The Entrepreneur
TH E DE S IG N I N F LU E NCE R S
s President of a family-owned business, Cary Kravet continues to keep it all in the family. In 1918, Kravet’s great-grandfather Samuel (who had immigrated to the States as a tailor in 1903) recognized that the same items used for making shirts could be redesigned as trimming, as well as sold as fabrics and upholstery. Kravet & Sons was soon born.
Who
Cary Kravet Job President, Kravet Inc.
Working with wife Lisa, brother Scott, sister Ellen, and children Sander and Sarah, five generations have made Kravet Inc. one of the largest privately owned fabric and furnishing suppliers in the world. Kravet credits the company’s success to two key factors. “Listening to your customer and, secondly, service is critical,” he says. “We are really fortunate to be in industry where the users and buyers of product— designers—are great at communicating. They learn from their clients (as to what they want) and similarly express themselves well what they want and what they need. And they express very clearly what will be needed in the future. If you dig deep, especially over the last 10 years, and analyze trends, it will show you where the larger community of designers is going.” Historic lines such as Brunschwig & Fils, G P & J Baker, Groundworks, and Lee Jofa comprise part of the Kravet collection, securing the company’s status as one of the most treasured and enduring designer sources. Cases in point: Lee Jofa’s hand-blocked Hollyhock and Brunschwig’s signature Les Touches classic prints are perennial favorites. “At Kravet, there are trends we started years ago such as Haitian cotton, cut and uncut velvet, and geometric linen. These are cutting edge products and that continues today.” Kravet serves on the board of the Decorative Furnishings Association, whose goal is to promote the value of good design. “With a focus on emphasizing the value of design, we have a tremendous resource of product, services, and brands that can really make homes into beautiful environments to live in, but (often) the designer has trouble convincing the end consumer who would appreciate this. We have not done a great job in educating so the DFA took it upon itself post-recession to try to stimulate as much consumer activity for sales through designers and emphasizing (their) value.” He also believes the industry to be one of the most charitable. “It’s an industry I found over my 33 years or so that is one that certainly gives back and is willing to give back in a lot of different ways.” Citing DIFFA, Kips Bay, Royal Oaks, and Ronald McDonald House as just a few of the many design-oriented charities, he continues, “If we asked people in our industry to contribute, they are so giving and wanting to help. It’s one of the phenomenal characteristics of our industry. If there is a message that I could convey, we are fortunate enough to be in such a giving industry.”
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2016-17
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