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Trends In Fabrics And Textiles

Our New York editor’s take on the newest fabrics and textiles.
By Virginia Bauer |

Swatch Watch
Our New York editor scoured the City to bring you the hottest trends and newest looks in fabrics.

When the going gets tough, the tough go back to the basics.

The New York design community has embraced a gracious counterpoint to the world’s woes, offering simple weaves, witty patterns, and even some cute little animals to give interiors quiet cheer. From the bright cotton prints by Diamond and Baratta to Elizabeth Eakins hand-woven wool rugs to Donghia’s Snappy print, everything I’m seeing is geared toward lifting spirits and staying grounded.

Lee Jofa’s Diamond and Baratta Fabric Collection was appropriately unveiled in situ at Anthony Baratta’s parents condo in Boca Raton. Only a southern exposure could match the heat generated by the explosive patterns created by these two superstars of the NYC design scene. Long known for putting a modern twist on American Country style, William Diamond and Anthony Baratta oversized their favorite classic patterns to give them a fresh, clean look “the ideal jumping off point for this season’s decorating. My favorite is Magazine Street Weave, a houndstooth pattern so absurdly oversized that all you can do is smile. Diamond and Baratta also take a swipe at preppie tartan plaids, argyles, gingham, and tattersall patterns by enlarging the print and weaving them in wonderful, unexpected color combinations. If you’re thinking of redoing your preppie’s room or need to recharge a room for spring, Diamond and Baratta’s collection at Lee Jofa will have you living large.

I’ve always assumed Donghia was a little too glamorous for real life. But at a recent house tour, I was smitten by a chair upholstered in the most adorable abstract puppy print. That stray doggie print “Donghia’s Housepets” is just one of a series of whimsical patterns including Snappy (swimming turtles), Ali-Gator (small amphibians on the move), and Au Marche (rows of ladies with tutti-frutti hats). Animals are not my schtick, but these little guys have good karma.

What caught my eye next was Donghia’s latest twist on linen. A simply brilliant, woven Belgian linen, Shimmer is a metallic scrim casement that will frame any window with a seemingly transparent shine (available in gold or silver). Donghia is also making a Shimmer wallpaper so you can create a seamless glimmering wall. Yes, it’s glamorous “but not so much so that it wouldn’t work in a simple, straightforward space. (I think I have to have it!)

Far from the explosive prints of Diamond and Baratta and the many faces of Donghia lies the quiet simplicity of Rogers & Goffigon. Since founding their company in the early 90s, partners Jack Flynn and James Gould have dedicated themselves to creating and perpetuating a line of natural, hand-woven fabrics. Acting on their desire to revive appreciation for high-quality, hand-woven fabrics at a time when large, high-volume fabric mills began to dominate the industry, Jack and James traveled to Europe to contract with small weavers who still spin and weave the old-fashioned way. Over the years, Rogers & Goffigon has quietly evolved into an exquisite collection of natural fabrics in subtle colorations.

From their luxurious Paradiso cashmeres to Delphina II, a new glazed linen collection of rhythmic stripes that is perfect for spring, to Square Dance’s small woven checks in deep, earthy colors, you can’t make a wrong choice. Each one of their fabrics is beautiful. I know that Rogers & Goffigon will become your new standard, as it has become mine.

And finally, last week designer Charles Muse and I decided to rendezvous at the Elizabeth Eakins showroom on East 65th Street. I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth’s rugs for years. Her ability to combine a gentle color palette, elegant design, and unmatched craftsmanship has made Elizabeth Eakins the country’s leading producer of handmade rugs. Can’t place the name? I’m not surprised. In these days of the ber-designer with lines of furniture, bedding, fragrance, and luggage, Elizabeth Eakins is a quiet giant, a skilled artisan dedicated to her craft.

Make no mistake: Elizabeth is not a fruit-and-nuts-type who picked up weaving in a ’70s commune. This is a woman who, at the age of 11, began taking serious weaving lessons from a local weaver near her home outside Pittsburgh. Lucky for us, she discovered her passion early and followed it through college, indulging herself in all facets of weaving, painting, printing, and dyeing. A skilled artisan without capital, Elizabeth followed her heart to New York and began selling her handmade braided rugs out of a shopping cart, then out of an old grocery store. Over the years, the business has grown with her clients blessings (and some really good press).

With Elizabeth’s extensive selection, choosing a rug is a bit of a challenge. My favorites: the Hand-hooked Rugs with exquisite patterns. They are custom-dyed, stippled, strid, or tip-sheared for richness and detail. And then there’s the signature 100-percent Wool Woven Collection, hand-dyed and hand-woven in a variety of geometric grids, checks, and solids. I’m also taken with the intriguing Cottolin, a delicate mixture of cotton and linen, woven in a range of colors and patterns, from vibrant to subtle, in stripes or solids. Not to mention the easy-going 100-percent Cotton Rugs, which are woven in India and have clean patterns and subtle color combinations. Decisions, decisions.

Until next time.

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