Million Dollar Decorator star and top L.A.-based designer Kathryn M. Ireland launched her first-ever fabric collection for Scalamandré during West Week at an elegant cocktail party in her Santa Monica home. Industry friends dined amongst the exotic textiles which had been applied to throw pillows and chairs throughout the house.

Guests

Those who found their way into the sitting room had the opportunity to behold a life-size portrait of Ireland resting above the mantle. The daring new ad campaign features the designer as the subject of a painting resembling La Grande Odalisque by Neoclassical painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres depicting an odalisque, or concubine. The ad-campaign will debut in the May issue of Architectural Digest.

According to Scalmandré president Steven Stolman, “Kathryn embodies that same lush aesthetic—she positively smolders. She was an incredibly good sport as we tried to recreate the painting while featuring the fabrics from her new collection for Scalamandré. The results are eerily spot on—and certainly effective.”

Ireland added, “Steven Stolman called me one day and asked if I had a problem taking off my clothes and I responded—anything for you guys.”

Ireland and Stolman at the launch party

A dozen designs make up the collection including Wynyard, Downtown, Wilbury, Dunden Lodge, Senwick, Libby Ranch, Southerness, Dunkathel, Ormeley, Castletown, Grandfield and Pennsbury in a variety of different colorways.

Ireland asks the same question when she designs any collection: How can you use the fabrics in the home? It needed to be a cohesive collection that incorporated both wovens and prints that would work well together.

Downton Fabric

“Downton [Abbey] is named after my Uncle's house in Wales,” said Ireland. “This was the starting point of the collection. I took 12 colors in this multi-pattern and used them throughout the collection. Adding both embroidery and wovens to the collection gives the 45 skews a well-rounded feel.”

Having gone through the archives, Ireland designed a collection that has both the signature Scalmandré look and the identity of Kathryn M. Ireland. “With the exception of one artisanal open weave that we created directly on the loom, every pattern is derived from an existing fabric from Scalamandre's extraordinary archives,” said Ireland.

“I love the team and being part of Scalamandré just feels like home,” said Ireland. “It was a great collaboration as I knew I had the best in the business by my side. I hope this will be the first of many collections for Scalmandré.”

The collection is now available in all Scalamandré showrooms. Also, the fabrics are currently available at the Kathryn M. Ireland Flagship store in Los Angeles.

Photos courtesy of Nina Prommer