We spoke with Lori Weitzner about her fifteenth collection for Samuel & Sons, a stylishly sophisticated collection of holdbacks that define a new way to adorn drapery. Read on to discover her innovative approach to passementerie, from start to finish.
Samuel & Sons: This is your 15th collection with Samuel & Sons, can you tell us about your journey of becoming a trim designer?
Lori Weitzner: Wow, our 15th collection and I have loved every minute! I never thought about trim before, but I was at the Pacific Design Center presenting my collection of fabrics at the showroom and Sam and Michael Cohen happened to be in the audience. Afterwards, they asked me If I ever considered designing trim and I had not — but after seeing their collection my brain went crazy with ideas, mainly of a new, more modern approach to trim design.
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I had always thought of trim as very old-fashioned, to be honest. But suddenly I thought about how I could translate some of my textile ideas, techniques, and innovations into trim… it could open up an entirely new audience who might otherwise not think to use trimming! That was the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship, and, of course, working with Samuel & Sons is wonderful. They are like family to me.
S&S: What was your inspiration behind the collection?
LW: The prompt from Marisa (VP of Design at Samuel & Sons) was a bit different than our former collaborations, and we were excited to take on the challenge to design a modern holdback/tieback collection! Jewelry is often our first stop for inspiration, followed by sculpture and ceramics. We are always intrigued by an unexpected mix of shapes and materials.
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S&S: Tell us about your design process.
LW: First of all please note, I have an amazing team and great collaborators. We sit together and dream and research and sketch. Then we hone in on how to translate it all into something that will be unique but saleable. Bringing our ideas to life with a prototype is a journey in itself, and not always a linear process. In the end, we always find the way!
S&S: You are known for using color, how did you land on the neutral palette for Acrobatics?
LW: I do love color, but surprisingly, neutrals are sometimes my favorite of colors. Since the collection needed to be quite modern, with materials like faux leather, suede, and wood, we wanted the palette to reflect those materials in nature. Neutrals are what I call the "chameleon colors" — easy to use in any interior.
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S&S: How do you envision designers using this collection? What types of interiors do you see the pieces living in?
LW: I see very elegant simple drapery — think linen, velvet, or a mix. A bit rustic chic for some of the leather, suede, and wood, and perhaps silk or dressier for the open trellis design. These are for less is more interiors, with just a detail or two that make the space special. Jewelry for the modern designer.
S&S: Do you have a favorite holdback from Acrobatics?
LW: That is unfair, they are like children– I could never choose.
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