shine-sunbrella:

Joe Ruggiero: Leading Home Décor Authority, Sunbrella Fabrics Designer

Joe Ruggiero has been a leading influence on American design for more than 30 years as a TV host, magazine editor and home furnishing designer. The story of how Joe and Sunbrella fabrics first met is a wonderful example of why our fabrics have earned such a loyal fan base.

Early in his career as editor in chief of Home Magazine, Joe was desperate for 40 yards of fabric for a rapidly approaching photo shoot. Luckily, Glen Raven was there with Antique Beige canvas, which was quickly sewn into slipcovers. In all the chaos surrounding the photo shoot, however, red wine was spilled on the new covers. Confident in the performance of Sunbrella, Joe’s wife Barbara put the slipcovers into the wash along with a cup of bleach and everything came out picture perfect.

From this experience and many others, Joe has long been an advocate of performance fabrics for throughout the home, from poolside to the living room. Over a period of nearly two decades, Joe used Sunbrella fabrics for many of his home décor programs, which led to a design collaboration with Glen Raven Custom Fabrics and the launch of the Joe Ruggiero Collection for Sunbrella in 2002. Each season, Joe pushes the envelope with designs that rival the finest interior fabrics, and he is constantly on the road to tell the Sunbrella story to furniture retailers, interior designers and consumers.

“I’m blown away by the look, feel and performance created through Sunbrella fabrics technology,” Joe said. “Working with the Sunbrella design team, we can create breathtaking fabrics that look as if they were hand woven, hand stitched and hand embroidered. Equally amazing is the fact that these are performance fabrics that don’t fade and can be cleaned with bleach.”

Joe’s career as a designer and television host has allowed him to travel the globe, resulting in a wellspring of design inspirations. From his Italian heritage to the study of Native American history, from travels to the Orient to excursions throughout Europe, Joe’s fabrics for Sunbrella are a celebration of a sophisticated aesthetic that stands the test of time.

The Ruggiero Collection for Sunbrella is featured by Miles Talbott, a leading furniture company with a major showroom presence in High Point, as well as a number of other furniture manufacturers. In addition to Sunbrella fabrics, Joe also designs casual furniture for Terra, case goods for Gat Creek, decorative trims for Phoenix and bedding and drapery for Casa Fiora. 

Joe views his work with Sunbrella as among his most gratifying experiences in a long and successful career.

“I cannot say enough about what a pleasure it’s been working with such talented people,” Joe said. “Great collaborators are hard to come by, and I have loved working with the people at Sunbrella. These are innovative people who are driven to produce beautiful fabrics of enduring quality.”