Continuing to draw inspiration from his global travels and lifelong interests in art and fashion, Joe Ruggiero has interpreted new designs in a colorful array of Sunbrella fabrics for the Dec. 8-11 Showtime fabric show in High Point.
"Inspiration is everywhere - from the small stitching of an antique quilt to the fine pinstripes of a well-tailored suit," said Ruggiero. "Whether I'm in America or traveling abroad, I'm always aware of the vast array of fashion and art that permeates our culture and inspires us every day."
Four new Sunbrella fabric collections by Ruggiero are on display here - Suiting, Country Color, Exotic and Flower Garden.
"The story of my Showtime fabrics is the unique combination of soft textures and livable colors," Ruggiero said. "I always design fabrics with furniture frames in mind, thinking of contours, welting and other design details. The obvious genius of Sunbrella fabrics, besides their durability, is the beautiful way they adapt for a wide variety of upholstery applications."
Suiting
Based on Ruggiero's fabric interpretations of menswear, the Suiting collection exudes a masculine quality. The fabrics combine subtle color with soft textures reminiscent of apparel fabrics. The classic Hopsock is available in beige, gray, chestnut, classic, black, leaf, pumpkin and taupe.
Hand Stitch has a hand-made look to its stripe design and is available in seaglass, sangria, wren, Indigo and Black. Suiting, a tailored, subtle herringbone stripe is offered in a unique range of Grey, Slate, wheat, rose and indigo. The collection is rounded out by Luke, a subtle tone-on-tone stripe offered in salt, dove, beige and sand.
Country Color is new Sunbrella fabric from the Joe Ruggiero Collection for Showtime, which runs Dec. 8-11.
Country Color
Country Color focuses on classic country styles including quilting and vintage textiles with new, colorful interpretations of traditional designs. Drawing attention in the collection is Crazy Quilt, Ruggiero's contemporary take on a popular American-style country quilt, but with a fresh color interpretation that includes melon, seaglass, lime and sun.
The classic stripe Bedouin was inspired by the elegant muted colors seen by Ruggiero in the south of France and combines a soft hand with a color-rich stripe in the colors buttercup, melon, earth, dusk and wren. The Amish-influenced Country was inspired by a traditional quilt design and is reinterpreted in a range of neutrals and more saturated colors, including marine, orange, beige, chestnut and emerald.
Exotic
Ruggiero draws design inspiration from his global excursions, paying particular attention to the colors and textures of the fabrics, fashion and art of his immediate surroundings. Such inspiration is evident in his Exotic collection, which includes subtle, stone-like colors popular in Asia combined with a distinct earthy influence.
The idea for the fabric Ando was born in Kyoto, where Ruggiero found scraps and documents of historical indigo textiles. Like the intricate pattern of a kimono, Ando features an interlocking yarn design in the colors clay, indigo, slate, gray and sand.
Finishing the Exotic collection is Crewel, an original Ruggiero floral design similar to a tree of life. The pattern is an extension of Ruggiero's numerous dot designs and features an embroidered texture. The fabric is offered in gray, taupe, latte and grape.
Flower Garden
Taking the earthy design influence to a new color range is the Flower Garden collection. The latticework design Forms is a contemporary take on a herringbone with a hint of fretwork and is available in putty, buttercup, Melon, teal and black. The design marries well with the pattern Flower Garden, a playful silhouette of leaves and flowers from Ruggiero's own garden set in melon, lime, wren, dove and gray.
"As with each new collection, I am continually amazed by the softness, range of colors and intricate design capabilities of Glen Raven in producing my newest Sunbrella fabric collection," Ruggiero said. "Designers and consumers are responding to Sunbrella fabric as an indoor upholstery solution, making every room a living room."
