The Grey Flannel Prince

The living room in Angelo Donghia’s Key West house that he purchased in the mid 1970s. The bamboo furniture and toga-wrapped chairs reflects his refined but relaxed style 

An apartment Donghia designed in New York in the early 1980s. The innovative placement of lighting that reflects up onto the silver foil ceiling, creates a sense of openness. He also used grey flannel upholstery on the sofas – a Donghia trademark

A Manhattan Duplex that he designed for Ralph Lauren in the early 1980s. The brief was to achieve a peaceful recluse for Lauren to come home to in order to clear his mind after a busy day. To achieve this Donghia applied a neutral palette with pristine surfaces and a minimal design layout 

Mary Tyler Moore’s much-loved dining room that Donghia designed in the early 1980s. She particularly loved Donghia’s crystal-beaded chandelier 

Large-scale canvases by Colombian figurative artist Fernando Botero feature in a bedroom Donghia designed in 1981

A sophisticated East Side Manhattan town house Donghia purchased in 1968 in which he decorated with deep emerald walls, white moldings, bleached floors and silver ceilings

Donghia’s Townhouse bedroom that in winter he would use as a lounge room and entertain guests in due it of its warm and cozy appeal

Just as Angelo Donghia’s work displayed harmonious composition, he himself was a man of well-balanced talents. He had a strong mind for business and an artful eye for style. Along with his unprecedented success as an Interior designer, Donghia was the first designer to put his name to a signature bedding and furniture collection.

Donghia earned his somewhat unusual sobriquet “The grey flannel prince” by innovatively transforming the iconic grey flannel suit into wall coverings and upholstery. His other design innovations included shiny lacquered walls, silver foil ceilings and generously proportioned furniture. Donghia’s plump overly stuffed cushions and sofas exuded luxury and comfort and played a significant role in his success.

Donghia’s designs were invariably eclectic, energetic and (for the most part) colourful. He provided his clients with comfortable, stylish and sophisticated interiors as well as his trademark design pieces. 


As Donghia’s popularity increased his client list grew to include Liza Minelli, Donald and Ivana Trump, Diana Ross, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Mary Tyler Moore (his corporate list was equally impressive).

As the Creative Director of Donghia, Chuck Chewning is a devoted advocate of Donghia’s design legacy, channeling creative direction in honor of his design philosophy and aesthetic. Of course it isn’t just Donghia’s innovative vision that is the driver here, Chewning has an ardent palate and talent for product design. He also has international experience in luxury design and a background in historic preservation.

So rest assured, all of you die-hard Angelo Donghia fans, Chuck Chewing is a skilled visionary and will continue to hold Donghias torch intrinsically alight!

x katie

www.donghia.com

Rubelli Venezia

Here are some images that I found of Rubelli’s beautiful Venice Showroom located on the Canal Grande. The palazzo has the company name printed on the awnings

The outlook from one of the balconies of the palazzo

Donghia’s beautiful Island Sofa

On the walls is a display of their textile samples

Last year Armani/Casa and Rubelli joined in partnership for the creation, production and distribution of luxury textiles. You can see here the wonderful contrast between the contemporary style of Armani within the elaborate palazzo

The stunning palazzo ceiling made of carved and gilded wood

One of the many ancient doors in the palazzo

Some of the new Donghia lamps on display and the old Murano big chandelier

Sansovino fireplace with a sculpture of a Doge in office

This is the meeting room for important clients

Rubelli catalogues on a window in juxtaposition with the ancient walls of the courtyard

Photography by Albarosa Simonetti

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by both Nicolò Rubelli, the CEO of the Rubelli Group and Chuck Chewing the Creative Director of Donghia.

The Rubelli Family have been producing and selling luxury textiles for five generations now, creating some of the most beautiful damasks, velvets, silks, brocades and lampas.

In the spring of 2005, The Rubelli Group purchased the Donghia Brand and went on to include furniture, lighting and accessories to their company.

In his talk, Nicolò Rubelli gave a wonderful overview of the traditional techniques the company uses to produce their hand made fabrics and highly sophisticated textiles. He also outlined the remarkable history of the Venetian textile industry.

In the thirteenth century Venice became renowned throughout the world for it’s flourishing textile industry thanks to Marco Polo’s opening of the Silk Road between Venice and the east.

The city had an ability to acquire many exotic goods used for the fabrics. Gems, mineral dyes, peacock feathers and an abundance of textiles like silks, brocades and cottons from Egypt and Asia Minor. Pearls and porcelain from the Far East; Wool and woven cloth from England and the Flanders and minerals from Germany.

This oriental richness created a life of self-indulgence and luxury in Venice. Palace balconies were hung with rippling brocades, gondolas were draped and piled with cushions of silk, young lovers wore silk velvet caps and cloaks and carried a flower in one hand.

Sitting in this lecture envisaging daily life in Venice during the Renaissance I couldn’t help but lose myself in reverie as my singing Gondolier took me drifting under the Ponte del Sospiri of my mind.

Adventuring now to the 1960s in the United States. Chuck Chewing is lighting up Angelo Donghia’s stage. I am in awe of Donghia’s innovative design philosophy but I wont elaborate on this now - this is content for a whole other post!

x katie

www.rubelli.com