Bless Brenda Bradley. The Kravet fabric rep and my fav industry insider was the among the very first to believe in my formula when I first started my business (marginally before I did). She extended the very best fabric books – always making sure we had a fully stocked and current library – huge for an industry newbie.
And to boot, she is lovely company.
I sat down with Brenda to get an update on some of my favorite fabric lines, the evolution of how we are using fabric and fiber trends.
Foundation pieces, larger upholstered pieces and drapery continue to be bigger investments and as a result, clients want mileage from them. So neutrals continue to rule, says Bradley. “White, cream, ecru, mushroom, beige, taupe – in that way, nothing has changed,” she continues.
“It is the splashes that are used to make and keep a space current,” she says, suggesting unexpected combinations like navy and vibrant, Lily Pulitzer pinks or crisp apple greens. “Clients want longevity so it becomes about injecting, maneuvering and adjusting” and fabric becomes an impactful tool.
She also says the blending of the high end and the lower end are becoming increasingly common; that design is driven less by formula and more the client’s comfort.
“Eric Cohler recently spoke at a Kravet event and spoke of combining a $15000 painting with a $395 ottoman,” explains Bradley. “It isn’t about cost but about how it looks. Design is increasingly personal.”
I am personally loving the new Indo-Chine line by Barbara Barry. “Her line has always been subtle and quiet, classic and timeless,” says Bradley, “and this is no different.” She continues to be concise in her design message, offering a handful of fabrics in a select few colour ways, her latest inspired by a recent trip to Asia and a series of stunning photographs that chronicle her travel.
Barry is unrambling in the way she creates her collections making the designers job beyond easy and her fabrics, transitional with heaps of longevity. Always a fav.
Calvin Klein and Threads – both upper-ish end are not really offering anything new. Tons of texture play, muted greys, subtle patterns and elegant finishing trims – but the design message is clear and brilliant. The devil is in the details for both of these lines. Stunning.
And Kravet has always done an amazing job with their own line as well – introducing their ‘Guaranteed in Stock’ line a few years ago in response to mills dropping like flies, making completing a design job impossible. They are expanding this collection to include textures and contemporary colour ways, offering clients a reliable turn around.
Fiber trends continue the way of the natural – cottons, linens, silks – with linen demand, of varying weights, exploding for window treatments and upholstery. “Linens give that soft, casual look,” says Bradley. I do love linen.