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Performance fabrics on a roll

By Susan M. Andrews -- Furniture Today, February 12, 2006

High Point — As upholstery buyers saw at the Las Vegas market earlier this month and will see again in High Point at the International Home Furnishings Market in April, great fabric stories — from color to constructions — are big this year.

While chenille and plain suede fabrics are still important, they aren't as big a deal as velvet, texture, synthetic leather, embellished silk and the constantly evolving range of performance fabrics.

Producers of performance fabrics for residential interior upholstery applications have stepped up the styling and finishing of their products to such a degree that buyers can no longer tell by looking or touching which goods are imbued with extra durability, cleanability or soil- and stain-resistance.

On this page, Global Textiles Today offers a look at some of the winning patterns in performance fabrics debuting this season.

A. Weave Corp.'s WeatherWize performance fabric, shown here in a pattern called Florida that's ideal indoors or out, resists soil, stains, bacteria, microbes and fading and cleans easily with warm water and detergent.

B. Crypton Super Fabrics' Cuddle lends a fresh approach to a boucle stripe in nine colors — desert, canyon, prairie, bracken, reef, horizon, bittersweet, potpourri and timber. Crypton boasts an integrated moisture barrier and resistance to stains, odors and microbes.

C. Buttery soft and environmentally friendly, Ultrafabrics' Brisa is a simulated leather engineered with performance properties. In addition, Brisa is designed with breathability that adds to upholstery comfort.

D. Inspired by 1950s patio cloth, Outdura's Urban Essentials collection for spring features patterns Montage, a layered foliage overall; Tandem, a retro-inspired geometric; and Collage, a textural tweed that uses boucles and multi-colored yarns to create an upscale look. The solution-dyed acrylic fabrics are fade-resistant, stain-resistant and designed to stand up to weather, children and pets.

E. Performance properties are available in all kinds of constructions, as illustrated by these fashion-forward colors of performance velvet that debuted at velvet specialist J.B. Martin.

F. Upscale interior applications get a high-performance story from Wearbest Sil-Tex's Bella Dura fabrics, which resist abrasion, microbes, bacteria, bleach and sunlight.

G. Glen Raven's Sunbrella, in brightly colored dobbies and jacquards, like the citrus palette shown here on Collins, combine with new Sunbrella Velvets for a complete high-performance package that can take all kinds of everyday abuse.

H. Joan Fabrics' Vibrant SP performance fabric is constructed of Innova, a synthetic fiber from American Fibers & Yarns engineered to have the hand and luster of natural cotton. The fabric is stain- and mildew-resistant, and fade- and UV-resistant to 2,000 hours.

I. Ostrich is one of Valtekz's Luxo environmentally friendly composite fabrics designed to look, feel and upholster like luxury hides. The fabric's performance characteristics include soap-and-water cleanability, resistance to sunlight, oil and dirt as well as durability to 100,000 double rubs.

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