Déjà vu, better leathers on tap for spring
By Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, March 4, 2007
High Point — Retailer shopping for leather upholstery in High Point will see some products that successfully debuted at the Las Vegas Market earlier this year, and also will see manufacturers stepping up with better leather articles.
Those were the indications from premarket here last week, where several leather producers showed their new wares — although some were still waiting for more imported goods to be shipped.
In addition to better leathers — many in tonal looks — this season's leather palette is shaping up to exude a touch of spring. Robinson & Robinson, for example, is showing soft greens, blues and clean whites, as well as metallics. Bradington-Young is enlivening its classic styles in fruity reds, while Natuzzi is offering a series of confident coffee and zesty orange hues.
Design details also are adapting, with once-heavy tufted looks going lighter with hand-pulled button applications.
Bradington-Young's spring market rollout will include seven club chairs, six seating groups and 14 recliner chairs, all produced domestically.
"We're excited about the direction of our new frames," National Sales Manager David Hicks said during premarket. "When you look at them, you'll know they're Bradington-Young."
The company is expanding its sectional assortment to six with two new entries, and is adding four cocktail ottomans, including a round, a square and a "mega" rectangle measuring 32 by 68 inches. The ottomans are available on either legs or casters.
Seven Seas, Bradington-Young's import program, will have five new leather/fabric frames to retail from $799 to $999. The company also is bulking up its leather assortment with new leathers, including aniline-dyed and hand-wiped treatments, in 50 colors from various global sources.
"We are trying to restructure our leathers at the high end," Hicks said.
Another highlight this market will be BY's emphasis on novelty leathers with special applications, he said.
Following up on its success in Las Vegas, Craftmaster will bring to High Point six new stationary leather frames and four recliners it introduced at Vegas. The sofas, targeting retails of $1,199 to $1,399, are available via warehousing or container, said President Roy Calcagne.
Another five imported stationary sofas, from $1,299 to $1,499 retail, also join Universal's expanding line, said Calcagne, who is also senior vice president of Universal.
Canada-based El Ran will roll out its Tandem collection in High Point, following the Chinese import program's initial success in Las Vegas. The seven-frame promotional assortment is positioned as "our first major push into imports," said Gary Guarino, U.S. sales director.
El Ran also will have six new domestically made frames, outfitted in premium leathers from Italy and South America. "We continue to attract better customers because they're still requiring special order," Guarani said.
Robinson & Robinson, including LeatherTrend, will have 15 new groups dressed in eight to 10 new articles, said Group President Peter Robinson. LeatherTrend continues to round out its good-better-best story with its Classics, LeatherTrend, Premium (feather-down seating) and Artisano (hand-finished leathers) lines.
Hickory Hill, a division of Norwalk, will offer an expanded collection from China, featuring two sectional groups and Jaclyn Smith frames. Natuzzi Americas plans "a very large introduction" of seating under its Natuzzi and Italsofa brands.
American Leather's push into "updated traditional" design this spring will be supported by a remodeled showroom area for the new collection.
"We are continuing our successful modern, contemporary and transitional collections, as well as adding an updated traditional assortment," said President Bruce Birnbach.
As part of the new traditional story, he said, American Leather will show more textiles, along with leather/fabric custom collage looks.
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