Sunbrella fabrics are being featured in applications both practical and artistic during this year’s public events at the LongHouse Reserve, a 16-acre estate in East Hampton, New York where visitors from May through October can tour landscaped gardens accented by works of art and the latest in outdoor furnishings from around the world.  

The 32-ft. Sunbrella fabric sculpture.

LongHouse Reserve is the estate of Jack Lenor Larsen, an internationally recognized textiles designer, author and collector. During his long career, Larsen attracted a global following for his signature fabrics, which have won numerous awards and are included in museum exhibitions around the world. Each year he opens the Reserve to the public so that visitors can experience art in living spaces.

Larsen selected Donghia as co-curator for this year’s events, challenging her to assemble leading outdoor furniture, fabrics and accessories to be integrated with artwork throughout the grounds, including a giant chessboard by Yoko Ono, glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly and a giant “fly eye dome” by Buckminster Fuller. The theme for this year’s public events is “the explosion of outdoor furnishings to create our new lifestyle.”  

“I reached out to the international design community to bring cutting edge product designs to the Reserve that are artisanal in nature,” said Donghia, formerly creative director for Donghia and currently a design consultant for Sunbrella. “As the leader in the performance fabrics category, Sunbrella was the natural choice for the Reserve’s focus this year on inspired outdoor living.”

Visitors to the Reserve will discover Sunbrella fabrics in numerous applications, including flags, cushions and pillows throughout landscape gardens, fabric covers for a TUUCI parasol and for a retractable awning installed on Larsen’s home. The most memorable application for Sunbrella fabrics is likely to be a 32-foot fabric sculpture.

Mariyo Yagi, an internationally recognized social and environmental artist, designed the massive fabric sculpture as the NAWA (National Association of Women Artists) Axis for Peace project. More than 50 individuals gathered at LongHouse Reserve on a recent Saturday to serve as artists in assembling the sculpture made of Sunbrella fabrics.

“This year’s Reserve will surely inspire visitors to more creative outdoor living spaces,” said Greg Voorhis, Sunbrella design manager. “Beautifully landscaped gardens, iconic sculptures and the latest in outdoor fabrics, furniture and accessories from international designers will allow visitors to envision a whole new world of outdoor living.”