My recent trip to New York City was the perfect blend of family time and work. I got 48 hours of showing the city to my oldest and youngest kiddos (they’ve never been!), some Broadway, the Met, good food, and then Mother’s Day at the Neue Galerie and Central Park. Perfection! Once the kids were on the plane home, I shifted gears to join the Kravet New York Experience – an amazing opportunity to go behind the scenes of this family business, more than a century in the making. Started in 1918 as a tailoring business, this now global brand is now a textile and furnishings powerhouse.
There are myriad aspects of the company’s backstory that were shared by the family, but what I nerded out on the most was the amazing archive of art and textiles from around the world that the Kravet family has been collecting for decades.
It’s hard to capture the sheer volume and depth of this collection – silks from Versailles, Japanese Shibori fragments, Indian kanthas, Chinese weavings, Turkish velvets. It was astounding and soooo inspiring. There is a full-time archivist to take care of this ever-expanding collection of textile gems, and we got quite the hands-on tour.
Why is this archive important for modern textile creation and production? Kravet’s creative staff has full access to the collection for inspiration and reference. A scrap of threadbare velvet, the color of a 100-year-old pastel, a particular weaving technique – all of it is available for the artistic jumping off point for new or refreshed collections. A pattern may be scaled differently or reinterpreted entirely, a color combined in a new way or a technique might be modernized for scaled production. I really could have stayed there looking and learning all day.
The dedication and passion of the archivists and staff who are creating new products is inspiring. The appreciation for history, research and old-world craftsmanship is such a contrast to AI-powered design. From historical pigments, weft and weave and all things related to fabric construction, these experts were a wealth of knowledge and fun.
As consumers, it’s important for us to understand the “why” and the process behind bespoke product – to see the research, creativity and craftsmanship that go into a simple yard of fabric – and to know that you are truly purchasing something special.
Here are some ways that we've used Kravet over the years:
We love the detail on the Isabella sofa -- a pretty curved back and double welting.
We customized this Sonata banquette for the perfect length and stunning rust velvet.
Kravet also carries beautifully traditional furniture frames as well, like this roll-arm chair on casters.