NEW YORK, New York —Sherri Donghia turned up at a Sunbury party this spring after missing the pages of Fabrics & Furnishings International since 2007.

That was about the time she left her job as President of Donghia Inc., established by Angelo, her first cousin. Donghia is now owned by the Rubelli Group.

When she left, she merely continued her design consultancy, something she established before working for Donghia. “I have a great passion for working with the students in art, design and fashion. I’ve collaborated with different schools in my work, especially the Rhode Island School of Design where I have been a trustee since 2008,” she told F&FI. (RISD has just been selected as the best art and design school in the world, by the way.) Sherri Donghia (2nd left)

“Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) needs to add Art & Design for STEAM,” she said. “The thinkers of tomorrow need to have more art and design in their lives. That’s why medical students are starting to take sculpture classes as part of their training.” 

Donghia also cannot resist traveling with her husband, Roger Eulau and here she gravitates towards textiles around the world of course whether she’s in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, called ‘the land of the kings,’ or in Oaxaca, Mexico or Cuzco, Peru.

Eulau is a Real Estate executive with a passion for photography. “I consider myself an amateur photo journalist but have been published in Town & Country and People magazines. He freely admits moving towards textiles with Sherri everywhere they go.

As part of Sherri’s journey, she attends more art shows in New York and as a Trustee to RISD is up in Providence four to five times a year. She’s currently very excited about “The Male Dandy,” the latest exhibit at RISD covering menswear history.

She also always attends Salon di Mobile in Italy. “They are looking at design ten years from now. Four to five years ago, they exhibited 3D printing for making models. That’s big today. It’s important to design in terms of crisis and make a difference by recycling, repurposing and reusing,” she says.

She points out that regrettably the USA is the least interested country when it comes to Salon di Mobile. Americans should come to this show and take advantage of all that Milan has to offer.” Donghia’s family came from Bari, Italy.

Donghia also works on color projects with Color Association of the USA. “Our colors don’t always match Pantone. For example, what does a recycled color look like,” she asks. “Sunbrella(r) color forecasting is a hidden secret. Parent Glen Raven is an American company with an international reach, she says. “Glen Raven is substantial and successful. It moves more slowly than others but always in the right direction,” she feels, “especially in making strategic partnerships.” 

Glen Raven held its second ‘Innovation Summit’ during Proposte in May which featured keynote speakers in a panel discussion format organized by Paige Muller of Glen Raven. There is a concept gallery within company headquarters in North Carolina that Donghia feels is very important. Glen Raven distributes materials to the Marine, Automotive, Industrial markets and displays changes in these materials to designers every two months,” Donghia says.

“Fabrics can easily change the interior and are transportable,” she adds.