Textiles Turn Into Gems In This Designer’s New Kravet Collab

Details

nadia watts looking at textiles and swatches

In 1894, artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany patented Favrile glass, a unique glass defined by its iridescent colors. Now, his great-great-granddaughter, Denver-based interior designer Nadia Watts, has used that coveted material as inspiration for her first fabric collaboration with Kravet. Aptly named the Gem Collection, the assortment of modern embroideries, prints, velvets and bouclés shimmers with the jewel-like chartreuse, fuchsia and teal hues of Tiffany’s signature glass. Luxe sat down with Watts to learn more.

What sparked the idea for this collaboration? I was introduced to the Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Archival Glass by Ellen Kravet in 2017. The textures, shapes and bright colors of the glass used for these windows, lamps and decorative pieces immediately inspired me. I went home and began sketching what eventually became the Gem Collection.

Describe your vision for this line. My goal was to create a complex assortment of fabrics using brilliant hues and motifs. I wanted lush fabrics that made you want to touch them—the same way glass makes you feel. From the cut-velvet Foundrae to Hoopla, an embroidery with hand-shearing, the variety of these textiles lends itself to endless applications in the home.

Tell us about the personal significance this collection holds. By using glass as an inspiration, I’m paying homage to my heritage and carrying on the legacy and gift of color my great-great-grandfather gave us all.

throw pillows in colorful patterned textiles on a sofa against a green wall

gems and precious glasses on a table organized by color

PHOTOS: COURTESY KRAVET