about Laurie Bell

fashion accessories go out of doors!

Greensboro, NC – Laurie Jenkins is designer, founder and namesake of Laurie Bell Fabrics, Inc. and has turned the textile industry inside out with high-tech, fashion-forward outdoor accessories that weather the storms of wear and tear as well as the demands of today’s fashionistas. Inspired by her vintage fashion collection and extensive travel, Laurie grasps varying architecture and vegetation and incorporates her understanding into her reflective designs.

From tassels to trims, pillows to throws, umbrellas to canopies, linens to loungers, Laurie Bell has the outdoor market covered. Having worked with Brown Jordan and Gloster on merchandising their fabric lines, her own line is dear to her heart and quite buzz-worthy. Laurie’s accessories have been featured on the HGTV series, “Outer Spaces” and NBC Sunday’s “Today Show” as well as the cover of Coastal Living, and the pages of Backyard Living, Casual Living and Garden Design and The Wall Street Journal. Her vintage coat fabric recently graced the cover of Frontgate’s Sourcebook 2008 and her participation in Coastal Living Idea Houses and Southern Living’s 2007 Symphony Homes Tour have been well noted.

Much like the designer herself, Laurie Bell fabrics and accessories are more than just a pretty face. “The technology and functionality of the fabrics, trims and fillers is amazing,” says Laurie, who actually has a B.A. in Chemistry, translating into 26 years in the textile industry designing high-tech fabrics and coatings for both home and fashion- two things that Laurie knows first hand. With a grasp on both subjects, Laurie’s designs convey a metropolitan mosaic of color and texture, vintage and new with wit and wisdom in every flourish. She is truly considered one of the leading experts in outdoor fabrics, understanding the performance qualities needed whilst injecting an unparalleled fashion sense.

“My mother was a seamstress and my father was an industrial engineer – so I guess what I do is a marriage of the two,” laughs Laurie, a designer with a vision and a knack for today’s luxurious outdoor living.

In 2007, Laurie moved from North Carolina to Sarasota, sharing showroom space and fabric designs with fellow outdoor aficionado, Jason Champion, creating collections such as one inspired by Laurie’s grandmother, called “Mama Jenks.” Together they focus on outdoor fabrics and occasional pieces, shown at ICFF and in other showrooms nationwide.

Greensboro, NC – Laurie Jenkins is designer, founder and namesake of Laurie Bell Fabrics, Inc. and has turned the textile industry inside out with high-tech, fashion-forward outdoor accessories that weather the storms of wear and tear as well as the demands of today’s fashionistas. Inspired by her vintage fashion collection and extensive travel, Laurie grasps varying architecture and vegetation and incorporates her understanding into her reflective designs.

From tassels to trims, pillows to throws, umbrellas to canopies, linens to loungers, Laurie Bell has the outdoor market covered. Having worked with Brown Jordan and Gloster on merchandising their fabric lines, her own line is dear to her heart and quite buzz-worthy. Laurie’s accessories have been featured on the HGTV series, “Outer Spaces” and NBC Sunday’s “Today Show” as well as the cover of Coastal Living, and the pages of Backyard Living, Casual Living and Garden Design and The Wall Street Journal. Her vintage coat fabric recently graced the cover of Frontgate’s Sourcebook 2008 and her participation in Coastal Living Idea Houses and Southern Living’s 2007 Symphony Homes Tour have been well noted.

Much like the designer herself, Laurie Bell fabrics and accessories are more than just a pretty face. “The technology and functionality of the fabrics, trims and fillers is amazing,” says Laurie, who actually has a B.A. in Chemistry, translating into 26 years in the textile industry designing high-tech fabrics and coatings for both home and fashion- two things that Laurie knows first hand. With a grasp on both subjects, Laurie’s designs convey a metropolitan mosaic of color and texture, vintage and new with wit and wisdom in every flourish. She is truly considered one of the leading experts in outdoor fabrics, understanding the performance qualities needed whilst injecting an unparalleled fashion sense.

“My mother was a seamstress and my father was an industrial engineer – so I guess what I do is a marriage of the two,” laughs Laurie, a designer with a vision and a knack for today’s luxurious outdoor living.

In 2007, Laurie moved from North Carolina to Sarasota, sharing showroom space and fabric designs with fellow outdoor aficionado, Jason Champion, creating collections such as one inspired by Laurie’s grandmother, called “Mama Jenks.” Together they focus on outdoor fabrics and occasional pieces, shown at ICFF and in other showrooms nationwide.