How Do You Create A Fabric Collection?
Insights from Meg Roberts of Echo Design
The Calico stores recently launched a new fabric collection, Retreat, from Echo Design. Calico’s Jan Jessup wanted to know more about this collaboration and was able to query Meg Roberts, Senior Design Director at Echo, about how it all came together. Here is their interview:
Q: For 70 years, Echo was a one-product scarf company. In the 1980s, Echo expanded into Fashion Accessories. Why did you decide to diversify to the Home category in the 1990s?
A: As we grew over the years, Echo became known for our unique prints, patterns and colors. Going into the home area seemed so natural! We researched which products and categories are most impacted by print, pattern and color. The data was clear: home décor led the way. So, we started with wallpaper and decorative fabrics, then added bedding and other home products.
When you think about decorating a room, you think about not just one pattern, but multiple patterns, textures, and colors and how they come together to tell a story. In a way, that’s what we do with every scarf. We make sure all elements in a design or a collection are both powerful individually and work well together.
Fabrics from the Echo Stone/Linen group show neutrals styled with texture and dimension.
The fabrics in the Indigo/Sky group will add a cool note of color to interiors.
Q: What do you think sets apart the textile designs from Echo? Is there something in your design DNA that is uniquely Echo?
A: Absolutely there is an Echo DNA! There is something distinctive about Echo’s products. It’s not a narrow range of patterns, or a single design hand. Our colors and patterns have a freshness and clarity of execution that makes them identifiable across the decades. Throughout my training and career, I have believed wholeheartedly in the “integrity of design”—something I can identify, but which is not easy to articulate.
Styling in the studio, as designers from Echo build a collection pattern by pattern - solid textures and jacquard wovens will add a restful note when integrated with prints.
We create designs with balance and proportion that can stand the test of time. But it takes much more to make it Echo—to that framework we add striking colors in interesting mixes or push the boundaries by exploding the scale to make a design new and exciting. And perhaps most importantly, it has to do with a spirit and philosophy that comes through all that we do.
Our fabrics and the way they mix should be easy, our designs are never fussy. They are sophisticated and approachable. We want you to really live with them, not treat them too preciously, not take it all too seriously. Put that all together, make sure the product is beautiful, and we are proud to put the Echo name on it!
Six chairs, 12 different fabrics! “Each fabric stands alone, but together they make for an exciting, creative, fun, slightly whimsical, dynamic interior—timelessly fresh and inspiring,” notes Meg.
“When you think about decorating a room, you think about not just one pattern, but multiple patterns, textures, and colors and how they come together to tell a story. In a way, that’s what we do with every scarf.”
Meg Roberts
Q: How do the colorways differ in an Echo Home collection compared to what you introduce in your scarf or fashion accessories collections?
A: As we say, “You take off your scarf at the end of the day, but not your sofa and drapes!” Neutrals and blues are perennials in home, and in our fashion lines as well. The Citrus/Coral group is the fashion color story of the Retreat collection. We are thrilled to see how much it’s in synch with our Beachwear line and the corals, pinks, greens, and citron yellows. Undeniably, there is a synergy between Echo fashion and Echo Home which is rooted not in the trends of the day, but in the Echo DNA.
Q: Are there any interesting stories behind the documents or scarf designs that inspired patterns in the Echo Retreat Collection?
TALPA print in color Coral
RATON print in color Ocean
BELEN print in color Blue
A: All three designs above have nature themes that are both classic and whimsical. From the kaleidoscopic butterflies, to hidden rabbits, dragonflies, and beetles beside the peacocks holding court, to the leopard lounging in the tree, each pattern is happy!
The Retreat collection was designed, colored, and scaled to do exactly what the name of the collection says – provide a retreat. Ultimately, these fabrics and the entire collection are part of an overarching story of designing patterns that bring a spirit of adventure and the relaxed ease of a vacation into your home. And, they are designed to make you smile!
Dipping into Echo’s Colorful History
Echo’s decorative fabrics are an outgrowth of their scarf business, founded in 1923 on the wedding day of Theresa and Edgar C. Hyman in New York City. They went to City Hall to get a marriage license and decided to incorporate their new company while they were there! Using Edgar’s initials, ECH plus an “O”, they created the brand name ECHO for their fledgling scarf business.
Their daughter, Dorothy Hyman Roberts (Dot), joined the company in 1950 right after graduating from college and getting married. Her husband, Paul Roberts, came into Echo as well, becoming company President after Edgar. Paul died suddenly in 1978, and Dot became President overnight. Some of Echo’s foreign manufacturing partners were skeptical of her leadership abilities and offered to help find a man who could lead the business for her. Dot advised them that she would be just fine—and over the next 30 years, she diversified the business and led it to new heights.
Echo’s founders were Theresa & Edgar Hyman, shown in a passport photo. Their daughter, Dorothy Hyman Roberts, embodied the company’s advertising tag line, “The Echo of an interesting woman”. At age 88, Dot still came to work every day. She died in 2020 at the age of 91.
Echo is now a fourth-generation family business. Dot and Paul’s two children run the company: daughter Lynn is Vice President of Advertising and Public Relations and son Steven is CEO. His wife Meg is Echo’s Senior Design Director for home products. Their son Charlie has joined the company as President and son Sam is Senior Marketing Manager.
Q: Last year, Echo Design celebrated its 100th anniversary and is now a fourth generation family business. Most such businesses don’t survive beyond the second or third generation! How do you account for this longevity in the business?
A: We can really thank our first and second generation leaders for establishing the foundation for all of us to thrive and grow. Although Edgar Hyman never attended college, he was a constant innovator and strong business leader. He always focused on the customer—really listening to them and the marketplace. He set high standards, sought out excellent quality, and always pushed to deliver great value for our products.
As early as the 1930s, Edgar and Theresa would travel to Europe to seek out the best artists, printers and weavers. They believed in the value of strong partnerships and built lasting relationships with both customers and vendors. They had the Echo name printed directly on each scarf to ensure the highest quality product. And given that each scarf was a unique work of art, we copyrighted every design. In addition to business practices, Edgar established a company culture of respect and openness, leaving behind a legacy of stories and writings that have been handed down through the years.
The Echo New York logo with the zebra that changed its stripes for dots, a tribute to Dot Hyman Roberts. Fabrics from the Echo Retreat collection add pizzazz to an antique settee and pillows.
When his only child, Dot, and her husband Paul took over the leadership, they reinforced the business principles and company culture that Edgar created. Dot always used to say that she had three children: Steven, Lynn—and Echo. She was a devoted and wonderful mentor to all of us.
Today, we in the third and fourth generations work together and continue to focus on the customer, aiming to create products that offer quality, value and distinction. When the fourth generation came into the business, we recognized the increasing complexity of an enlarging ownership, and created a Family Mission to set ground rules for family members. The first and foremost was to maintain family harmony!
The Echo management team reviews artwork for scarf designs (L to R): Sam Roberts, Senior Marketing Manager; Lynn Roberts, Vice President of Advertising and Public Relations; Steven Roberts, CEO; Meg Roberts, Senior Design Director; and Charlie Roberts, President.
We all work very hard to reinforce the core values of openness, transparency and candor for everyone at Echo. We believe that our cultural values build resilience and adaptability which gives us a strong foundation for future growth. All of this is fortified by having a great and diverse team. These principles that have stood the test of time and paved the way for Echo’s longevity.
Q: Meg, you are currently the Senior Design Director for Echo. How did you start out in the business? And what jobs have you held along the way?
A: I graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Textile Design and moved to New York to work for a print design studio. During my first year in NYC, I connected with Echo Scarfs and began a long stint of freelancing nights and weekends for their custom design division. I designed and painted scarves for the Smithsonian, Lincoln Center, Harvard University, Anheuser Busch and others.
My next job was as the print designer for Diane Von Furstenberg. I traveled to Italy and Asia to work in the factories and gained valuable mill experience. At that time, Echo had no in-house studio. But I loved the people, the culture and the product at Echo; I wanted to work full-time there.
I approached them, saying that I can do more than just paint, so they hired me as a product developer. I traveled the world, sourcing products and qualities, mills and manufacturers. They quickly saw how valuable it was to have an in-house artist who could paint up ideas or do layouts and designs on the spot! So, I became Echo’s first in-house artist.
From there I designed scarves for ten years—working under the VP of Design on the Echo brand. When we signed our first license with Ralph Lauren, I headed design and operations for the collection, giving me valuable experience in licensing. I continued designing scarves until 1992, when we launched Echo Home. For over 30 years, I have been the design director for Home and all other licensed products.
Pictured beneath a Paisley Medallion Wool/Silk Echo scarf are generations three and four of Echo Design New York: Steven Roberts, Meg Roberts, Sam Roberts, Lynn Roberts and Charlie Roberts.
Most recently, I have taken on the design collaborations on Echo100. As part of our 100th Anniversary, we are creating 100 limited edition scarves with 100 creators from around the world. For each scarf sold, we donate $100 to the charity of choice of the creator. It has been a mammoth and fascinating project! We are learning so much about how powerful it is to partner in new ways with so many talented people.
Betty Soldi, Florence, Italy
Amy & John Wickersham, NY
JJ Martin, La Double J, Milan, Italy
Thank you, Meg — and best wishes to the Echo family for the next century!
