Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis recently got its worldwide release and has spiked people’s interest in the life and style of Elvis Presley, from the bedazzled jumpsuits to shag carpet living rooms. If you want to bring a piece of that 70s vibe into your home, you’ve come to the right place. Film’s Academy Award–winning costume designer, Catherine Martin, has just teamed up with Mokum for a new textile collection inspired by the movie, and you won’t want to miss it!
Martin’s line, dubbed the Royal Menagerie, includes fabrics and wallpapers inspired by the King of Rock N’ Roll and the decadence of the ’70s. Many of the offerings have a more maximalist look to them, starting with Royal Peacock, a wallpaper depicting the regal blue birds surrounded by tropical plants. This bird was a reocurring motif in Presley’s world, such as in his Graceland residence, where large stained-glass peacocks separated the living room from the music room.
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“There were many stories surrounding why the peacock was a reoccurring theme,” Martin, who is also Luhrmann’s creative and life partner, tells ELLE DECOR. “The archivist at Graceland said it was a symbol of eternal life in some religions. [Elvis] was a very spiritual person, so that’s quite likely.”
Other patterns were inspired by Graceland’s famous Jungle Room, a space that feels like a time capsule from the carpeted ceiling to the indoor waterfall. This room features layers of tropical flowers and leaves on fabric. Elvis’s ceramic chimp statues, meanwhile, were a point of reference for Monkey Business, a wall covering featuring a group of apes scaling a leafy tree.
Another theme in the Royal Menagiere collection is feracious cats, including a velvet jacquard tiger print inspired by Elvis’ famous tiger jumpsuit, a colorful jacquard leopard print, and the illustrative Panthera velvet, a tribute to one of the rocker’s early nicknames. Other options, such as Grande Boucle and Monarque, take inspiration from Presley’s tour bus with its stunning velvet.
In the International Hotel set for Elvis, the sunken sofa is upholstered in Bengal Tiger textiles.
Graceland’s wood-paneled-fever-dream origins go back to Presley’s father, per Martin.“The story is that his father saw this tiki furniture in a window in a local store in Memphis,” says Martin. “He came home and said, ‘Oh my God, I’ve just seen the ugliest furniture I’ve ever seen in my life.’ So Elvis went and bought everything as a joke.”
It’s only natural that this collection focuses on storytelling, whether it’s the legendary narratives behind each design or the new life they’ll take on in living rooms and foyers across the country. The 70s aesthetic, however, it’s perhaps the most interesting and appealing detail of this collection, adding a playfulness that is unmistakable. “It feels slightly tongue in cheek,” adds Martin. “There’s a sense of humor, a sense of fun and exuberance. It doesn’t take itself too seriously.”
WE HOPE YOU LIKED OUR ARTICLE ON A Textile Collection Inspired by the Elvis Movie That Will Have You Swooning!
