history and I thought it would make a wonderful column.



The Western fascination with all things Oriental began in the mid 17th century with trade between Europe and China. Imported arts and crafts had an exciting and different beauty from those made in the west, especially Chinese porcelain and lacquer. In the early 18th century, the term “chinoiserie” was used to describe the European fantasy vision of China and the Far East. It is actually a French word for “Chinesery” or “Chinese-esque.”

It is an invented fusion of Asian motifs and European sophistication created by designers and craftsmen in the West. Since they knew little about far-off Asian cultures due to limited exposure, early chinoiserie is characterized by the use of imagery of a China that could only be imagined with pagodas, fabulous birds, monkeys, dragons and figures in exotic costumes. Decorative scenes may show a mythological creature in an oriental landscape, or an elegant lady with a Chinese parasol and Parisian hairstyle. Chinoiserie is often eccentric but most of all it is a fun mixture of fact and fiction of what seemed incredibly exotic to the people of Europe.



This new playful style was popularized when the French court of Louis XV found the curves and whimsy of chinoiserie integrated beautifully with Rococo architectural features. It soon spread throughout Europe and could be found in the interiors and gardens of the royal palaces.

It is fascinating to learn how an interpretation from a world away many centuries ago turned into the exotic, stylish and often peculiar fashion called chinoiserie. I encourage you all to dig deeper into the history because I have only touched the surface; after all, there is only so much information I can put in my little column."

If you have a question about fabric for Alice, email her at askalice@kravet.com and it just may become the subject of a future article!

Shown throughout is Ralph Lauren Home's Chinoiserie Garden that Kravet distributes to the trade.

Stop by Kravet at the DDB (Suite 324), DCH (Suite 150), DCOTA (Suite B-180) and PDC (B624) and pick up your copy.

Travel to Tangiers with Stark Paint

Yesterday we shared some pictures from color superstar David Oliver's recent visit to Tangiers along with colors from his Stark Paint line. Ready to continue the journey? We thought so!

This white portico and blue doors:



...is Blue's Blue:


This derelict salon:



...is Both Barrels:


This Cane Beach shack with Moroccan flag:



...is Straw V:


These Moroccan textiles:



...are Trilogy and Very Well Read:




This yellow arch:



...is Split Straw:


This painting of Moroccan musicians playing:



...is Moss:


See the entire range at Stark at the DDB, PDC, DCOTA and DCH. And with that, we say bon voyage for the weekend, wherever it may take you!

David Oliver shares colors from Tangiers

We asked David Oliver, color expert and creator of the UK Paint Library and the Stark Paint line. Oliver loves to spend his vacations in Tangiers, Morocco. We asked him to share his snapshots from his summer visit, and tell us which colors in the Stark Paint line are inspired by the palette.



...is Beetlenut:


The Kasbah gate:


....is Snettisham Gold:


This Islamic Pavillion tiled porch:


...is Teal:


These tiles, pillow and vase:


...is Deep Water Green:


Check back tomorrow when we'll finish the trip to Tangiers! Stop by Stark at the DDB, PDC, DCH and DCOTA to choose the colors that capture your own special place.

What did you do this summer, Pierre?

We're still in denial that summer's officially over, so to further the daydream, we asked Pierre Frey to tell us about his summer. He is the Director of International Relations/Press of, and shares his name with, his family's fabric company, Pierre Frey.

"Ever since I’m a young boy, every year I spend time in the summer on the southwestern coast of France, on Cap Ferret. We started coming here because my grandmother had a house here. Now, no matter how scattered around the world my family may be, we always end the summer here together. It’s a picturesque area, with very few hotels or development, which keeps it quaint and quiet. My time here is all about rejuvenation, spending time with family… and the most amazingly fresh seafood." He's pictured above left with his equally adorable brothers, Vincent and Matthieu.



"The climate on Cap Ferret can be cool, so it’s the perfect end-of-summer transition back to Fall. One of our fabrics that I associate with it is our Teddy Mohair in Marine [pictured above]. Like Cap Ferret for me, it’s cozy, lush, and in a deep blue color that matches the intensity of the sea. Also, our new print Panarea reminds me of the many sail boats that fill the waters here. Looking at the crazy positioning of the sails reminds me of being on a boat getting tossed about on the waves."

Panarea:


"When I return to Paris, we start the frenetic preparations for launching our next collections, culminating with our big show in January - the Paris Deco-Off. It’s our busiest time of year, but also the most exciting."



"We just shipped our new Boussac collection to our US showrooms. [We're mad for the absinthe-like color in the collection.] It is inspired by nature, but with a decidedly contemporary spirit. The collection has lots of color, and a sophisticated contrast of natural grounds with embroidery and hand blocked pattern."



Stop by Pierre Frey at the DDB (Floor 16) and see what Pierre's talking about -- and maybe transport yourself to Cap Ferret!

Allison Kettlewell on color

On Friday we introduced you to Allison Kettlewell, who's designing the textiles of Suzanne Tucker Home. She's pictured on the right, with her collaborator Vera Vandenbosch, who also works with Suzanne, and just happens to live up the street!

How awesome is this string ball wreath? It was hanging high on her wall, another example of the myriad examples of textiles that fill the studio.



We were dying to know how a designer conceives of color -- especially when there are so many possibilities. We've sprinkled in snapshots of some of the best-sellers. Here's what Allison had to say:



"Suzanne is so specific -- in a good way -- in her color sense. She absolutely loves color, especially pinks and lilacs."


"Most designers are still too fond of beige and neutrals, in my opinion."



"One color you'll never see here though is teal. Suzanne has a very specific blue she loves, it's between Wedgwood and robin's egg with a touch of aqua. Recently I found myself in an inky blue period." [Which is evident on her inspiration board].


"We're now at just 52 fabrics total in the line -- which is a number some houses would introduce every few months. But we know what we're missing–stripes for sure—and we're working on new prints."


"I'm hoping that Suzanne and I will plan a visit to India, where I know we'll find plenty of inspiration."



No doubt they'll also come back with suitcases full of antique textiles!



Be sure to see the collection in person at Thomas Lavin at the PDC and Holland & Sherry at the DDB.

Studio visit: Suzanne Tucker Home

A few weeks ago, we ventured out to Brooklyn to meet Allison Kettlewell at her studio. The textile designer responsible for the lovely Suzanne Tucker Home fabrics previously worked with Donghia and Zimmer + Rohde. We were eager to hear about the process behind creating a fabric line, designed in Brooklyn, for a San Francisco-based designer. This year happens to be the 25th Anniversary of Tucker & Marks, the firm Suzanne started with her husband that now boasts a staff of 26 people. Here's what Kettlewell had to say.



"I make monthly trips out to the office in San Francisco. Most of our designs start from what Suzanne says she can't find in the market. Suzanne and I have a shared love of antique textiles, hand-stitching and translating the inspiration we gather on travels. I'm really a hunter and gatherer, and Suzanne is so attuned to the details -- like the ground cloth of a print and its quality."



"Truly, if I had to describe what differentiates us, it's that this is really a textile lover's line. No detail has been missed."

[We couldn't get enough of the amazing samples that fill her studio - hanging, folded, and amazingly orderly.]


"Even our plains aren't plain - like Vanessa [pictured below], with very subtle colors that you don't see at first glance, which make them more livable, easier to integrate into a space because they can "absorb" surrounding colors in the room."


"And Gabrielle, I call a weaving miracle. This design [pictured below] came from a tiny sample Suzanne found in Coco Chanel's private atelier."


"It's such a treat designing this line, because before when I worked with big fabric houses, I was always on a budget. But we introduce something when it's right, when the hand feels good and maybe has a tumbled feel, and the color saturation is right. Suzanne isn't conservative, but she's very thoughtful. She chose not to go the license route when she launched her fabrics, which certainly would have been easier."

This cotton-velvet Duma, is a perfect example of a touch-me hand. It was inspired by Suzanne's trip to Africa.



Check back soon when we'll share the rest of our visit - including all about color.

Have a look back at their new introductions from earlier this summer and from this Spring. See the finished product of their collaboration at Thomas Lavin at the PDC and Holland & Sherry at the DDB.

What did you do this summer, Lulu?

This morning we introduced you to Lulu DK's new Eden collection, available at Donghia. Now we're thrilled to have her kick off a little series we pulled together to commemorate summer drawing to a close. We asked some of our favorite designers to share a peek, or memory, of their summer vacation. Herewith is what Lulu de Kwiatkowski had to say from her studio in California:



"Tides and Rainbow from our Eden collection are inspired by nature, fun and summer...like the spots of pastel colors that make summer alive. I love to mix the organic colors of nature with the pop colors of life. I love this picture (above) from my month in Porto Ercole, Italy, which exactly captures the color and playfulness of our new Eden collection while still holding the sophistication that everything in life should have a touch of. If you have ever been to Italy, you know how good the gelato is in its many color displays...balls of sorbet seemed to grace our many dinners and afternoon lunches...this was also the inspiration for these colors and fabric fan displays.


Tides


Rainbow

I always look forward to the "new year" that starts in September (particularly since I don't have to go to school anymore)! It is a time I get to put all my summer doodles and designs in action, whether making them into the next printed fabric line or prints for Matouk bedding, towels or tabletop...or revisiting paintings that I have created during the holidays. I am particularly looking forward to working on a documentary that I am painting for 10x10. It is a big project which will bring me back into making collages again (which I haven't really done since the creation of my book LULU). In any case stay tuned for more details on that!"

Thanks, Lulu! Be sure to check back soon for more late-summer envy as designers and creative types share the highlights from their summers. Don't forget to see all of the Eden collection at Donghia showrooms at the DCH (Suite 1000), DCOTA (Suite C250), PDC (Suite G196), and DDB (Suite 700). And be sure to check out her line for Schumacher at the DDB (Suite 832), PDC (Suite B489), DCH (Suite 4017) and DCOTA (Suite A-108).

Rubelli's illustrious history in print

Rubelli, the Venetian fabric house represented by Donghia in the US, is known for their rich silks. So it's fitting that the cover of its biography, Rubelli. A Story of Silk in Venice (pictured above, published by Marsilio) is a graphic representation of its San Marco silk damask.

Opera costumes by Carlos Tieppo:


The company was established in 1889, when Lorenzo Rubelli took over Giobatta Trapolin’s firm, renowned for its production of braid, two-pile velvet, soprarizzo, lampas and brocade as reproductions of antique fabrics. This book traces the fortunes of the textile creations of the Rubelli family worldwide, spanning five generations and continents and six brands.

Eduardo de Filippo in the Rubelli shop in Bari:


The book tells the story of Lorenzo and his son Dante Zeno, how they expanded the production and trade of fabrics in Italy and Europe, and the varying fortunes of the Venice firm which, during the First World War, forced Dante Zeno to move looms and workforce to Florence to protect their safety.

Silks await weaving:


Production was diversified over the years, moving towards a more contemporary style yet without ever abandoning the themes which had made Venetian textiles famous over the centuries. Rubelli worked with eclectic artists such as Guido Cadorin and Umberto Bellotto and later Vittorio Zecchin and Gio Ponti. The company’s fabrics were displayed with success first at the various International Decorative Arts Exhibitions at the Villa Reale in Monza and later at the Venice Biennale and Milan Triennale, and were also used for high-status commissions, such as the furnishing of the royal train in 1928.

The fifth and sixth generation of Rubellis:


After the Second World War, Alessandro Favaretto Rubelli took over from his grandfather Dante Zeno and started to edit a Rubelli collection, introducing a distinctive style. The hand-loomed velvet was chosen by famous names in fashion such as Roberta di Camerino, who used them to create the label’s exclusive bags (there is a famous picture of Princess Grace of Monaco from 1958, on an official visit to Venice, with the legendary Bagonghi bag).

Maria Umilta, the wife of Dante Zeno:


The author, Irene Favaretto, is the sister of Alessandro Favaretto Rubelli and aunt of Matilde, Lorenzo, Nicolò and Andrea.. She was formerly a professor of the history of archaeology at the University of Padua,. She is also the author of almost two hundred publications on subjects relating to Greek and Roman art, the history of collections of antiquities and the tradition of classical art in the art and culture of the Veneto region.

Rubelli on stage at the opera:


Stop by Donghia showrooms at the DCH (Suite 1000), DCOTA (Suite C250), PDC (Suite G196), and DDB (Suite 700) to see classic Rubelli and how the company continues to make glorious textiles relevant for today.