RSS
Print This Post Print This Post

Perspectives Furniture Follows Fashion

Furniture Follows Fashion

By Ed Bertha

I recently enjoyed a conversation with Jeff Bacon, who manages Bacon’s Furniture and Design of Sarasota. He said something that really provoked great interest and curiosity: “Furniture follows fashion”. Interesting indeed: all design students are taught “Form follows function”, and perhaps I didn’t give much thought to the significant impact the fashion industry has on the furniture industry. But it seemed logical. I am sure events such as Manhattan’s Fashion Week are those to which fashionistas pay great attention so they can be the first to sport the new, trendy and sometimes avant-garde whims in apparel.

Kerrie Lehnert Kitchens by Kerrie

Some trends stick; others are short lived and may not even leave the runway. The furniture industry pays close attention. This is obvious with the revival of the animal-print craze: the kitschy patterns were possibly revitalized by the Paris Hiltons and Carrie Bradshaws of the world some years ago. The prints are still in vogue today and the patterns are found in mainstream furniture stores on arm chairs, area rugs, table top veneers and more.

Animal skins were perhaps one of the first statements in clothing. As early as 5 million years ago, man wore animal pelts not only to protect him from natural elements but to enrich spiritual rituals and lure animals while hunting. Even then, animal skins were observed as having some greater power than other clothing materials in a time when their primary purpose was protection. Wearing the hides of animals, particularly patterned pelts, continued throughout history and transitioned during royalty as decoration for rugs and chair upholstery. As time moved on, the pelts continued to be a sign of some greater success, be it hunting, royalty or wealth.

Kerrie Lehnert Kitchens by Kerrie

It was really in the 1940’s and 50’s that animal prints transitioned into the commercial sector of the fashion industry, which is commonly credited to Christian Dior. Dior, most known to have adopted the Jaguar print into his fashion line, transitioned it as a pattern in everything from exquisite handbags, gloves and scarves to other clothing items. He set the world up to recognize this pattern as a symbol of luxury and status. Meanwhile real furs were still coveted for jackets and coats and there was not a clear distinction between the harmless prints and the actual pelts.

Kerrie Lehnert Kitchens by Kerrie

The 1960’s certainly revolutionized the fashion industry. This was the time shortly after the women’s movement that masses of women really began to protest the use of animal furs in fashion. Protests included anti-fur signs and buttons, and publicly damaging fur jackets. In the San Francisco Bay Area, a breeding of leopards and ocelots with domestic cats created exotic pets with wild cat markings.

Kerrie Lehnert Kitchens by Kerrie

Faux prints have existed throughout time but they became very common in the 1970s. Prior to that time, animal prints were more of a status symbol than a fashion statement. Now in current day, the prints, while still fashionable, are very mainstream and commonly found.

Kerrie Lehnert Kitchens by Kerrie

Taking the initial introduction of animal prints from fashion designers decades ago, animal prints have clearly established themselves in the furniture industry. We have seen animal prints go in and out of fashion, but with a strong resurgence in the furniture sector, perhaps animal prints have become a staple pattern such as a plaid, broçade or damask. Animal prints have now become an accepted pattern and not just as a fashion statement in the fashion and furniture world.

Copyright © 2012 REAL Magazine
Links to this article are encouraged

Share

Leave a Reply


Featured Properties

Ads

REAL HAPPENINGS

April 2, 2020 Ringling Underground

April 2, 2020 Ringling Underground

CANCELLED Ringling Underground CANCELLED. Enjoy live music, and art in the Museum of Art Courtya[...]
CleanSlate Property Services Opens

CleanSlate Property Services Opens

CleanSlate Property Services, a local concierge handyman business. My name is Tim White, former [...]
March 5, 2020 Ringling Underground

March 5, 2020 Ringling Underground

Ringling Underground Returns. Enjoy live music, and art in the Museum of Art Courtyard 8:00pm -1[...]
March 6, 2020 Gettel Toyota Grand Opening

March 6, 2020 Gettel Toyota Grand Opening

You're Invited To Gettel Toyota Of Bradenton's Grand Opening. On Friday, March 6th, from 12pm-2:[...]
March 12-13, 2020 Pop Up Art Show

March 12-13, 2020 Pop Up Art Show

Sarasota Architectural Salvage Hosts Event To Support Local Artists. For more information and/or[...]
February 6, 2020 Ringling Underground

February 6, 2020 Ringling Underground

Ringling Underground Returns. Enjoy live music, and art in the Museum of Art Courtyard 8:00pm -1[...]
January 25, 2020 Spoons And Tunes

January 25, 2020 Spoons And Tunes

TheWineToBuy.com Hosts Innovative Wine Tasting. Tired of the same old BS? Then join TheWineToBuy[...]
February 7, 2020 Thunder By The Bay Kick Off Party

February 7, 2020 Thunder By The Bay Kick Off Party

White Buffalo Saloon Hosts Born To Be Wild! Join REAL as we kick off 2020's Thunder by the Bay. [...]
Curb Appeal Detailing Opens New Sarasota Location

Curb Appeal Detailing Opens New Sarasota Location

Auto Enthusiasts Take Note. Curb Appeal Detailing announced the opening of their new location i[...]
January 11, 2020 National Hot Toddy Day

January 11, 2020 National Hot Toddy Day

How To Warm Up On A Chilly Day. Today is National Hot Toddy Day! A hot toddy is a delicious drin[...]
Anheuser-Busch Launches New Hard Seltzer

Anheuser-Busch Launches New Hard Seltzer

Bud Light Seltzer Arrives Just In Time For The Super Bowl! Anheuser-Busch is launching a new har[...]
Ocala Gains New Urgent Care Center

Ocala Gains New Urgent Care Center

StatMed Urgent Care Center Ocala Opens January 2, 2020. StatMed Urgent Care Center is a step abo[...]
New Year's Eve 2019-2020 Tow To Go

New Year's Eve 2019-2020 Tow To Go

Everyone Have A Safe New Year’s Eve Tonight! Tow to Go is a partnership between AAA & Budweiser.[...]
Wyze Labs Data Breach

Wyze Labs Data Breach

Multiple Data Breaches Exposes Information Of 2.4 Million Customers. Wyze Labs' low cost, inter[...]
Westbound SR 70 Southbound I75 Ramp To Close

Westbound SR 70 Southbound I75 Ramp To Close

8 Months of New Detours Loom Large! Starting at 11 p.m. Thursday, January 2nd, the westbound on-[...]
Wawa Data Breach

Wawa Data Breach

Wawa Facing Wave Of Lawsuits Over Data Breach. On December 10, Wawa's information security team [...]
December 26, 2019 Deck the Halls @ Ca' d'Zan

December 26, 2019 Deck the Halls @ Ca' d'Zan

Ca' d'Zan All Decked Out. On December 26th, from 5:00pm – 8:00pm join The Ringling for Deck the [...]
January 22, 2020 Ringling's Wisconsin Pullman Tour

January 22, 2020 Ringling's Wisconsin Pullman Tour

Private Tour of the Wisconsin Pullman Car. Join Jennifer Lemmer-Posey, Tibbals Curator of Circus [...]
Commercial Investment Division Changes Name

Commercial Investment Division Changes Name

RASM Commercial Division Now Know As Commercial Real Estate Alliance. The Realtor Association of[...]
December 3, 2019 GivingTuesday

December 3, 2019 GivingTuesday

Join the GivingTuesday Movement. GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the po[...]
Translate »