When Rubelli’s Venetian textile history and the eclectic and unconventional world of Paola Navone come together, an unparalleled collection is born. Last week at the Decoration and Design Building’s Donghia showroom, renowned designer Navone presented her first fabric collection for Dominique Kieffer by Rubelli to an exclusive group of industry guests.
Paola Navone
“I always admired the Rubelli family and its textiles,” Navone said. “I've never worked with textiles in my life. For the first time in my life I was not feeling fit for the job because I’m not a textile designer. I had to transform myself from buyer to art director.”
After an informal discussion on the collaboration with Rubelli, Navone presented her capsule collection, which ranges from smooth and shiny fabrics reminiscent of sheets of metal to soft, quilted cotton and full-bodied, texturized tweed. Navone’s linen fabrics use a pulled thread technique that creates patterns with imperfections that she describes as the collection’s “accidents.”
“In the beginning we have an idea and during the process it is very important that you push yourself not to be too stubborn,” Navone said. “Sometimes we discover things on the way, especially when the product is more crafted.”
A palette of soft shades is tainted with colors full of energy—streaks of orange, fuchsia and yellow appear unexpectedly in the weaves of fabric as do petroleum blue, grey and turquoise hues.
Chuck Chewning, Caroline Reed, Andrea Rubelli
“At Rubelli, we felt like a fish out of water designing a line of basics,” Donghia CEO Andrea Rubelli said. “The solution was to ask for help from the queen of simplicity. I never thought I would get excited over a line of plains. It’s so simple, but so unique. Paola has done her magic again and the first time with her collection, which we are very proud of.
Notable attendees included Donghia CEO Andrea Rubelli and his wife Sandrina Bonetti Rubelli, Donghia Creative Director Chuck Chewning, Donghia Sales Executive Caroline Reed and designers Charles Pavarini III, Campion Platt, Tara Seawright, Marcy Masterson and Timothy MacDonald.
"When I first had the privilege to preview Paola's new collection for Dominique Kieffer this summer in Venice, I was so enamored that my immediate reaction was I wanted to find a reason to use each of her designs," said Donghia Creative Director Chuck Chewning.
Paola Navone, Charles Pavarini III
Orli Ben-Dor, Dorothy Keady, Melissa Colgan, Andrea Rubelli, Catherine Davis and Dayle Wood
