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Lulu DK Fabrics
Before she launched her own business, before the name Lulu DK traveled the lips of the fashion elite from Manhattan to the world, young Lulu de Kwiatkowski was in design training. “I grew up in a house with cranberry walls in one room, yellow in another, green, every single color…” In addition to absorbing her mother's creativity, Lulu had the opportunity to live in a house decorated by famed designer Sister Parish, where surroundings of florals and diverse colors would shape her mental palette. Traveling played an integral role in her development as well, as she says her designs are full of different cultures, that she avoids stereotyping a pattern to one place. Eager to begin moving forward in life and in design, she obtained formal training at Parsons and then traveled from Paris to Peru. Her sketchbooks and drawings for friends began to grow into a shape of their own. “When you have so much of a visual [in your surroundings], you can’t help but start to make your own rendition”
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Pioneer Linens
interviews
Lulu DK
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So how did it happen? How did an artist’s sketchbooks turn into a Madison Avenue business? “I knew I wanted something in the interior world. I knew I was creative. I knew I needed to put them together somehow.” She began designing fabrics and the opportunities increased – soon her hand-painted designs were on wallpapers and handbags.
Then approached George Matouk, Jr. In 75 years, the Matouk luxury linen business had never manufactured a print. When a world-class leader in luxury linens wanted to step up the trends, it went to a new-but-recognizable face in world-class design. “I was painting rooms, standing on ladders, infusing colors into a room,” Lulu says. But the time was ripe for a totally new creation. “As long as the partnership works in a way where we’re maintaining the quality,” Lulu says she’s happy. She stresses that the result stands out with clean lines and beautiful colors, that “there is not a lot of stuff like this out there... No other high quality prints that are young, fun, and beautiful”. The quality of the Matouk 100% Egyptian sheets is proven in one moment of touch, while the buzz online and in fashion magazines speaks to the positive consumer response to Lulu’s patterns.
Lulu explains the creation of the bedding. “Everything is hand-painted. No computer, no help in design. All by hand on canvas. It gives a natural, organic feeling.” Then the canvas joins the core line of Matouk linens in the production process. “There is so much room to mix and match. There is the opportunity for each bed to look totally different.” View the complete pattern and color selection at the Pioneer Linens Lulu DK Custom Shop.
Asked for a hint of what is next, Lulu tells us that all next season’s line is specifically for bedding. A huge floral, increased usage of coral, rope designs, and geometric dot prints among the continually-changing next inspirations. Meanwhile she has been busy with a book full of original drawings due to press in September, with the hand-painted canvases to show at a gallery in November.
Finally Lulu reminds us of the direction of her business, keeping the focus on quality and originality instead of on the mass market. “I always feel jolted when a company starts small, and gives you a close personal feeling, but then it explodes and turns up everywhere.” Her emphasis on working with only the highest caliber manufacturers matches her easy-going charisma, positives playing off positives. With the inaugural bedding line of Lulu DK Matouk, giving consumers new options in high-quality home fashion means that “for us, you’re pretty happy. And that’s what you look for.”
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