Home Design Watch: Vintage Retro Vera Neumann Print Fabrics

One can hardly go a day without seeing a vintage Vera print somewhere. As the story goes, an unknown designer by the name of Vera Neumann started hand printing her designs on scarves made from parachute silk after WWII. By the 1970’s, Vera had grown into a multi-million dollar company. A true entrepreneur, her designs were made into all sorts of fashion and household goods – she was the original Martha Stewart. Just at my house alone, I have unknowingly amassed a collection of scarves, sheets, and table linens with the Vera insignia. Having gone out of fashion for a couple of decades, as trends often do, Vera has now been dormant long enough that it is back in a big way. Following Vera Neumann’s death in 1993, the rights to her designs were purchased and are now being licensed out to all sorts of big chains such as Target, Anthropologie, and Crate and Barrel. The retro, mod, floral, abstract and geometric patterns in Vera’s characteristic vivid colors feels very exciting right now. There are also many vintage Vera items for sale on Etsy and Ebay right now; this is just a sampling from my Etsy treasury.