Brimming with people and high-profile design, more than 50,000 industry professionals ascended upon the Merchandise Mart to view the latest and greatest from the design industry’s top manufacturers at the 51st Edition of NeoCon. With a newly renovated showroom and a highly anticipated Fall collection preview, Brentano celebrated their best NeoCon to date!
Brentano’s upcoming Clewarwater collection captured the attention of judges from both Metropolis and Interior Design, taking home the award for #MetropolisLikes and a distinguished honoree for Interior Design’s HiP Award. Rejuvenating, captivating and wondrous, the Clearwater collection is an entrancing display of nature’s beauty, artfully translated into stunning fabrics, through the vision of Founder and Design Director Iris Wang.
Fascinated by the movement of water, Iris began creating her own studies of water’s behavior and place in nature; Capturing these images on canvas while traveling led Iris to design many of the serene and beautiful textiles in the collection. Classically trained in Fine Arts, Iris showcased her extraordinary painting skills with an 8-foot centerpiece painting of the collection’s most distinctive textile, Fontaine. Mimicking the reflections of light on the water from her trip to Venice, Fontaine’s 11 colorways showcase the many beautiful hues created by the change in light from dusk through dawn. Working closely with renowned Chicago bakery, Amy Beck Cake Design, we mirrored this ethereal fabric in the form of a stunning (and delicious) three-tiered cake for Brentano’s many visitors to enjoy.
“When I am creating a design, I get so wrapped up in it. Seeing it come to life and watching others explore its beauty for the first time is always a highlight for me” states Iris Wang. “I love NeoCon because I get to see others engage with my work and discover the incredible way simple threads can be woven together to tell a story and transport you to another place.”
Striking arches and vibrant upholstered fabric panels showcased the brilliant interior design work of Brentano’s newly renovated showroom from Sarah Kuchar Studio. While many of the cosmetic changes are readily apparent, a number of ‘behind the scenes’ improvements allow the showroom to run more efficiently than ever, allowing our Chicago team to continue offering the highest levels of service to all our valued clients.