One of the perks of attending Blogfest 2013, was to preview the new AERIN fabric collection for Lee Jofa with none other than Aerin Lauder herself.
Lee Jofa was acquired by
Kravet Inc., a 4th generation leader in the home furnishings industry, in 1995, and has since grown to include collaborations with renowned designers such as Kelly Wearstler, Allegra Hicks, and now Aerin Lauder.
I remember the first time I “crossed paths” with Aerin Lauder. The year was 1989 and I was sitting in a cafeteria while visiting a friend on the UPenn campus, when my friend kicked me under the table and whispered “Look – there’s Aerin Lauder!” At a time when most students rolled straight out of bed and ran off to class still sporting their flannel plaid pajama bottoms from the night before, Aerin certainly did not. She was casual but incredibly polished, and her style was poised and effortless – much like
AERIN, the global lifestyle brand that she recently launched. The
AERIN brand consists of cosmetics, jewelry, shoes, furniture, housewares, lighting and now her fabric collection for
Lee Jofa.
The AERIN fabric collection for Lee Jofa is comprised of classic and timeless prints, velvets, and embroideries – all with a twist to give it a modern edge. Traditional floral motifs are used throughout, both in print and embroidery, but are recolored in fresh new color ways. In my opinion, most notable were the cut velvets and embroideries. Both were rich, had depth, and were offered in a refreshing array of colors.
When asked about her inspiration behind the collection, Aerin cited that “home and accessories have always been very much her passion”and as a young girl she was “constantly rearranging every room in her dollhouse”. As home has always been a part of her life, Aerin kept her own home in mind when designing her collection. As a mother of two young sons, it was important that the fabrics in her collection be just as functional as they are beautiful – fabric that one would enjoy looking at and not be afraid to sit on.
Above, Aerin singles out her favorite fabric in the collection, an embroidered floral on a neutral linen ground. I have to admit, it was my favorite as well, not only because I am partial to colorful embroidery, given my last career, but I absolutely loved the colors that were used – especially the unexpected touch of slate blue, which seemed to bring the entire canvas to life. (see below)
This geometric cut velvet was offered in a stunning selection of colors including this traditional blue, above, which is combined with a blue and gold printed linen. From a young age, Aerin was influenced by her grandmother, Estée Lauder, who taught her that gold is considered a neutral, and she has been using it as such ever since.
The color variation in this cut velvet strié chevron pattern is very modern, yet is used with a traditional printed floral , where the result is neither completely modern nor completely traditional, but it works and adds that unexpected element that keeps the print looking fresh.
Aerin, along with the guidance of Lee Jofa vice president and creative director, Stephen Elrod, managed to pull out all the stops with their debut collaboration. Today’s collection will most certainly be tomorrow’s classics. I can’t wait to see what’s up next for the AERIN fabric collection for Lee Jofa!
All images are my own. Feel free to use them, but don’t forget to link back and give credit where credit is due!
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