Continuing Education

HOME FASHION BUYERS PURSUE HIGHER DEGREES OF SUCCESS WITH THE LATEST STYLE FINDS

For students of trends, attendance was required at the New York home textiles market in October 2002. Topics included the latest developments in home fashion-colors, styles, themes, and licensing. Naturally this course was comprehensive. Math problems included how many palm trees were on view and how many permutations of the tropical theme are possible. There were geography lessons as resources brought home design stories from around the world, notably Asia, Africa, and the South of France. History focused on the American West and Southwest. Sociological studies examined contemporary life in the city and the country. The final exam in color was a multiple choice test, and the answer was "all of the above."

There were also multi-disciplinary subjects as home fashion resources melded trends. At Ashford Court Amy Bell, vice president of design, cited "Morocco meets India" as an important direction. And it was Provence with an Indian accent in Raymond Waites' Belize bedding ensemble.

To make analysis easier, read on for the LDB Interior Textiles' version of Cliff's Notes for the October market.

Color Basics

While one resource declared a warming trend in color, with muted golds, brick reds, oranges, and browns heating up the palette, others were confidently declaring blue the coolest new hue and welcoming it back.

The blues ranged from the midnight blue of WestPoint Stevens' Papillon bed to a fresh looking aqua at Pacific Coast Home Furnishings. And blues were combined with yellows à la Provence, with white for Chinese motifs, or with greens for a '60s retro feel.

Cosmetic colors faced off against jewel tones. But black is back-"returning again to the home palette," according to Lana Burke, design manager for W-C Designs. As opposites attract, white often served as its foil for dramatic looks, but black and white also were teamed in toiles (Waverly's Country Toile bath coordinates by new licensee Oxford Bath + Home) and paisleys (Legacy's Ferdinand and Bay Linens' Chadwick). Melrose Home Collection highlighted Mixed Media, a black-and-natural geometric bed ensemble. Dakotah's Noir et Blanc collection of decorative pillows needs no translation. And Revman's Lotus Blossom ensemble from designer Nicole Miller proves that basic black is always in style.

Touch Typing

Touch plays an important part in the buying decision, and Arlotta's new cashmere knit throws, blankets, and decorative pillows benefitted from designer Chris Arlotta's experience in apparel. The wool merchants Forté, Dupee, Sawyer Co. entered the finished product arena with undyed alpaca throws (60" x 72") in stripes and two double-faced reversibles marketed under the Forté label.

The amount of suede at market would have raised the ire of PETA but most of it was faux: quilts by Peking Handicraft, Sunham, and American Pacific; duvets and comforters from Malibu Palms by Arrow Home Fashions; decorative pillows at Mélange and Town & Country Living, to name just a few examples.

Mélange's Scott Shafranek, national sales manager, declared silk "the next big thing," and he wasn't alone in extolling the retailing virtues of silk. Moiré is a new towel construction from Abyss, combining 35% silk and 65% cotton, which plays with light.

Mohawk Home's major bath rug introduction had tactile appeal with DuPont's new microfiber Tactel, which has the ease of a synthetic and the hand of cotton. Park B. Smith's Plush Chenille solid-color, cotton-chenille rugs "just make you want to wiggle your toes on the rug," joked Kat Madcharo-Ridel, manager of product development. And Bacova Guild moved up to 100% Egyptian cotton for a variety of loop and flat weave bath rugs.

Metallurgy

Glitter and gleam, shimmer and shine were expressed in metallic touches (from pewter to platinum and brass to gold). The Precious Metals bedding ensemble at DKNY Life said it all.

Creative Bath featured several bath accessory collections with gold accents, including the freestanding Palais group with gold foil embedded in resin shapes. Richloom's bedding ensembles Eclipse and Enigma had shine. American Pacific's Timor is a gold-toned patchwork in dupioni silk, mixing magnificence with modesty. And teens and 'tweens can aspire to be 'glitterati' with Whisper Soft's Glitter Butterfly.

Study Abroad

As Gary Shafran, Nourison's sales and marketing manager for accent rugs, declared "The tropical theme is still very, very hot, and everybody has to have it."

But the hot locales were as varied as Malibu (OP from surfer brand Ocean Pacific bed, bath, and beach fashions by CHF Industries) and Morocco (Gold Coast's chenille tapestry decorative pillow trimmed in beads and velvet); India (naturally from Sethi and Sethi and Sabira) and Africa (Rose Tree's Casablanca and Kenya in the Peri Collection from CHF); the South Pacific (Design Works' Java Floral and Peking Handicraft's Tahiti); and the Caribbean (Havana 1515's Varadero Beach and Tommy Bahama's Floral Portrait).

One motif was the hands-down winner: the palm tree. Naturally found in the ubiquitous tropical themes, they were handled in manners whimsical, kitschy, and retro (say 1940s and 1950s) and really retro (like 18th century).

Another exotic pattern that showed up again and again was paisley. It appeared in traditional Indian patterns, often in riotous colors; subdued and muted in menswear-inspired fashions; touched up with gold or sequins; sweetened up in pastels for little girls; or toughened up for born-again hippies.

Licensed Instructors

New licenses ranged from the sweetly ridiculous (Hostess at Biederlack of America, where throws were stuffed inside Hostess Cupcakes and Twinkies) to the simply sublime (Ron Chereskin at Britannica Home Fashions, Mohawk Home, Maytex Mills, Tobin Home Fashions, United Feather & Down, and Brewster Wallcoverings). Joseph Abboud and Karen Neuburger both found new homes for their fashion bedding, Abboud at Divatex and Neuburger at Hollander. And Neuburger brought her comfort story to Manual Woodworkers and Weavers for throws, decorative pillows, placemats, table runners, bell pulls, and decorative pillows. Maria Manzano, a familiar face on Sesame Street, presented two juvenile beds at Springs. British designer Nick Munro lent his clean style to a bath collection for CHF. With a lifestyle approach Izod entered home with bed, bath, and rugs. Waverly teamed up with Oxford Bath + Home for bath. Pepsi popped up at Home Based for kitchen and beach towels.

Future assignments might include practicing the Bohemian Rhapsody, organizing granny's attic, and learning how to hang a hanging. They will be due on March 28, 2003, when the New York Home Textiles Show opens at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Bath Unlimited (not shown)
1) It's a "two-fer" with Bath Unlimited's (866-832-0348) new double-chambered dispenser for soap and lotion. The colors are coolly contemporary to match the almost sculptural form. The pump can be plastic or metal.

Springs (not shown)
2) The tagline for Springs Industries (212-764-6103) was "Everything Springs," which emphasizes how the privately held company can dress every room in the house thanks to its recent acquisitions. In addition to bringing all of its divisions into its 40th Street showroom, it created a "model home" to showcase the products, including area rugs by Beaulieu and bedding and window under the Burlington House name.

Charisma (not shown)
3) While no one can suggest that Jacobean looks are new, they were appearing with some
frequency in October. In addition to the Charisma Callandra bedding ensemble (shown) by Pillowtex (212-957-2500), Raymond Waites, Rose Tree, Melrose, and Belle Epoque all offered their own interpretations.

Izod by J.R. United (not shown)
4) J.R. United's (305-933-7100) launch of the Izod line took a lifestyle approach with four
collections (Home, Spa, Resort, and Sport) each with three interpretations (Basic, Classic, and
Fashion). The Home Classic bedding group features crisp white linen sheeting embroidered in
all-American colors and a cotton knit blanket.

Daisy Hill (not shown)
5) Chocolate was hot whether paired with pink at Elizabeth Allen or white at Cobra Trading, but Daisy Hill (502-339-9300) took a bold approach with this suede tissue cover outlined in a peacock blue.

Whisper Soft (not shown)
6) Although shaped plush pillows have become standard on kids' beds, Whisper Soft Mills (212-213-1135) goes all out with what Vincent DeRosa, president, calls "plush toys." The dinosaurs that accompany Jenny & Jeff's Megasarus, 200-thread-count cotton bedding ensemble, even roar.

Amity Imports (not shown)
7) The hot colors and luxurious silks of India are truly authentic in Sunset, a quilt and decorative pillows by Amity Imports (626-296-6940).

Maison du Linge (not shown)
8) Ming, a bedding ensemble from Maison du Linge (212-988-9282), uses the French Chinoiserie translation for this toile interpretation in 100% cotton.

Asian Geography

Home fashion resources were all over the map but took a particular interest in Asia with Chinese, Japanese, and Indian themes prominent. And in the spirit of this market, the interpretations were quite individual. Georgia Tufters presented a red chenille bedspread called Bamboo. Arrow Home Fashions' Brentwood certainly was inspired by the paisleys of India, while its Remington was under the menswear influence. And Fino Lino's Chinoiserie bed ensemble channeled China through France.

Chereskin Home by Tobin Home Fashions 9) Ron Chereskin brought his lifestyle concept of "casual comfort" home with introductions of basic bedding from United Feather & Down, fashion bedding from Britannica, throws from Mohawk Home, bath accessories from Maytex, and (shown) Tuxedo cotton table linens with Tobin Home Fashions (212-684-1191).

Famous Home Fashions (not shown)
10) The fabric shower curtain and ceramic bath accessories of the Stella ensemble by Famous Home Fashions (514-735-4566) would suggest that Stella has spent some time in Japan.

Newport (not shown)
11) Newport (503-283-4864) has interpreted the style of the Ming Dynasty in a dramatic polyester/rayon bedding ensemble (shown) while Yves Delorme and TerriSol were inspired by the dynasty's blue-and-white ceramics for, respectively, a bedding ensemble and bath towels. All three shared the same name-Ming.

Lacey Mills (not shown)
12) Lacey Mills (770-607-8100) focuses on Southwest Chic with (clockwise from top left) Pueblo, Navaho, Taos, and Blanket Stripe, all imported from India and woven of cotton and rayon and with leather patches.

Forza & Company (not shown)
13) The Turkish-towel manufacturer Forza & Company (510-981-11980) takes its inspiration from south of the border in the California Collection, which includes Aztec.

Ashford Court (not shown)
14) "Cowboy Chic" is what they call it at Ashford Court (212-679-6335) with these beautifully rendered tapestry decorative pillows paired with woven leather.

American History

Home fashion designers had a date with destiny-Manifest Destiny that is-the 19th-century explanation for U.S. expansionism from sea to shining sea. Lodge looks (Croscill Home's adult bed Canadian Wilds and Oxford's Canoes), the Wild West (Pillowtex's Royal Velvet Trading Post bed and Homefire's novelty Western-themed rugs), and the Southwest (Bay Linen's Sierra Madre bed and La France Home's Indian Motif pillows and throw) set the mood for this American history lesson, and could be seen as this season's expression of Americana, instead of waving the red, white, and blue.

Cecil Saydah Company's (not shown)
15) (323-263-9321) Wild West vinyl shower curtain with resin bath accessories and embroidered or printed towels has a touch of nostalgia to appeal to those children of the'50s.

Revman Industries (not shown)
16) Authenticity is what Revman Industries (212-279-0300) is going for with The New West, inspired by a Beacon blanket. The Euro shams are black denim, a fashion-forward jeans look. The sheets are 250-thread-count cotton and accessories are 150-thread count.

Avon Home (not shown)
17) Avon Home (781-843-9600) is reviving designs from the archives of the '70s designer Vera, and the lighthearted look of Butterfly in the cool and 'way cool' palette of spa blue and green enlivens the table.

Bellino 18) Bellino's (201-840-1420) Gingko and Bubbles, 500-thread-count, yarn-dyed cotton jacquards are delicious in mango, just one of the varieties of orange seen at market. They are paired with the Milady 500-thread-count cotton jacquard coverlet and 699-thread-count sateen Eleganza sheets.

Color 101

Understanding color this market is easy-just pick one. Israeli manufacturer Shula Wardinon chose the warm tones and called it "a global palette." Blue looked fresh and new to some, but Anchor Home Products President Frank Petronzio insisted it was "a classic [that] never really goes out of style." Sam Samani of Pacific Coast Home Furnishings saw "aqua and sage as very timely colors for spring." And for those who couldn't decide, there is always black and white.

Peri by CHF Industries 19) The Peri Home Collection's Venetian Gallery from CHF Industries (212-951-7800) is a bedazzlement in jewel tones, colors that were highly treasured in the October market. Cotton chenille and sateen join with polyester taffeta and velvet for a very bankable look.

Malibu Palms by Arrow (not shown)
20) Blues ran the gamut from the palest sky to deepest navy. Often blue appeared as the popular denim. Arrow Home Fashions' (714-688-1200) Malibu Palms' Floral Patch is patched and embroidered for a fashion-right look.

Donna Karan Home (not shown)
21) Along with all the blues, brights, cosmetic shades, gem tones, and every other hue in the rainbow, black and white also made an impression. And nowhere more deeply than Donna Karan Home's Evening Corsage duvet and shams, with Night and Day sheeting, Spectator Dots quilt and sham, and Circle Eyelet and Tiny Dots decorative pillows.

Flo Baron Collection (not shown)
22) Flo Baron (818-896-3575) produces yet another sterling bath ensemble by pairing Baroque and Simplicity, both painted metal bath accessory groupings, with a shimmering polyester shower curtain.

Sunham (not shown)
23) Sunham (212-695-1218) has gone Platinum with this silk pieced quilt from its new Loft Collection. Each of its collections-Verandah, Hampton Home, and Kaleidoscope-epitomizes a different lifestyle. Loft is for the hip, sophisticated, but casual urbanite.

Acting Class

There were many settings for both character actors and stars. Anyone playing Great-Aunt Tillie could bed down in Laura Ashley's Laurel Lane, cover the table with Croscill's Sunset Park tablecloth by Avon Home, or snuggle under Town & Country's Crochet throw. And the star's glamorous setting could use Home Treasures' Kashan ensemble in the bedroom, Springs' Palace Splendor Silver in the bath, and a few of Bess's Shimmer pillows tossed around.

Veratex (not shown)
24) More glamorous than Veratex's (818-994-6487) silk Dracena would be hard to get. It's the kind of
Hollywood glamour grandma might have dreamt of in the 1930s, when the blonde bombshell was Jean Harlow, not Madonna.

Ex-Cell (not shown)
25) Ex-Cell (212-213-8000) is looking for an old-fashioned winner with the cotton blend Rose Garden table linen, a Pfaltzgraff pattern.

Evandale (not shown)
26) Evandale's (212-704-2033) crocheted decorative pillows could come from Great-Aunt Tillie's attic and go straight into a 20-something's first apartment, a demographic that CHF is targeting with its Loft Style, as is Bullzye with Spoon.

Bardwil Linens 27) The motif that cropped up most frequently during this October market was certainly the palm. It was on the floor, in the bath, on the bed, and at the window. It also graced tables at Bardwil Linens (212-944-1870).

Pillow Perfect (not shown)
28) Pillow Perfect (770-926-1122) has the tropical look down pat, but hasn't stopped exploring the motifs, as the sophisticated Layla 100% cotton decorative pillows show.

Semester Break

Everyone needs a vacation-or at least the impression of one. Hot climates always appeal at spring break and some of the destinations suggested were Biscayne by Dakotah; Bali by Croscill, and Cuba by DKNY Life's Havana Sunset bed as well as Lacey Mills' Habana collection of jute, chindi, and cotton rugs. Some of the locales were strictly for fun, like wherever Surfer Girl, a juvenile bed design by Arrow, rode the waves. Others were suited for a botany lesson such as
Raffia's Printemps.

Croscill Home 29) The palm is the subject of a botanical study in Croscill Home's (212-689-7222) Hawaii bedding ensemble, with a cotton blend comforter and 220-thread-count cotton sateen sheeting.

Peking Handicraft (not shown)
30) Peking Handicraft (650-871-3788) takes a trip to Tahiti with this indigo 'batik' type printed pattern for quilt and shams.

Town & Country Living (not shown)
31) The Seychelles are the destination for this bath ensemble from Town & Country Living (212-889-7911). The botanical prints on a patterned background fabric of the shower curtain are used as the motifs on the ceramic bath accessories and embroidered towels.