For decades, Palm Beach, Florida, has inspired a certain sense of chic, sophisticated style. From the punchy patterns of Lily Pulitzer’s iconic dresses to the understated cool of socialite C.Z. Guest posing in a polka-dot bathing suit by the pool at her Palm Beach estate, this South Florida locale became one of the arbiters of what a fashionable outdoor existence meant in the mid-20th century.
That vibe endures and continues to inspire and inform creators of today such as Laurie Jenkins of Laurie Bell fabrics. The veteran textile designer took inspiration from both the iconic history of Palm Beach design and the current wave of fresh takes on coastal looks coming out of the tony beach community.
“Palm Beach is very important right now,” Jenkins said. “I’ve been going there and saw what was going on with interior and exterior design, so that’s how this collection came about.”
Jenkins said she toured the Kipps Bay Decorator Show House in Palm Beach the past couple of years and felt inspired by the creative interiors and outdoor rooms crafted by participating designers.
“After touring, I knew what the color story would be,” she said. “And we pulled in elements such as cockatoos.”
That palette includes juicy shades of orange, yellow and coral, balanced with verdant greens and soothing blues, as well as posh pale pink. Jenkins had a watercolor commissioned to capture the inspiration, and she also incorporated original etchings made by a friend in Georgia, working with Sunbrella to turn them into fabric patterns.
“When I collaborate with Sunbrella, I go in and say, ‘I’m feeling this,’ and they’ll bring out options,” Jenkins said. “Then I’ll suggest changing the color or reworking something — it’s very collaborative.”
Jenkins also collaborated with the team at Ardwyn Decorative Trim to enhance the pillow designs made with the new Palm Beach fabric collection.
“I sent the fabric to Kathy (Naegle), and then she comes up with what fringe works best or what I need to complement in the fabrics,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said the impetus behind the Palm Beach collection wasn’t aesthetic alone. Her Laurie Bell business works closely with designer clients to create pillows and accessories for projects, and she has seen a major change in the way those designers work.
“In the past for about 40% of my business, I supplied the fabric, and the other 60% was custom from the designer,” she said. “Now, it’s more like 90% COM. My sales of pillows using fabrics I buy from other companies has gone way down.”
Jenkins said this new collection was designed to give designers more options. So far, she has had clients in West Palm Beach pick up the fabrics, with some of it even going indoors. And she said this initial launch is just the beginning, with more colors and collections in the works.
“We’re going to do a coral story that’s in the works — there’s going to be more fabric,” she said. “We’re just getting started.”
Laurie is so talented. Cannot wait to see her vision.