Author/Designer Kristene Smith announces her debut collection of eco‐luxury, organic dinner napkins and pillows under her new brand, Kristene Home Couture™, the third division of her California‐based corporation, Kristene Smith, Incorporated. Recently referred to as the hottest, coolest, greenest items for spring, the collection features original hand‐painting on silky bamboo satin fabric with lustrous rayon embroidery trim. Her signature line creatively marries her talents in brand design, textiles, interiors and fashion while paying respect to the environment through utilization of sustainable materials.

As a sought after brand strategist for over a decade, Kristene has facilitated numerous public and private marketing campaigns throughout the State of California and beyond and continues to run her first company, Kristene Smith Marketing Communications and Advertising™. Seeking new, creative outlets for her company, and with a desire to help her daughter learn how to sew, she realized the opportunity to return to Sacramento City College to pursue a degree in textiles and fashion in summer 2007. A few months prior, she started having knee pain and other symptoms and then learned that she had been misdiagnosed by her physician and was harboring a potentially fatal condition known as Valley Fever.

Smith states, “My doctor at the time thought I had the flu and told me to stay home and rest. The fever was just so persistent lasting almost a month, but my doctor didn’t think that was a problem and never saw me in her office. The fever finally broke, but it was five months later before I knew what was going on, and by that time, hell was breaking loose.” Although not contagious, Valley Fever adversely affects African Americans at ten times the rate of the general population and can be fatal. Smith, who is African American, learned that the knee pain was not “loss of cartilage” as stated by the same doctor, but instead a bone tumor that was taking away her ability to walk (a common side effect when Valley Fever disseminates in the body).

Once she was properly diagnosed by a specialist and had an MRI, an immediate knee surgery was scheduled. Ever resilient, Kristene used her recovery time to read business books which taught her the ins and outs of product manufacturing. She was also determined not to let knee pain stop her from attending classes so she walked on crutches and worked through rehabilitation to continue into the next semester.

At the same time, with the recession, Kristene’s consulting practice had slowed down quite a bit and economic hardship was upon her, but with faith and determination, she forced her operation to adapt to leaner standards while keeping up with her studies, all the while as a single parent of two teenage daughters. Unfortunately the level of the fever in her system has slightly risen again and there is a second tumor that will eventually require another surgery, but she continues to control her condition with daily medication, which she will likely need to continue for years to come.

“Despite pressing circumstances, I know that God is in control of everything and He expects me to stay positive, faithful and encouraged every day and my job is to encourage others as much as possible,” says Smith. Her admitted “fabric obsession” keeps her curious about innovations in sustainability in the textiles industry and seeking the best organic fabrics for her designs, which are now available to consumers worldwide through her online store and select retailers. Through utilization of technology in her marketing efforts, she’s able to reach an international audience and has plans for other textiles related endeavors including distance education and private wholesale lines for the design trade and the restaurant and hospitality industries. All of her collections will feature organic fabrics and other sustainable materials including bamboo, soy and hemp.

Kristene Home Couture’s napkin collection is priced between $69.00 and $129.00 for a set of 6. The collection boasts originality and authenticity for consumers seeking green products that add style, just in time for Mother’s Day. For more information and to view the collection, visit www.kristenesmith.com.
 

Tags: home, Home Decor, napkins, Organic, Pillows