Safe's the word at Heimtextil
Exhibitors pleased with traffic, written orders
By Carole Sloan -- Furniture Today, January 20, 2003
Frankfurt, Germany — American exhibitors at Heimtextil here this month seemed pleased with traffic and orders and said they saw significantly more buyers from several regions.
From a design perspective, this years product offering was generally termed "safe" or "easier on the eye" — the latter a reference to a softening of the brilliant color palette and bold designs of the past several Heimtex shows.
"We changed locations and the new venue had significantly more traffic than where we were last year — even though traffic was down overall," said Lee Silberman, senior vice president of exhibitor Duralee.
David Li, president of American Decorative Fabrics, also reported a good show. He said the company's new fabrics as well as its expanded cut-and-sew offering were important contributors to success.
Calling Heimtex "easier on the eye" than it has been in recent years with the color and design explosion, Andy Pacuk, senior vice president of product development for The Robert Allen Group, called the general offering "safe" and "utilitarian."
David Byers, director of design for Wearbest, called Heimtex "warm in feeling." For his company, the standouts were high-tech, detailed jacquards and other complex weaving techniques.
M-J Ramos, head of woven goods design for Duralee, said important color schemes here included citron green with orange and cantaloupe, from pastels to vibrants to intense watercolor effects.
Also cropping up were a host of new flower favorites — birds of paradise, poppies, dogwood and tiger lilies.
