Design Overview ~ History of Gretchen Bellinger

With the opening of its new Design Studio in Albany, New York, Gretchen Bellinger Inc enters its 30th year as a pre-eminent leader in textile design and innovation. Founded on a single-minded philosophy - to create quality fabrics in subtle weaves and distinctive palettes - the award-winning firm has broadened its scope to embrace an ever-expanding range of traditional and cutting-edge fabrics. The sheer breadth of the Bellinger™ collection continues to inspire both loyalists and a new generation of design professionals, who have come to rely on Bellinger's reputation for unerring refinement and flawless presentation.

Founded in Bellinger's New York City apartment in 1976, the one-woman firm quickly staked its creative territory with a collection of thirteen natural fiber fabrics. Her pioneering use of greyed hues earned her a reputation as a premiere colorist, and she is today credited with introducing the palette - popularly referred to as "Post-Modern" - to the architectural and design vernacular.

With the growing popularity of Bellinger™ fabrics, the firm soon opened its offices on East 59th Street in Midtown Manhattan. It was a period of explosive growth for the company as it continued to explore and transform classic designs, such as the Roscoe Award-winning Isadora® pleated silk (1981) and the much-lauded Adirondack® collection (1989).

But further transformations were in store for the firm. Foreseeing changes in both the industry and economy-at-large, Bellinger took the bold step in 1989 of relocating her offices to Upstate New York. By restructuring systems while maintaining an indefatigable hands-on style, Bellinger managed not only to thrive during this period but to expand her stylistic horizons. The introduction of Golden Apples™ in 1992 (Bellinger's first figurative design based on a 13th-century Chinese drawing) announced an inspired shift for the burgeoning firm.

It's this desire to continually update and revitalize traditional motifs that drives many of Bellinger's most recent successes - including her romantic Bed of Roses™ velvet jacquard, the elegantly rustic I've Got a Crush on You™ linen bouclé and the Asian-inspired On a Wing and a Flair™ jacquard, among others.

Today, Bellinger continues to refine and invigorate her earliest creations with fresh palettes and companion collections. It is no surprise that after eight industry design awards, inclusion in six major museum collections, and being the only textile designer recognized in Beverly Russell's Women in Design, Gretchen Bellinger and her renowned design firm continue to delight, dazzle and endure.