Guarded Optimistically

HOME FASHION RESOURCES FOUND REASONS TO BE UPBEAT

Reflecting on the October 2004 New York home textiles market, Creative Bath National Sales Manager Rick Lipton's comment "guarded optimistically" may sound just like a flip-flop variation on the more frequently heard "optimistically guarded," but it's the difference between a glass half-empty to one half-full.

Manufacturers and importers optimistically wooed buyers with new product categories. Bardwil Linens added towels to its table linens and kitchen textiles with the introduction of the Lenox brand. Excell debuted an extensive line of soft window treatments, including a clever awning topper fabrication.

Brunton International expanded its line offerings with chairpads and table linens. And Bess added ottomans and footstools. Taymor is offering wall hardware to complement its bath accessories, and due to its success with boxed gift sets for holidays such as Mother's Day, Taymor has set up a division dedicated to bringing "seasonal to bath," according to Randy Wright, senior vice president.

In terms of color, optimism certainly wasn't guarded. The bright colors predicted for many a season actually materialized. Dakotah's Vice President Sales and Marketing Toby Weinstein succinctly summarized the focus as "color, color, color.'

There was also a definite trend away from over embellishment, seen in the use of more casual fabrics such as denim, canvas, and microfibers in collections like Croscill Casuals bedding, Ellery @Ease window treatments, Baltic Linens' Wardrobe collection, and Evandale's Loft Style curtains and decorative pillows.

Going along with the casual approach was recognition of the buying power of younger consumers with a noticeable effort to reach out to them. This wasn't just the tween and teen, but the 20- to 30-something crowd that, as Matthew Sudock, marketing and design consultant responsible for Baltic's Wardrobe collection, put it, "has graduated from the collegiate look but are fashion conscious and so don't want their mother's furnishings."

Vendors turned retail stores into adjectives, using phrases like 'West Elm look' or 'Pottery Barn-esque' to invoke a more youth-oriented style direction, which could just as well be summed up as 'contemporary.'

Tom McElroy, HFI's vice president of product development, saw a "movement afoot for modern." Gary Filippone, senior vice president, creative development, Springs, noted that "modern was married to" each of the seven lifestyles presented by Springs (Garden, Modern Asia, Mid-Century Modern, Euro Pop, Modern Lux, Modern Graphic, and Cirque du Soleil).

Raymond Waites' Metropolitan Chic bedding collection (following up on the success of his line of retro-inspired ceramic decorative accessories for Toyo) was designed to appeal to that demographic with cleaner, less fussy designs. Ditto for Baltic's Wardrobe brand, a departure for the company to a more modern look that reaches a "new consumer base," according to Sudock.

There was a back-to-nature call that found lots of expression, whether it was Hautman Brothers' shower curtains and accessories at Creative Bath or the Zucchi line seen at Revman with its Shades ensemble in earth, wind, fire, and water colorways.

There was also the use of 'new' natural fibers such as eco-friendly bamboo for towels, sheets, and rugs, and Biederlack of America introduced a new jacquard bamboo blanket. Bardwil's Lenox Platinum towel is 70% low-twist cotton/30% bamboo. Baltic's bath collection featured 60% bamboo/40% combed-cotton towels and robes, and bamboo was the motif in a 350-thread-count jacquard weave sheet that is a blend of 70% cotton/30% bamboo. Revere International Group, formerly Revere Mills, showed Unique, a bamboo/cotton towel and a table-tufted bamboo/cotton rug to coordinate with its Chubby towel, as well as Bali, which combines 55% bamboo, 30% cotton, and 15% silk for a luxurious hand.
In its first American outing, Loftex USA's Cashmina bath towel, a blend of cashmere, bamboo, and Emperor's cotton (a special long-staple cotton grown in China) was a homerun. Equally luscious is Welspun's Cotsimo, a blend of cotton, silk, and Modal.

United Feather & Down (UF & D) debuted the Simply Natural(tm) Tencel(r) fabric collection of basic bedding with a choice of Lyocell Down(tm) or Nature's Touch(tm) down alternative. UF & D added a lower price tier for its alternative down products using Loftie, a new fiber from Albany International. Lotus Living, a newcomer at the New York Home Textiles Show, showed visco-elastic lifestyle-enhancement products at price points that offer good value; the company has its own factory in southern China.

Perfect Fit introduced the Jockey license for bed pillows, mattress pads, and mattress toppers in a good-better-best strategy of Jockey Classic, Jockey White, and Jockey Platinum.

NFL star Dan Marino introduced his Comfort Sleep Collection for Sleep Innovations. The top-tier line includes memory-foam contour pillows, sleep pillows (standard and king), travel pillows, neck-support pillows, and 4" mattress enhancer, all with microvelour covers, as well as 8"and 12"-thick mattresses, and, Marino's personal favorite item, memory-foam slippers. "My wife and I had been using this product for five or six years prior to this, so I was already a believer," Marino said. "I played [in the NFL] for 17 years. I've had nine operations. So it's important for me to feel comfortable in order to get a good night's rest. That's why I was interested in doing this product line-it helps you sleep better."

Another item to encourage better sleep is the SnoreEzzz(tm)Snore Reduction Pillow by First Impressions Productions. WestPoint Stevens added fashion to basic with new covers in crepe, faux suede, microfiber raschel, and even Teflon-coated fabrics.

Pacific Coast Feather debuted the patent-pending Down Around Plus comforter with side-by-side chambers and Enhanced ComfortLock border to keep down in place.

A new brand-Vitalize(tm)-was launched by Sleep Comfort Systems with pillows, toppers, and new multi-element specialty products using a visco-elastic Memory Foam called Koolrest(tm).

Performance has always been the core issue for basic bedding, but it's also found its way into more fashion-oriented products such as sheets. At Springs, Rick Canter, president, core sales, noted that the industry had pushed thread count as the way of judging the product, but the future is "all about the features and benefits that consumers want," he declared.

CGG Home Fashions brought out a 420-thread-count cotton/polyester sheet, a higher thread count than was possible previously, which offers easy-care features for consumers looking for higher thread counts. Invista's Stainmaster contributes performance features to bath rugs by Springs, Maples Rugs, Lacey Mills, and Mohawk Home.

In the 'smart ideas' category, Japanese towel producer Minimynimo borrowed a technique from apparel to produce low-twist cotton towels that pucker up. Spandex is used in both the warp and weft to create the effect. Bacova is now offering heat-transfer or screen printing personalization on eight substrates of mats and rugs including berber, coir, and recycled molded rubber. There is a turnaround time of two weeks.

Jeff Norden, business manager, calls it 'mass personalization,' which might sound like a contradiction, but it is all about how you look at it. It's no more of a flip flop than 'guarded optimistically.'

MetroRetro

An antique used to be considered anything over 50 years old, but that's not a term tossed around for the biomorphic shapes and softened geometrics of the mid-century modern-inspired styles seen in profusion. Answering the question about why so many designers seem to be entranced by the 1940s and 1950s, sometimes flashing back to the '60s and '70s, Dianne Morris, president of Bay Linens, suggested, "We've tapped out on traditional. We're in a new century and modern is interesting." While sleek contemporary designs may be too forward, "mid-century modern is easier to live with, more familiar," she concludes.

1. Arrow Home Fashions (714-688-1200, arrowhomefashions.com) launched bedding by Kathy Ireland Home. Chelsea Deco, a polyester jacquard exhibiting a sleek, subtle geometric motif, looks extra glamorous in the silver-and-chocolate-brown combination.

Croscill Home

2. Croscill Home (212-689-7222) has expanded the licensed Jonathan Adler Happy Home bath collection threefold since its debut last market, evidence of a strong response to the line's retro, slightly irreverent sensibility. Remember the '70s? Adler's Abacus collection features a mix of tobacco, chartreuse, bronze, and burnt orange colors in towels, accessories, and a printed canvas shower curtain.

3. CHF (212-951-7800, chfindustries.com) is aiming at that younger consumer with the Loftstyle brand. Nifty has the retro look so popular with everyone even if they are themselves 'retro.'

4. Bacova Bath (800-637-6287, bacova.com) focused on five fashion themes: Urban Chic, Nature's Plenty, Lush Life, Laugh a Little, and The Mod Squad. In the latter, the Casey stoneware accessories are available in aqua, linen, and blue (shown) and are complemented by the polyester Casey Silhouette shower curtain.

5. STAR Designs (812-378-8872) debuted the Chuck Wimmer rug line, a modern collection based on his artwork, which exemplifies a strong mid-century modern influence.

6. In the 100% cotton Florette Custom Comfort (714-542-1600, custom-comfort.com) tapped into the trend toward prints and a more sophisticated and modern interpretation of florals.

7. A new addition to the middle-tier Oscar collection by Rose Tree Linens (800-525-9611) is the printed Camelia on a sateen ground. In the upscale Couture collection by Oscar de la Renta, the Chinoiserie ensemble required 18 screens for the extraordinary print.

8. The sprightly print of Zorlu's (212-689-462, zorluusa.com) 250-thread-count ensemble adds a dressmaker touch with the ruffle on the duvet cover. The bright pink and orange on the white ground is refreshing, a direction seen elsewhere in the market.

9. Blonder Home Accents (800-321-4070, blonderhome.com) followed up its fall 2003 debut collection of bath accessories with embellished towels and 17 new styles. The printed cloth Bon Voyage shower curtain with ceramic accessories is a conversation starter.

PrintsCharming

No more waiting for your prints to come, as they appeared in profusion. Ken Lowery, president of Thomasville Home Furnishings, saw this market as more print driven and responded with the traditional floral Queensgate. Custom Comfort presented the Unic line of outsized, whimsical prints rendered like watercolor sketches on crisp white cotton. Bed Wear by Lee Wilder introduced its first print in the tween-targeted South Beach collection. In the kitchen, Tom Barringer at Barth & Dreyfuss noted a "trend of heat-transfer prints with the appearance of a piece of art; much more decorative." And Sheridan Australia reaffirmed its commitment to prints with a grouping of florals with real flower power.

10. Royal Sateen's (770-644-6251, dwiholdings.com) Spice Market, a 270-thread-count, Egyptian-cotton duvet cover and shams, incorporates a palette of ochre, teal, garnet, crimson, aubergine, and bright leaf green. The 450-thread-count sheeting features a small-scale linear design in
coffee and crimson.

HotCoco

Lots of designers seemed to be 'channeling Chanel' this season. Linda Marshall of Niki described its line of decorative pillows and throws as "Chanel chic for the home," but she could have been describing many market introductions. Resources for every category in home fashions enthusiastically latched onto the tweed looks found in womenswear at every price point this season and last. Dianne Morris of Bay Linens exemplified the trend in a new Jacqueline ensemble of black-and-white houndstooth with ribbon detailing and the frayed edges of designer Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel suits. Home Fashions International (HFI) offered Tweed with the textured look interpreted in printed faux suede, and Revman's Echo Home line presented Park Ave., also a printed interpretation. Coco clearly haunted designers' dreams this fall.

11. Homemaker (847-516-4552, homemaker-rugs.com) took the Chanel look to the floor with the Metro Tweed collection of 100% wool braided rugs.

12. Natco (401-828-0300) showed the popular tweed look in pillows, throws, and accent rugs in '70s Tweed while Liming crushed-satin pillows were embellished with a clipped tweed treatment.

13. CHF's (212-951-7800, chfindustries.com) upscale Peri line was frank about its inspiration in the Coco (shown) bedding ensemble of yarn-dyed tweed with a touch of metallic sheen
complemented by faux suede in chocolate. Also Chanel-inspired was Sunham's Women's Wear, a tweed bed with frayed edging and faux leather accents from its lifestyle line.

CHF Industries

14. Dakotah (800-325-6824, dakotah-chf.com) made no secret of the inspiration for the Coco decorative pillows (shown), which used one of its signature 'fashion fabrics'-green tea. Pink has been one of the strongest colors for Chanel apparel and Croscill Home's pink Ava bedding ensemble incorporated dressmaker details like satin bows and ruffled edges.

15. Dressmaker details were said to be key to Modern Lux, one of seven lifestyles presentations offered by Springs (803-547-1500, springs.com). Covered buttons, houndstooth patterning, and tweed fringes were just some of the fashion-inspired touches on decorative pillows.

16. Color was a key component in the new Wardrobe brand launched by Baltic Linen (212-545-5850). Part of the classic-meets-modern New Regency group, Cabana features a quilted yellow linen patch on a white piqué duvet framed by black and yellow grosgrain ribbon.

17. Welspun's (212-696-5100, welspunusa. com) About Face cotton towel is exactly that-a reversible two-color towel. Here it pairs the popular blue and green hues seen everywhere in the market.

18. Color statements don't get much bolder than the Lotus bed from Donna Karan Collection. Inspired by the way sunlight plays upon leaves, the duvet consisted of a center panel of textured woven silk with a pleated and corded cotton border. The accompanying quilt featured allover embroidery.

19. In his Vintage line, Raymond Waites (212-447-8700, raymondwaites.com) showed a sophisticated rayon/poly silk-look called Thai in six colors. The cool and very directional teal/apple green combination was featured on the bed. Frog button closures down the face of the duvet lend Asian appeal.

20. Veratex (800-653-1005, veratex.com) added more color to its Medici 350-thread-count cotton-sateen sheet line with crimson, persimmon, lichen, peacock, amethyst, espresso, and pomegranate.

ColorWheel

Brighter hues were in evidence throughout the market, even pastels got punched up. Vendors were hoping to whet buyers' appetites, with names invoking all manner of edible treats. For example, Natco's new Featherweight Suede decorative pillow comes in boysenberry, fireball, bubblegum, butterscotch, key lime, carrot, and fuchsia.

If last season's color theme was a spice market-cinnamon, ginger, saffron, etc.-this fall the feeling was blue lagoon. Blue-whether aqua or teal, spa blue or navy-was the most noticeable color direction. It was often seen with browns and greens, which are soldifying their importance. The green family's range was exhibited at Calvin Klein Home, where the Moso Leaves bed included artichoke, endive, citronelle, chartreuse, and sage colorways. Dakotah's Vice President, Sales/Marketing Toby Weinstein summed it up: "Color, color, color."

21. It's a party, Party Plaid (shown) that is, from the Waverly line by Fallani & Cohn (800-666-0055). The yarn-dyed cotton table linens with a seersucker look were ebulliently jubilant. The classic pattern, but in updated colors, was also seen in towels at Michele Sinai and at Welspun.

22. Mohawk Home (800-843-4473, mohawkind.com) offered its newest products by lifestyle including a group called Calypso Brights carried out in chenille throws and cotton decorative pillows.

23. The icy blue and silver 53% viscose/47% polyester Camelot ensemble by Pacific Designs
(323-588-3645, pacific designsinc.com) attests that elegance does not need over embellishment.

24. The Funky collection for Oneida by Trendex (518-529-0061) certainly celebrates color but also shows that black and white still is striking.

25. It's a day at the beach with the 100% cotton piqué and waffleweave Cabana bed (shown) by Aussino (212-213-8858, aussino.com). The combination of punched-up pastels with white in crisp designs was also seen at Bay Linens in the Claire ensemble with grosgrain ribbons on white twill paired with a silky polyester plaid.

LeafMotif

Overgrown might be used to describe many of the large-scale leaves adorning this market's introductions in all categories, but so could words like 'lush' and 'tropical' or 'cultivated' and 'lyrical.' Nature always inspires, with designers presenting floral bouquets and botanical prints. Yves Delorme's flower of choice was the rose, which appeared in Rosa as well as Rosemary, but the orchid-themed Miltonia was also impressive. Designers Guild also weighed in on the side of nature, but with a more exotic, ethnic flavor in beds like Amaranth, a botanical floral combined with delicate, miniature Indian motifs in a block-print effect. For a more classical feeling of nature, toiles remained important at resources like The Chandler Collection and Maison du Linge. Nature was all around attendees of the market.

26. Paul Brent's Bamboo Grove brought a tropical touch to Excell's (800-223-1999, excellfash.com) bath offerings with its fabric shower curtain and resin accessories.

27. A single stem of a weed makes a simple and elegant statement on Biederlack of America's
(800-521-6270, biederlack.com) polyester raschel throw.

28. From Burney Products (718-821-9200) comes the Kiln Design Studio-licensed Blooming Flowers collection of embroidered linen pillows including Pods, Pansies, and Ragweed.

30. AP Industries' (646-485-5244, apiiarkay. com) brings the outdoors to the table with its Leaf collection of hand-beaded placemats, coasters, and napkin rings.

29. The tropical trend came to a fork in the road. On the one hand there were large-scale florals in exotic palettes such as International Home Fashions' (800-495-6585) Malibu 73% rayon/27% polyester chenille comforter set (shown), but there were also quieter interpretations such as Royal Sateen's layered white sheer overprinted with a leaf motif in the Aurora ensemble.