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94 C harming. Smart. Humble. Kind. Ask anyone who's met Schumacher's new president Benni Frowein, and you'll get a fl urry of heartfelt responses. He is also known for his personal dash: The evening we met — during a dinner last month honoring Veere Grenney, the London interior designer whose fabric collection is at Schumacher — Frowein wore a pair of vibrant Turkish kilim loafers from Ocelot Market, a nod to his passion f or fabrics and artisan design. This is a man who is keenly focused, with a mission to keep the historic Schumacher textile brand relevant and fresh. The 38-year- old, whose background is in international business and sales, joined Schumacher in 2016, moving from Boston to NYC. He and creative director Dara Caponigro, a veteran of the design-publishing world, are imbuing the century-old company with energy. "We think of ourselves as a 129-year-old startup," Frowein says. "We're continually pushing to challenge the status quo and drive innovation." Founded in Manhattan in 1889 by French immigrant Frederic Schumacher, the company remains in family hands, with BY REBECCA SHERMAN THE NEWMAN BEHIND SCHUMACHER (continued on page 96) Schumacher's Brighton Pavilion wallpaper and The Wave fabric in Lettuce, both by Miles Redd