In her spare time aboard planes and trains during recent travels to Italy and India, Design Director for Travers, Erin Finn was kind enough to share a glimpse of her impressive career in the textile industry. As I recently shared, KDR is fortunate enough to now represent all six lines from the Zimmer + Rohde family of textiles, including Travers, in all three of our showrooms.
Q: Can you give us a snapshot of your background prior to your current role with Travers?
A: I’m a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology. I was with Robert Allen for 10 years, Vice President of Beacon Hill for five years. I left Robert Allen to start my family and was hired by Travers in 2007.
Q: What attracted you to the opportunity with Travers?
A: The fact it was a boutique luxury collection with lots of personality—I liked that it offered designers something out of the norm, a bit unusual. I was drawn to the international opportunity it presented; a chance to learn the artisanal development from textile masters.
Q: What was your main objective for the line?
A: It was important to keep Travers true to its design sensibility and distinct color palette, to continue with its traditional spirit but make it more “now.”
Q: What do you feel is the main difference between Travers then and now?
A: The main difference is that now we have a more global distribution. Being purchased by Z+R gave the line recognition worldwide, allowing us to enter new markets throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Russia etc.
Q: If you had to sum up Travers in one sentence…
A: Travers offers the new traditional with an unexpected whimsy visible in its prints and wovens. I marry new technologies to the design process to create casual glamour.
Q: I’m curious (and truth be told, envious) of your job, as the Design Director, what exactly does your position entail?
A: As design director my job is to travel the world, research design trends and create a product for the interior designer. I work with mills worldwide to find the best sources for our Travers creations while being mindful of the client’s needs and wants.
Q: As the brand continues to evolve, what direction do you see it taking?
A: My plans for the future include revisiting designs from our extensive archive and breathing new life into them.
And for that, we anxiously await.
Until next time…
Emily
Photos provided by zimmer-rohde.com.
For more information on Travers or to request sampling contact the showroom or your KDR Sales Representative:
Kim Caldwell (St. Louis and Kansas City), 314.368.6101 or kimc@kdrshowrooms.com
Dianna Sether (Minneapolis), 612.669.9947 or diannas@kdrshowrooms.com
- Design Director, Mother and World Traveler - February 20, 2012
- KDR Delivers the DwellStudio Experience - February 17, 2012
- Welcome Zimmer + Rohde - January 26, 2012
