Ultrasuede® Milano Is Introduced To The U.S. Interior Design Market

Furniture World Magazine

The latest offering for the interior design market from Toray Ultra Suede (America), Inc. is Ultrasuede® Milano. This innovative ultra microfiber is produced in Italy and is the result of advanced Japanese microfiber technology and ultramodern European manufacturing methods. Ultrasuede Milano has been created for the more sophisticated, style conscious and knowledgeable consumer who appreciates extraordinary comfort and has a personal interest in design. The material combines pure luxury with the most wanted aesthetic and practical features in suede for luxury wall coverings and upholstery. Ultrasuede Milano offers the following exclusive characteristics: A kinetic or "active" surface that consistently maintains a refined and elegant appearance; A surface texture with a highly engineered 'writing effect' that embraces the light and enhances a range of colors created by European design talent; A soft and versatile cotton backing that gives the material an ultra edge when used to achieve crisp and clean design effects; The ability to enhance traditional and avant garde contemporary interiors with the flexibility of a 54-inch width and Abrasion and stain resistance combined with washability and a practically indestructible nature. It stands up to 125,000 Wzyenbeek double rubs and surpasses all industry standards for air permeability as well as tensile and tear strength.   According to Jeff Poole, Director of Sales and Marketing for the upholstery division of TUA, successfully combining highly desirable characteristics into a suede material is a significant achievement considering that the attempts of previous imitators to create a more active surface texture, met with limited results. These materials had a "messy" or "gaudy" appearance with unreliable cleanability and pervasive stretching problems. In addition, Mr. Poole notes, they proved to be too thin for a wide variety of applications. Ultrasuede ® Milano is called Alcantara ® in Italy where the material has already been selected by Volvo and Mercedes for car upholstery and for chairs in Florence's famous Pallazzo Vecchio and is featured throughout many fine European hotels, restaurants, public spaces and luxury yachts. Americans can now see Ultrasuede Milano featured in the installations of the current Walker Evens photography retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ultrasuede ® Milano will also be featured in the museum's upcoming exhibit, "Byzantine Art" opening this November.