The design community is just that…. a community. Often, it is the ability to not only have a good eye but also the right personality that jumpstarts a designer’s career and that was exactly the case for Jane Shelton. I was delighted when asked to moderate a panel with her at this year’s Fall Market at the Decoration and Design Building (an affiliate of Cohen Design Center) in New York!
Hosted by the infamous John Rosselli & Associates showroom – where Jane’s fabrics are displayed – I could sense the camaraderie amongst the New York design community in how eager they were for another exciting day of design events!
I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of Jane’s latest collection prior to the event, and I honestly, couldn’t help but smile at how Jane’s personality was imbued onto the fabrics. As our discussion commenced Jane walked us through her beginnings as a designer. She stated that her design journey was out of serendipity, beginning with decorating her friends’ homes back in the 70’s for fun! Eventually, Jane reserved the right to style fabrics to her own taste, and eventually, the Jane Shelton fabric house was born.
The more our conversation continued, the more I saw opportunities in my own designs. Muted, and elegant, there was a refinery about the fabrics that I enjoyed on a personal level and a professional one. Jane shared that she finds a lot of her inspiration in patterns, artifacts, and objects – then translates it to the fabric as a medium, envisioning shapes and hues within the flow and fall of the material.
Her line found its way into showrooms throughout the U.S. and in London – alongside the storied fabric houses she once aspired to sell herself.
The more I got to know Jane, the more I saw that she works similarly as I do with Hadley Court. Constantly looking for fresh new ideas while sifting through what works and what does not. Jane Shelton may not call herself a designer. But her designs speak for themselves.
Jane and I !