Warm, whimsical fabrics in spotlight
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, January 24, 2005
This should be a Showtime to remember. Some domestic mills are launching their best-looking lines in years; the number of licensed collections continues to grow; colors are warm and beautiful; patterns are lively and whimsical for contemporary, cottage and retro applications; and there's a company touting its new performance fabric around every corner.
Girding themselves against imports, domestic players like Dicey Mills and Chambers Fabrics are stretching their design wings. As Edward Auten, director of merchandising and design for Dicey, said, the company intends in 2005 to "increase market share by upgrading our product to appeal to a broader range of customers."
Charlie Bowers, vice president of sales and marketing at Chambers Fabrics, agreed that pursuing a narrow niche isn't always the answer. Industry elders used to advise companies to find a niche, develop it and own it — but now, Bowers said, "you have to ask yourself, 'What can we make in a quality way, and service our customers?' We know we can do jacquard chenilles and non-chenilles and we can do these new lifestyle looks, too. We have to evolve and look different now."
Here are some of the key looks to look for at Winter Showtime 2005, followed by a detailed list of new introductions on the pages that follow.
Sunny Colors are still hot, especially warm Mediterranean rose, gold, pink and terra cotta shades, like the flowers, cuisine and clay tiles that inspire the ever-popular Tuscan style; and citrus brights and seaside pastels that evoke the warm climate and hot trends of South Beach. These colorful patterns are good examples.
Cartier, a double cloth construction in a luscious persimmon color, is a fashion-forward nylon velvet from Microfibres with the look of a jacquard.
A smooth cottony velvet stripe picks up the happy retro palette of a floral jacquard from LaFrance.
What does it do? If it's a performance fabric, it does plenty. If you're looking for the latest in fabric that "does something" beyond being an attractive cover, you should note that Microfibres is stepping up its performance marketing; Joan Fabrics's Home division is launching MicroEssentials; Weave Corp. brings its WeatherWize line to Showtime; Elegance Fabrics is expanding with a new outdoor collection; Quaker Fabric is ramping up its Ultra line; and Cone Jacquards is launching a solution-dyed acrylic line called Solar Cone. Here are two of the latest entries in the category.
Over The Top, in a carnival colorway, is from the new MicroEssential line of durable microdenier polyester. It's stain- and mildew-resistant, color-fast and easy to clean.
Daisy May, from Weave's WeatherWize collection of durable performance fabrics, is a jacquard weave with anti-microbial properties, easy cleanability and colorfastness.
Licensing's big, and in addition to fabrics bearing such names as Liz Claiborne (Richloom), Nautica (Robert Allen Group) Ralph Lauren (Kravet), Raymond Waites (Swavelle/Mill Creek), Joe Ruggiero (Sunbrella) and William Wegman (Crypton), the licensing boom continues with new entries from Alexander Julian at American Silk Mills, and Mary Engelbreit and Christopher Lowell at Cranston Home, which are shown below.
This cottage-inspired print is part of the Mary Englebreit licensed collection at Cranston Home.
Christopher Lowell designed this leafy pattern for furniture applications as part of his licensed program at Cranston Home.
Retro patterns were getting attention before designer Todd Oldham picked them for his La-Z-Boy upholstery line, but since then, interest in 1960s patterns has gained steam and they are one of the biggest looks you'll see here this week. These patterns from Dicey and Culp Velvet Prints are good examples.
Curlicue waves roll gently on Daydream, a new jacquard pattern from Dicey Mills that's reminiscent of Peter Max's art from the 1960s.
Geometric patterns are scattered and layered on Wimbleton, from the Dimensions collection from Culp Velvet Prints.
Trim and dapper stripes, tweeds, twills and herringbones join silken paisleys and soft leathers as patterns and materials that would be at home in a gentlemen's club as both apparel and furnishings. These looks will get another boost from the growing interest in poker, which will be influencing furniture for the next season or two. Stripes aren't always masculine, but here are a couple that are.
Edgar's Birkdale, a furniture-friendly, midscale, multicolor stripe of cotton and polyester, is woven on a neutral taupe ground.
Thin stripes of brick shades are highlighted with an overstitched effect in Pablo, a durable, color-fast and easily cleaned acrylic Sunbrella pattern from Glen Raven.
