Blogfest 2013: Day 2
By LuAnne Silvia, ASID
Day two of the design bloggers conference in New York City we toured Kravet studios. What an honor to get a behind the scenes tour of this fourth generation family owned company! Kravet is an innovative leader in the trade home furnishings industry distributing furniture, fabrics, trims, carpet, and accessories. The company's close knit family values have grown the company that was established in 1918 to the global presence they are today. Everyone we met was excited to talk about their role and share their contribution to this company. We traveled between two floors from department to department and got a glimpse of how products are developed from initial concept to merchandising. We even got a privileged sneak peek into products that are in the works!
Kravet has acquired prominent fabric companies such as Lee Jofa and most recently Brunschwig & Fils, a French decorative fabric house. Kravet also has partnered with designers to create collections by Barbara Barry, Barclay Butera and Sarah Richardson. Their first licensee was Mark Hampton and Alexa Hampton carries on that tradition today. The high light of our tour was meeting Aerin Lauder and hearing her talk about the inspiration behind her new collection for Kravet.
Christina Winter, Scott Kravet, Beth Greene, and LuAnne Silvia at Kravet Studios
Scott Kravet led the tour, he has been visiting mills around the world for 25 years
David Toback showing an original document in the Brunswigs & Fils division
Christina checking out the new commercial fabric launch from Kravet Contract
John talks about how the merchandising team plans the remodels of the thirty different showrooms across the country with the newest collections of all their brands
Lisa works closely with the textile collections in developing new trims
Tony is the imagination and talent behind the licensing lines with Disney hotels and has worked with Pixar Studios and for the White House First Lady Luncheons
Kravet carpet division translates block prints into loop or cut pile and wool or viscose or silk
We met Aerin Lauder who shared the inspiration behind her collection of fabrics and her passion for her home, family and entertaining. She created and edited products and loves the process of working through every detail including tweaking color and getting it just perfect, not unlike her beauty products.
My favorite new collection was by Sarah Richardson, I would love to have these fabrics in my own home!
