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ART + DECORATION 50 F ortuny, maker of some of the most coveted fabrics in the world, is deepening its Texas ties with a new partnership at David Sutherland Showroom that's already sparking exciting changes for the storied 100-year-old company. "Sutherland will bring Fortuny back to its original glory," says Maury Riad, whose late father, Maged Riad, purchased the company in 1988 from Countess Elsie Lee Gozzi, who took over the company after Mariano Fortuny's death in 1949. Texas is the third largest market for Fortuny, just behind Los Angeles and New York. Its popularity here is partly the result FABLED FORTUNY T he great furniture designer Vladimir Kagan, who died in 2016 at age 88, left behind an extensive legacy of iconic designs extolling his signature organic shapes and fine craftsmanship. Holly Hunt, which purchased the Vladimir Kagan company later that same year, is reissuing seven of his archival furnishings. Some have never been produced before, or have only been seen in vintage publications. The archival collection made its debut during Miami Art Week in December and includes several lounge chairs, tables, and a credenza. The Hindsight sofa, redeveloped from a limited-production FROM THE ARCHIVES OF VLADIMIR of the decades-long friendship between Countess Gozzi and the late Ellouise Abbott, who introduced Fortuny to Texas in 1951 at her Houston showroom. The love affair with Fortuny continues at Sutherland, which plans to help Fortuny thrive amid a proliferation of new fabric lines and celebrity licenses. "The market is flooded, but Fortuny remains a pillar of authenticity," says Riad, who owns Fortuny with his brother, Mickey Riad. "It's still handmade and hand-painted in the same factory in Venice using the same techniques that were used in 1907." The Dallas showroom has a dedicated Fortuny boutique offering the full line, including about 400 textiles, along with furniture and lighting. Houston has a smaller collection with plans to expand. Fortuny's signature hand-painted, twisted silk lamps will be available later this year at both showrooms. Riad and Sutherland are already dreaming up innovative projects, including a collection of outdoor Fortuny fabrics. "Imagine one of Sutherland's outdoor sofas upholstered in our fabrics," he hints. Fortuny, to the trade at David Sutherland Showroom, Dallas Design Center, 1025 N. Stemmons Freeway, Suite 340, davidsutherlandshowroom. com. Rebecca Sherman design that Kagan released in the 1960s, hovers just above the floor on a Lucite base, evoking the glamorous Hollywood Regency era of many of his most sensuous designs for clients such as Marilyn Monroe. Holly Hunt, Dallas Design Center, 1025 N. Stemmons Freeway, Suite 590, hollyhunt.com. Rebecca Sherman Vladimir Kagan sculpted sofa table Vladimir Kagan Hindsight sofa Fortuny twisted silk lamps Fortuny hand- painted velvets Fortuny Philosopher's Stone collection Mariano Fortuny