Fabric Artistry
By Wanda Jankowski

Casamance’s Paris Texas Stripe assembles bi-, tri- and multi-colored stripes.

Soft lavendar selections of fabric, trimmings and wall coverings from Barbara Barry’s lines for kravetcollections.

Fresh and fun takes on fabric designs

When it comes to fabrics, marrying great design with technological specifications so that they look good and perform as expected is an art. Presented here are recent fabric introductions in an array of vibrant colors and fresh stylings from the U.S. and abroad.

Michael Berman for kravetcollections

American Trans-Modern is the signature style of Los Angeles-based interior designer Michael Berman. It is now applied to dramatic sheers in Berman’s Modern Window Collection for kravetcollections. The collection draws upon the glamorous and pioneering spirit of American Modernism of the 1930s and ’40s. The graphic geometric motifs reflect Berman’s taste for streamlined design and architecture with an updated sensibility. Berman has also designed a collection of couture rugs for kravetcarpet.

Casamance & Camengo

Camengo’s recent offerings include Scala, a hymn to joie de vivre in a palette of subtle and bright colors, including turquoise, fuschia, green, yellow, peach—all expressing the freshness of laughter. Their combination reveals the modernity of its stripes and its enlarged decorative baroque designs.
From its sister company, Casamance, comes Paris Texas Stripes, the result of an association of a wide range of stripes with the pureness of brushed cotton/linen fabric. It creates a contemporary style with a density of color and refinement.

Wende Cragg of Appliqué Artistry

Inspired by the aesthetic of Old World artisan guilds, Wende Cragg, Appliqué Artistry, creates designs that are rich in textural detail and reflect an appreciation for timeless interpretations of historic designs from the Art Nouveau, Deco and Arts & Crafts eras as well as traditional motifs. She incorporates appliquéd designs into wall panels, pillows and table runners in a color palette that tends towards opulent jewel tones, burnished metals and colors found in nature. “This neglected textile art form has unlimited possibilities. It is somewhat like marquetry or stained glass in its inlay and I can manipulate the layout of the design to gain depth and shading by angling the silk,” says Cragg.

Barbara Barry for kravetcollections

Barbara Barry has created fabric, trimming and wall covering collections for kravetcollections. Watercolors is a four-book fabric color set rendered in Barbara’s classic palettes of lavender/quartz, limestone/oyster, peridot and sea glass. Barry says, “The palette is ground in my love of soft and subtle hues, and the collection mingles quality and luxury in a new way, assembling exceptional fabrics from all over the world.”

The Watercolor trimming collections have shades similar to the fabrics and are done in salt and oyster, sea glass and peridot, shell and rosewater, and amethyst and espresso. The trimmings include pearls, coral beads and seashells along with sea sprig braid designs and boucle yarns with an opalescent shine.
The Elegant Walls line, while including more graphic wall covering patterns, such as Modern Damask and Chic Link, also extracts inspiration from the beauty of nature.

Whether the inspiration is from past design eras or nature, it takes an artistic vision to translate concepts from life into creations to be enjoyed through living.

Resources

• Applique Artistry, 415-453-6762, milliecragg@aol.com
• Camengo, +33 (0)3 20 61 75 41, camengo.fr
• Casamance, +33 (0)3 20 61 75 41, casamance.com
• Kravet, 516-293-2000, kravet.com