NEW YORK, New York — Brunschwig & Fils has tapped interior designer Michael S. Smith to help  guide the brand’s future direction and product development through an exclusive consulting agreement as Creative Director.

Kravet, parent company  to Brunschwig said it hopes this collaboration will catapult Brunschwig & Fils to the top of the high-end, luxury home décor market, a  space  the company has occupied since the 1960s, and reinforce its position as the most prestigious brand in the industry.

Smith will work closely with both Stephen Elrod, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Director for Brunschwig & Fils and Lee Jofa, and with the entire Brunschwig team. His influence will be evident as early as 2013, Kravet said.

For Brunschwig, often noted as the pinnacle of fine fabric design in the interior design industry, retaining Smith, one of the most influential and prolific designers working today, is a natural fit.

“Michael Smith’s experience and advice will be invaluable to the product and merchandising teams,” expressed Cary Kravet, President and CEO of Kravet Inc., which acquired Brunschwig & Fils in 2011. “I look forward to his fresh  approach to this brand, which I am confident will help to present new collections that match the brand image and equity with the discerning palette of our customers. Michael will be an integral part of the Brunschwig & Fils team.”

Smith, known for his multi-layered take on traditional interiors, has redefined American design for a new generation.  His influence appears throughout the country, from his classic design for the Oval Office in the White House to the cover of Architectural Digest and many fine residences in between. His first memories as a young designer are of the iconic rooms created by Billy Baldwin, Geoffrey Beene, Parish Hadley and others that featured floor to ceiling Brunschwig fabrics.

“It is a great testament to the longevity and beauty of Brunschwig fabrics that when I look through the archives, so many  designs from decades past are still relevant. Brunschwig fabrics remain a symbol of absolute elegance and the iconic prints used throughout the years are always present, always Brunschwig, and still resonate today. Many of the classic Brunschwig patterns are go-tos in my own work,” said Smith. “My goal for Brunschwig is to marry its incredible archives with the talent of the brand’s artists, and create a new era of design inspiration based on the beauty of the past.”

About Brunschwig & Fils

Founded in 1900 as a tapestry-weaving mill in Aubusson and Bohain, France, Brunschwig & Fils has evolved into one of the industry’s most prestigious names in fabric and furnishings. The company, iconic in the interior design industry, is best known for its chic, colorful archival-based patterns and its legacy of iconic French design. In 2011, Brunschwig was acquired by Kravet Inc., which also owns Lee Jofa and GP & J Baker. For more on the brand, please visit http://www.brunschwig.com/

About Michael S. Smith Michael Smith

Michael S. Smith is considered one of the design industry’s most respected talents. Over the course of his career, Smith  has  mastered  a  style  that  has  been  characterized  as  a  delicate  blend  of “European tradition and American modernism.” His work is celebrated in several best-selling books from Rizzoli, including ‘Elements of Style’ (2007), ‘Houses’ (2008),  and ‘Kitchens and Baths’ (2011). Smith is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including Architectural Digest’s “The AD 100,” ELLE DECOR’s Designer of the Year, and the Pacific Design Center’s West Week ‘Stars of Design.’ In February of 2010, Mr. Smith was appointed by President Obama to the Committee for the Preservation of the White House.