Faux suedes a real hit
By Susan M. Andrews -- Furniture Today, October 28, 2001
HIGH POINT — Faux suede upholstery fabrics brought a sophisticated flavor to more showrooms than ever at market and showed up at every price point, thanks to an influx of lower-priced imports.
Frames were dressed in the upscale European look of microdenier faux suede fabrics in an array of solid colors from organic shades to pales to brights.
Because many women perceive leather as cold, faux suede is an excellent way to combine the rich, luxe look of leather with the warm, dry hand of brushed fabric.
LeatherTrend was among the leather specialists with large presentations of faux suede. Luana Davis, vice president of product development, called faux suede "the next Hula Hoop and the first exciting thing in fabric in years. It's a great look and it has a great cleaning story."
Many high-end sources like Directional, which has always used upper-end microdenier fabrics like Ultrasuede, now also offer other faux suede products to broaden their market reach.
Directional's president, Tom Powell, said the lower-priced faux suedes "give us an opportunity to create price points that provide a stepping stone for retailers who might otherwise have to pass on our product because of price. And retailers can use them to step people up to the original."
Important colors at Directional, he said, were "minky, earthy, soft colors that will soothe and comfort."
Although the color story was different at Berkline, the faux suede category was just as important.
"Faux suede has exploded in our showroom," said Bruce Sinning, vice president of reclining upholstery. "Part of the reason is the broad range of available colors, and because they have an outstanding cleaning and durability story."
He said the big colors at market for Berkline were "reds, yellows, lime green, and a beautiful, pale European blue."
Faux suede makes an excellent choice, Sinning said, "for those consumers who previously bought abstract textures and chenilles in contemporary looks. They want a leather look, but can't spend $1,499 for a sofa. Our sofas in faux suede are $899 and up, which means they are positioned under our starting price points for leather/vinyl combinations."
At Berkline, where leather represents about 30% of business, faux suede is expected to become 25% of the business, Sinning said. Introductions included both woven and non-woven faux suedes, from Bradford's Whisper Suede to Microfibres' MicroSuede, made from DuPont's Xtra Life nylon.
Solid covers "are a necessity," said Laurie Reed, showroom manager for high-end producer Century. "The more decorative fabrics aren't for everybody. Some people like simpler covers that let them enjoy the frame and other things in the room, instead of the upholstery fabric being the center of attention."
Among Century's winning introductions was a gray microdenier "with suede appearance and durability, that's very affordable for all homes," Reed said.
"Growth in the faux suede category has been phenomenal in the past two markets," said Johne Albanese, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Natuzzi.
Natuzzi has an exclusive faux suede called Dreamfibre, and debuted another exclusive microdenier faux suede here called Tucini for its popularly priced Italsofa line.
Other leather specialists embracing faux suede included American Leather, known for its use of Toray's Ultrasuede, and Natale, which added a dozen best-selling frames covered in its own new Miraclesuede.
| LeatherTrend's lush red sectional, covered in Caress faux suede, retails for $1,699. |
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