(New Rochelle, NY) — Claire K. Coleman, a long time resident of New Rochelle and founder of the influential International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA) will be honored on May 8th at the Association’s 65th Anniversary and Circle of Excellence Evening of Distinction at the Union League Club in New York City. Along with other luminaries in the home furnishings business, Coleman will be recognized with the establishment of an Educational Foundation Grant in her name.
In 1947, Ms. Coleman founded the National Home Fashions League – which created and communicated evolving trends for decades. In 1988, the group was renamed the International Furnishings & Design Association and today boasts15 chapters in the United States and one in Japan.
Launched while lunching with six colleagues, Coleman – fresh out of college and a cub reporter for the Fairchild publication, Retailing Home Furnishings, lamented her dismay about being excluded from the all-male “Drapery & Curtain Club Market Dinner”. Too young to be easily daunted and smart enough to grasp a good idea when she saw it, she took the challenge to start an organization that would focus on encouraging and promoting the presence of women in the industry. With her friends, Claire began the National Home Fashions League which grew rapidly into a powerful platform – with a membership that included executives in every facet of home design and furnishings industry.
“The one constant ‘theme’ in IFDA over the years has been the synergism in the total development of interior furnishings.” cited Ms. Coleman. “The interplay of our members – interior designers, stylists, manufacturers, merchants, publicists, editors, writers and sales professionals – has resulted in creating, marketing and communicating evolving trends in home fashions and design – to both industry insiders and consumers. It’s been a very exciting journey for me. ”
As her organization grew, Claire’s own career took off, as well. After a stint as a reporter for The New York Times, she became senior VP at a major public relations firm where she supervised many accounts and special projects in residential and commercial interior furnishings. Her clients included Burlington Industries, New York Merchandise Mart, Philadelphia Marketplace, Hunter Douglas Window Fashions, CHF Industries – to name a few.
Today, as president of Coleman Communications, Claire continues to stay active in the organization she founded. Presently, a senior advisor for the NY Chapter, she is Fellow of IFDA and has served as its national president, president of the New York Chapter and has held various positions on the New York and Illinois chapter boards.
For tickets and information about IFDA’s Circle of Excellence Evening of Distinction, visit or call the New York Office at 212-686-6020.
