“My childhood was filled with art,” recalls textile and wallcovering designer Lori Weitzner. “I loved to sketch and paint clothing, because I loved the lines and colors I could create.”
Her early affinity for art led her to Syracuse University, where she intended to pursue a degree in painting, but switched gears to textile design after a professor suggested she might find more success there. “He briefly broke my heart,” says the Scarsdale, New York native, but fortunately, “I fell in love with [textiles] almost immediately.”
Weitzner’s Amulet Wallcovering in Buttery
After earning an MFA, she began her career working for Fieldcrest Mills, a one-time producer of bath and bed linens. Stints at Missoni, Calvin Klein, and with industry legend Jack Lenor Larsen—where she learned “not just how to design, but how to make things unique”—followed. Indeed, Larsen’s mentorship had a life-changing effect on Weitzner. “The most profound inspiration I got from him was my passion for working with artisans around the world,” she says.
Since launching her namesake brand in 2004, she has seen her products come to life in the homes of Beyoncé and Julianne Moore, as well as in costumes in such films as Shakespeare in Love, Gangs of New York, and Money Monster.
More recently, Weitzner’s empire has expanded to include a jewelry line and her first book, Ode to Color: The Ten Essential Palettes for Living. But textiles and wallcoverings remain a large focus of her operation, including with the recently launched Making Our Mark collection. “I love the lasting effect we can have on people’s moods, simply by incorporating a beautiful fabric into a room. For me, textiles are the soul of a space.”
This article originally appeared in HD’s February/March 2021 issue.
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