WHEELING, ILL.—The Brentano Design Studio, led by Iris Wang, celebrates 25 years in 2015. The textile house has grown from a modest eight patterns in 1990 to an international design leader.
“I feel very blessed,” says Wang, founder of the company. “So many people have helped Brentano get to this point. My husband [and Brentano CEO] E-Kwan and I have two sons, and with this company, it’s like we’ve raised a third child. Brentano holds a unique place in the industry, and I’m thankful, as an artist and businesswoman, that our point of view has been so well received.”
Wang often reminisces about Maple Fall, the pattern that put Brentano “in the black” back in 1993 when Brentano’s warehouse was still a garage. Much has changed since then, especially in recent years. The company has moved to a larger corporate campus, expanded representation to 10 countries and opened a flagship showroom in the Merchandise Mart. Product development still drives Brentano, though, and Wang’s studio has received five IIDA/HD product design awards in the last seven years.
This year Brentano marks a quarter century with two collections: the Studio collection, a tribute to the many artists who have inspired Brentano’s designers, and Jubilee.
Go to Brentano.
