Part One:
A destination 'experience' for design professionals...the Decorator & Design Building Spring Market 2019 - day long celebration of American and British "Vanguards & Visionaries" was more than a how to succeed as an interior designer primer.
Packed with INFORMATION courtesy of knowledgeable media editor- led roundtables on career high ( low) points, usable timely advice served up by a stellar lineup of industry panelists, showroom open houses with enviable merchandise displays--- plus book signings and cocktail soirées... the day's hours flew by....keeping building elevator banks very busy.
The thematic underpinnings= a metaphoric road map on career building and successful business practises-relevant tips for both emerging and seasoned interior designers - shined through in the three keynote sessions:
Inspiring Designers: An In-Depth Look At Their Obstacles and Rewards with Bravo TV's Best Room Wins judges and industry luminaries ( panel MC -Elle Decor Editor In Chief Whitney Robinson, Interior Designers Genevieve Gorder, and guest judge Jeff Andrews, plus Robert Stilin). FYI an addictive show that defines what a modest $25,000 budget, four days and an interior designer can do to completely transform a room...sign us up please...
Interiors International: Captivating a Global Clientele with the divine story packed industry veteran- Mary Fox Linton (think Dame Margaret Natalie Smith CH DBE cast in her autobiographical movie/play)... who dished up life antidotes on her unconquerable entrepreneurial spirit- practically a fake it till you make it one-including her defining modern boutique hotel spaces with art -on admittedly generous budgets + little time constraints, the importance of having amusing colleagues as friends (too) and establishing a successful retail store via a more the merrier can do spirit...
And a "Design Royalty" panel with British natives Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, international design icon Nina Campbell, and sculptor David Harber -on the ways they honor heritage -aka traditional English design (Downton Abbey alert) with global- modern visions-embracing the lives of clientele who appreciate craft and luxe design.
Some highlights:
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Mary Fox Linton, Sophia Salaman (Kitty Dadi)
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We felt privileged to be part of this amusing hour retelling once in a lifetime events including...
at the young age of 8 "....a white and glorious house...of great serenity and freedom..." -a modern masterpiece with curved windows-probably bombed during WW II-that was the inspiration for Mary Fox Linton's future career...her early career days in post WWII London-as a widow with a six month old infant-when she built up her well heeled client base with a two fold strategy; (1) printing up individual business cards (elegant ones, no doubt)... with her name and succinct information about an 'exclusive personal shopping service "... provided free of charge courtesy of ____ Hotel..." and pitching the hotel managers accordingly-targeting exclusive destinations- like Claridges, The Savoy etc. (2)-pitching (convincing) the top London shopping emporiums (Harrod's for example) to give her 10% merchandise discounts -in return for a steady flow of upscale clientele staying at London's finest establishments. A unique middle(wo)man approach.
(Hence the aforementioned fake it till you make it reference).
Other Mary Fox Linton bons mots included her warm memories of getting by with a little help from her friend /colleague David Hicks-the acclaimed interior designer -particularly during a looonnnnngggg rather dull Hilton Hotel client dinner accompanied by six violinists who earned a requested funeral gig (there was a punchline)... clients' preferences for contemporary uncluttered designs, their humble beginnings and generous spirits, hotel renovations that took years (probably no shareholders to answer to we're guessing), her introducing the paisley-floral famous Liberty Fabrics to the luscious jewel tone textiles of Jim Thompson, and interesting-having clients' renovation projects in 'unsafe' areas-referencing Beirut -Lebanon as an example.
Ask fellow countrymen on the ground for their advice on 'what is and isn't safe'-Linton counseled-"there's always a solution."
Wise advice from a woman with perspective.
Quite the career trajectory. No wonder this keynote-in a very spacious showroom-was SRO.
INFO:
Mary Fox Linton
Decoration & Design Building
979 3rd Ave (Between 58th & 59th Streets)
New York, NY 10022
About the Decoration & Design Building (DDB)
Located in midtown Manhattan’s Design District, the Decoration & Design Building (DDB) is an invaluable resource to industry professionals who seek to design and decorate luxurious residential and commercial installations. The DDB is open exclusively to the Trade and welcomes design industry professionals from around the world, who can find inspiration in anything from the bespoke furnishings, ornamental wallcoverings and luxurious fabrics to unique decorative accessories and dramatic lighting, featuring styles ranging from the richly ornate to the sleek and modern. Celebrating 50+ years, the DDB is known nationally and internationally as the world’s most prestigious collection of over 130 showrooms, and represents over 3,000 leading manufacturers dedicated to the very best in residential and business interior furnishings, and resource information. The DDB is home to many global heritage brands rooted in a rich history from countries like France, Italy and the UK, to name a few.
For more information, visit www.ddbuilding.com.
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