Taking furniture, leather, and upholstery company Jamie Stern in a new direction, the retro-inspired aesthetic of the Emilio Collection utilizes the richness of velvet and the time-honored appeal of midcentury modern motifs to officially launch Jamie Stern Fabric.
Since its soft launch in 2020, the fabric division has designed a roster of more than 400 SKUs ranging from performance fabrics to more decorative fabrics that emphasize the use of natural, sustainable fibers. Each fabric is appropriate for hospitality, corporate, and residential projects. And Emilio joins the family with particular vibrance.
Doub has had a lifelong passion for textiles. She trained as a hand-weaver and textile designer, and has worked for leading companies in the fabric industry. aspire sat down with Doub to learn more about Emilio.
aspire: Upholstery is typically a longer-term design decision than accessories that can easily be changed out. How did that longevity figure into the material and construction decisions?
Jeannene Doub: In every fabric we offer—from our performance fabrics produced with man-made fibers to our boutique fabrics that focus on the use of sustainable, natural fibers—beauty and longevity are equally important. I’m always on the look-out for fiber, yarn, and weave constructions that meet or exceed industry standards for heavy-duty durability [to ensure] Jamie Stern fabrics will hold up over time. And I look to create pattern designs and colors that are on-trend but carry long-term intentions.
(Left) The jewel-toned DaVoe is suitable for upholstery, drapery, and other applications. (Right) The energetic Kensington Square embodies the dynamic energy of its namesake garden in London.
aspire: Your work on this collection began during the pandemic. Did you feel your design direction shifting once we started to move out of it? Tell us about the creative process.
JD: The pandemic gave our team the freedom to slow down a bit and really organize our ideas for a new division within the Jamie Stern brand. Due to the uncertain times Covid created, we purposefully kept our initial introduction simple, full of understated textures and colorways applicable to hospitality and corporate, as well as residential design. From the start, we’ve kept our long-term commitment to providing fabrics with a classic aesthetic and timeless appeal. As the world recovered, we too have been able to expand both our offerings and our creativity. We’ve been able to incorporate an expanding range of boutique natural-fiber fabrics, as well as the more light-hearted patterns and colors evident in the Emilio Velvets Collection.
(Left) Radiance is a tonal chenille velvet designed to sit at the intersection of elegance and performance. (Right) Rondelle’s multi-colored ellipses mimic the ornamental discs found in decorative stained glass.
aspire: Why is this the right collection for right now?
JD: The depth of design and color that can be achieved with velvet constructions was a fantastic means to explore the larger-scaled motifs inspired by midcentury textiles.
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