Decorati | Brentano Fabrics, manufacturer

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About this manufacturer

Brentano Fabrics was launched in 1990 with a vision from textile artist, Iris Wang and her husband and co-founder E-Kwan Chen. Although Iris was born in Korea, her Chinese ancestry has been most influential in her work style. She came to the United States at a young age to complete her education, getting a MFA from Kent State University. E-Kwan holds two master degrees in science. Together they have grown their business into an internationally acclaimed textile house that sells to architects and designers through showrooms worldwide. As business partners they form a perfect combination of artistry from Iris and precise business practices from E-Kwan. Brentano began as a predominantly contract textile line with Iris' design inspirations coming from her Asian heritage paying reverence to nature, changes in seasons, tranquillity and balance. Also, her training as a painter has allowed her to combine colors for interiors that keep Brentano unique, fresh and very utile. Her convictions assert that the key to creativity is keeping an open mind and ego in check. This has worked exceptionally well in collaborating with and mentoring her design assistant Aaron Mensik (hired in 1998) whose designs will be prominently featured in upcoming collections. What has put Iris above other contract textile lines in the marketplace is her distinct approach to textile design. She has been able to balance beautiful design with the rigid standards required by the contract market. She sees this formidable task as a puzzle that needs to be solved; constantly challenging herself to find wonderful solutions. She will not sacrifice elegance in design for performance. Instead she finds ways to beautifully blend the two seemingly autonomous standards. "Yin and Yang, in Chinese philosophy, means bringing two extremes to a harmonious blend that sparkles with utmost beauty, truth and goodness." Her belief of this is apparent in every collection she has done since Brentano's inception as she masterfully blends her love of art, music and poetry with necessities of today's standards. Iris’ attention to timeless design and sense of blending color, weaves and patterns has proven to work well. While other high-end textile houses can border on "the trend of the day", Brentano continues to produce patterns and colors that become classics. Proof of this is certain fabrics that were original to the line from 1990 continue to be some of the best seller in today's marketplace. From a modest beginning with eight patterns, Iris and E-Kwan have taken measured steps to become a premier textile house. Brentano fabrics have been prominently featured in many large installations including the American Embassy in London, England, Microsoft in Seattle as well the Bank of Montreal to name just a few. Although Brentano began as a predominately contract textile line, they have always had a dedicated following of the industry's leading residential interior designers. Iris will always design beautiful fabrics suitable for commercial use, however that will not be her sole driving force. She is committed to seeking out unique ways of combining new materials with beautiful surface design and weaves. She will continue to grow her work and the company by pulling on her strengths as an artist, colorist, historian and spiritual being.