20 September 24-30, 2018 FurnitureToday.com ‘Best’ once stood for expensive, High-end Fabric but today it can mean loaded with features that were not available before such as enhanced durability, A world of ‘better’ fabrics cleanability or other properties. ‘Best’ can also mean the best By Jane Dagmi Senior Editor, Fashion offering for those that prefer natural, @FurnitureToday loom state fabrics. It can also mean IGH POINT — If color and texture are emotion- which company is aligned with your al, and pattern rings familiar and aspirational, H then fabric is truly a multi-sensory experience. values for purchasing responsibly It makes a personal connection. or domestically. Whether we are feeling social or solitary, fabric frames our bodies and supports our need to relax. As a vehicle for Christy Almond self-expression, descriptors like unconventional, avant garde, vice president, product development and sophisticated, eclectic, maximal and anything-goes satisfy the marketing, Valdese Weavers ego and convey the current high-energy mood of higher-end life, high-quality, high-tech fabrics can bring comfort, peace of mindfabrics. and As freedom. a catch-all It’s for all thehere. unpredictable flow of everyday What is ‘better’ fabric?

HIGH POINT — The attributes that determine a fabric’s value Warming colors Crypton’s Home’s and desirability are evolving. LUSH, shown in a rich While price point and yarn qual- While blue remains king and gray relevant, there’s a resur- Golden colorway, has a ity will still play into fabric’s rank- velvety finish. ing as good, better or best, a fabric Hannah Alderson, vice president of design at Robert Allen that delivers ease, durability and &gence Duralee, of warm says colors natural that does reflect not mean the Earth’s neutral natural and offers beauty. But - peace of mind can be considered ternut, a shade of orange, as an example. luxurious, no matter the price. In the reddish tones, desert shades such as terracotta, Technological innovations are rose and adobe are trending. Strong greens like em- creating better-made products all erald, olive and spruce also dominate. Valdese Weav- around. ers’ blues veer toward teal. And organic hues include “Value at the ‘better’ and ‘best’ gold. end is the perception that a fabric Kathy Dotterer, creative director at Brentwood , would carry a higher price than sees straw and tumeric advancing, while Cathy Smith of Tex- it does, and it is even more in pertise sees both clear and mustard yellow playing a role at demand from higher-end manu- Though facturers than at the ‘good’ level,” De Leo Creative Director Katie Atwater Williams embraces neutral-driven, said Cathy Smith of Texpertise, gender-neutralSouth Pacific Textiles. colors. “Three of our color studies are inspired Libeco always by a transition in our culture where we are seeing more and has seasonal - more overlap between traditionally feminine and traditionally add-ons tionrepresenting Performance South Pacific.Fabrics, con- - inspired by curred.Sean “While Gibbons, our CEO high-end of Revolu fur- dated version of mint green, shades of yellow and soft muted nature. niture customers do pick many coralmasculine tones.” concepts,” she said. “The specific hues are an up of our best Revolution fabrics — While bold, saturated colors may be the showstoppers, neutrals still reign in body cloths. At P/Kaufmann, there are more sophisticated design and lots of gray and beiges, and more body clothes in white. Mil- typicallythose containing jacquard finer construction yarns and liken believes neutrals and softer tones are everlasting, foun- — they absolutely buy our mid- dation basics in the home. And although Kravet may offer the to-lower priced better options as spectrum, Chief Creative Director Scott Kravet said, “Most well.” sales you see will be in neutrals and grays.” Crypton has much In the hierarchy of fabrics, to offer in the gray palette, from silver to charcoal, and contin- domestic manufacturing lends ues to be a go-to practical source for white. a certain allure as it can enable shorter delivery times, expedited customer service, adaptability, and the capacity to collaborate with customers. “Best can also mean the com- Colors that have previously been geared pany is inline with your values toward a certain gender are being applied in for purchasing responsibly or domestically,” added Valdese’s more gender-neutral ways. The genesis Christy Almond, vice president of of this color transition in part comes from De Leo sees colors traditionally geared toward a specific product development and mar- the concept of Millennial pink — which has gender being applied in more gender-neutral ways. keting. created a transition across the color spectrum. — Jane Dagmi, Senior Editor, Fashion Katie Atwater Williams, creative director, De Leo continued on page 22 22 September 24-30, 2018 FurnitureToday.com

High-end Fabric continued from page 20

Dry, dimensional, cozy Yarn innovations and blending yarns that yield Dramatic textures like su- breed new touchy-feely fabrics, per chunky caterpillar chenille, with many companies produc- such as chenille and boucle. ing their own yarns. Cryptonboth fine Home and bulkieris incorporating textures, slubby are de rigeur at Valdese Weavers makes its Decoarse Leo. natural “We are fiber making warps bold and own multicolored and multi-tex- made to create a more dimen- statements with our body cloth tured yarn, all about the woven sionalnatural weave. alongWith withits perfor man-- this season,” said Williams, also details. “We carefully craft our mance technology formulated calling out dimensional velvets fabrics to emulate embroideries with cut and uncut , which and quilted looks from around are part of the Carousel by Todd the globe. These constructions, goodsfor each to distinctbe as inviting fiber grouping,as a non- Bowles collection. coupled with artisanal draw- performanceCrypton’s goal . is for the finished Texture waves are also at ings create a hand-crafted Robert Allen and Duralee with tactile quality,” said Ann of , is adding “fancy” yarns chunky blanket constructions, Reynolds, vice presi- in construction,Even Libeco, withblending its legacylinen faux fur and sheepskin-like tex- dent of design. with small amounts of , cot- tiles. For many of ton, , viscose, and the performance others. The company’s propri- ABOVE: For Valdese, maximalism fabric manufac- is a layering of patterns from turers, achieving fullness, heft and softness. different periods and styles. a soft, dry hand etaryAt finishingcompanies techniques such as Fab add- is the goal. ricut, P/Kaufmann and Kravet, LEFT: Stroheim’s raw Tussah Brentwood linen/ blends give a comes in 17 colors. President Textiles weaves more elegant hand and increase of Design Nina Butkin says, with Revolution’s durability. “The way the fabric feels in your hand makes you feel like you’re South Pacific’s Festive, part of the Edge touching something decadent and performance collection, is woven with a specialized luxurious.” textured and multicolored yarn.

Tribal to trees The story a fabric tells can trig- imperfect hand-crafted styling. may be found in the vintage rug ger nostalgia or inspire future “The importance of detecting patterns that are translated onto aspiration. the artist’s hand in the making of fabrics at Morgan and Revolution. “Clients value the experience patterns is a trend that is going to And Brunschwig & Fils Lodi Gar- of materiality in textiles,” said Al- stay.” den fabric, which depicts exotic derson. “That means that each Witnessing the enduring carpets, is an interpretation of old fabric has a story to tell from the popularity of ethnic designs, Scott Indian lore. origin of the pattern to yarns that Kravet said, “As people travel to At Brentwood, Fabricut and were chosen to weave the fabric.” more remote parts of the world, it The global aesthetic remains and plant-inspired images are hot as tribal and mudcloth-like a keepsake from where they’ve rampant.Valdese, foliage, florals of all kinds, patterns are updated with color. been.”takes new forms. Everyone wants “Botanicals are hot right now Alderson stressed the desire for The related bohemian look Vervain’s lush Paulina Muzekari, vice president Secret Garden is ofalong design with and abstract merchandising florals,” said at printed on . Morgan.

The trend that has been around the last few from the fashion world working LEFT: From Brunschwig & Fils, theirValdese way seesinto floralhome influences furnish- Lodi Garden upholstered wall and markets is transitional and modern design, but ings. And Duralee’s new Lonni a chair in Bromo . From the I think there is going to be a trend back toward Paul collection plays with Baret collection. elements of classic couture fresh traditional. Something that’s been popular such as a large-scale ar- BELOW: Morgan Fabrics’ Renato for a long time is ethnic designs. It just takes gyle, while at Kravet, Da- velvet print is boho proud. vid Phoenix’s Well-Suited new forms as people travel to more remote parts collection features classic of the world. It’s always changing. Everyone men’s haberdashery pat- wants a keepsake from where they’ve been. terns. Scott Kravet chief creative director, Kravet continued on page 24 24 September 24-30, 2018 FurnitureToday.com Prints continue to be an important High-end Fabric part of the room like we have not seen before. Tilton Fenwick continued from page 22 for Duralee Hannah Alderson vice president of design, Focus on benefits Robert Allen & Duralee While advances in technology enable performance fabrics to have a more traditional textile look and feel, fabric designers and visionar- ies understand that performance alone is not enough. “Design has to be great,” said Alderson, who has recently intro- duced the newest designer/performance collection, Lonnie Paul for Duralee, featuring Crypton Home performance technology. “Performance is the key,” said Kravet who likens his family’s namesake company to a “powerhouse of performance,” applying the most up-to-date technology to sought-after designs, colors and qualities, and offering performance product in its own Kravet Armor Technology as well as the largest selection of Crypton Home Fabrics exclusively to the trade. Repellent to everyday stains and also eco-conscious and sustain- fabric woven with Repreve polyester which is derived from recycled able is Breathe by Milliken, a fluorine-free performance upholstery believes that people want to feel as good in their spaces as they feel goodplastic about water their bottles spaces,” blended said with LeAnne other Flack, polyester marketing fibers. manager,“Milliken specialty interiors. In addition to continuing to explore texture and softness with its “Performance alone is not enough. Design has to be great,” says Hannah Alderson, vice president of design for trend we’re pursuing is the evolution of the modern outdoor uphol- Robert Allen & Duralee, referencing the new Lonnie Paul collection featuring Crypton Home technology. steryupcycled fabric PFC-free for use olefin inside fiber, and outsideRevolution of the is headinghome. We outdoor. have devel “One- oped some great new yarns that give us fabulous colors, 3,000-plus hours of light fastness and still have all the cleaning aspects of Revo- lution Fabrics,” said Gibbons.

- manceCrypton, properties a fixture inherent in sustainable to the fabric, fabric resistance technology and for repellency 25 years, domade not itswash foray or intowear the off. homeAt Crypton, market they five say, years “Performance ago. With performeans ‘freedom in the form of fabric.’”

Revolution’s new Rhumba is one of the polyester wovens in performs the Breathe by Milliken collection, which provides outdoors. The most important protection using minimal chemistry. direction I see in the textile world is intention. We curate our Trim: Fabric’s trusty-upper-crusty companion collections to provide fabrics that allow HIGH POINT — When it comes to fabric, trim is a wonderful col- intentional choices by the manufacturer. laborator, able to turn a design up a few notches and into an Insta- The days of allowing a ‘maybe’ fabric gram beauty. From The Real (not embellished) State of Trim by Jana Platina to have a place in a manufacturer’s Phipps: “Fabric is the headliner when it comes to upholstery and introductions are long gone. Manufacturers soft goods for the home, but decorative trimmings are stepping into the spotlight as consumer demand rises for customization in both are constrained by cost parameters before decor and fashion to express personal style. Interior designers are most other considerations, and yet must using trimmings as a contemporary tool to evoke their client’s style, and manufacturers are taking note.” always provide fresh style. Intention, to me, In response to the design trade’s growing demand, Fabricut’s represents the need for each fabric to have Director of Trimmings Sharon Cash says to keep an eye out for new fabrications in trim design. “Look for embroidered and printed tex- a unique application in order to deserve tiles as an emerging trend.” a place on the showroom floor. It must At Norwalk, COO Dixon Bartlett said, “We add trim and embel- Century Furniture creates an lishment to pieces we want to call special attention to. They are the stand apart from previous offerings or from additional pattern-play over printed ‘jewelry’ that makes the ‘little black dress’ extra special.” fabrics already available. fabric with tape banding. trimmings supplier to manufacturers, jobbers and retail- RIGHT: Classical Cathy Smith Addsers: Leyla “Although Gans, tapescreative remain director strong, of we’llClassical be seeing Elements, added a Elements presented consultant to South Pacific Textiles, drama with long fringes.” principal of TEXpertise Modern Bullion recently at Showtime — Jane Dagmi, Senior Editor, Fashion in High Point.