NOTHING but the grandest, decreed Ivana Trump as she flung herself into the refurbishing of New York's Plaza Hotel back in 1989. While her marriage to Donald Trump crumbled, an army of decorators swarmed through the famous landmark on the edge of Central Park. ''Pure schmaltz,'' winced one observer eyeing the profusion of glitz and gilt which has come to typify the wretched excesses of the 80s. Richard Hollander believes there was one saving grace. Look at Ivana's choice for the Plaza's bedrooms; definitely classy. ''It was an adaptation of Brunschwig & Fils' La Portugaise - 33,000 yards of it,'' the boss of Source Interiors in Wyndham Street, Central, recalled this week. ''Princess Caroline of Monaco had the same fabric on a sofa. Maybe that's where Ivana first saw it.'' What the royal sat on and the ex-Mrs Trump lavished on umpteen draperies, table skirts, headboards, bedspreads and dust ruffles, you too can enjoy. A handsome garnet-striped chintz, La Portugaise can still be ordered from Source, though clients calling in to the elegant showroom with its exhaustive ''library'' of samples are likely to give it a miss. After all, this is the time of year when interiordecorators - professional and otherwise - are spoiled for choice. Just as the garment trade has its seasonal offerings, so does the sensual world of furnishing fabrics and Richard Hollander, recently back from a series of buying trips to Europe and the States with his wife Greta, has temptations galore. Among the most prominent names are New York's Brunschwig & Fils (''originally French; they moved to America around World War II''), Lelievre of Paris, Britain's Jane Churchill and - arguably the greatest of them all - Manuel Canovas. In January, the celebrated Spaniard had decorators from the across the globe drooling when he presented his 1993 collection at Paris' Biennale des Editeurs de la Decoration. ''Totally irresistible,'' said Hollander who fell for several beauties including English Fern, inspired by botanical engravings, La Turquerie (''what a sumptuous, dramatic baroque fabric . . . a magnificent jacquard for upholstery,'' reads Canovas' description) and, closest to home, Le Jardin Bleu, a pure cotton print featuring blue and white Chinese porcelain with splashes of brilliant colour provided by butterflies. Any similarities between the romance of the cloth and the nostalgia sweeping the fashion industry are largely superficial, Hollander notes. ''The main difference is that fashion changes twice a year and fabrics are so much more durable and part of people's lives. ''Of course there are certain trends, but generally fabrics fall into two categories: originals created by modern artists and adaptations or recreations drawn from history - what we call 'documents'. ''An incredible amount of research goes into the latter, with only tiny fragments to work from in some cases.'' Equally painstaking is the creation of ''heirloom'' fabrics - mostly hand-woven heavyweight jacquards so complex that are they are produced at the rate of only a few inches a day. ''About $5,000 per metre,'' said the Source boss, displaying a fabulous number from Lelievre. ''I'd use it for something like an antique chair or a bedspread. It would last for generations.'' Don't gulp. There's plenty around the $400 mark for the budget-conscious home decorator and bulk buying also comes with incentives - especially the ''translations'' on to practical fabrics often favoured by hotels. With a local client list that includes the Peninsula, the Mandarin and the Regent, plus numerous professional designers, Richard Hollander's main task is to keep up with demand. It's a joyous task, says the fabric king who has spent the last 30 years in Asia and recently hired a British professional to assist him. Hongkong is challenging, though she misses England's eccentrics, says Ilona Cowling who worked for an upmarket London stationer before she moved into fabrics. ''One customer I'll never forget is the ex-military man who came in for some business cards. '' 'I'd like some for him,' he said, pointing at his dog. I laughed and he laughed, but he was serious. ''He really did want cards for his dog and it was just a mongrel!''
