Industry Leaders Comment On Casual Fabrics For 2005

Furniture World Magazine

Leaders in the casual furniture industry were asked recently to comment on trends in casual fabrics for 2005. Below are their comments concerning the types of fabrics that consumers will find in patio shops during the new season: Michen Thuemer, fabrics coordinator, Brown Jordan: “When you walk the retail floors, you see a sea of neutrals, but at the trade shows everyone is saying they are tired of earthtones and are ready to bring in color. All of the consumer markets - such as bedding and paints - are gravitating toward color, and color is not as scary to people as it used to be. Color will be very important to us in the new season, and I think that will be true for all manufacturers. “Color, styling and innovations in fabric construction from Sunbrella® will certainly have a big influence over casual fabrics. They do their research, and the new Sunbrella colors are very understandable and right on target for our customers. Tuscan, Aruba, melon - along with the new constructions and textures - that's what creates the 'wow' factor on the retail floor. “We are also bringing Richard Frinier and Joe Ruggiero designs for Sunbrella into our lines. Richard's fabrics, such as Sailcloth and SpaWeave, have the look and feel of luxury and are timeless in design. He has a wonderful talent for taking the nuances of a spa experience or the luxurious comfort of a yacht and translating them into the feel of a fabric. “Joe also has a great eye. His designs are distinctive and minimalist, which our customers like. The Ruggiero fabrics are contemporary, but also transitional, so they can fit in with a variety of different styles of furniture frames. People today want to have more fun, and that's reflected in the furniture and fabrics they purchase. There is a younger frame of mind among today's consumers.” Dale Campbell, vice president, sales and marketing, Lloyd Flanders: “For the new season, our fabric collections will include fabrics with boucle yarns, jacquard weaves, prints and chenilles. These fabrics created by working with the Sunbrella design team are luxurious and offer the soft hand and surface texture that mimics what you would expect with fine interior fabrics. “Fabrics in correlating sets are also important to us, combining woven solids, stripes and jacquards. Because our all-weather wicker furniture is unique, we want our fabric offerings to be just as unique, so most of our fabrics are proprietary with Lloyd Flanders. “Our design direction with Sunbrella has run parallel with the designs that Richard Frinier has created for Sunbrella using boucle yarns to create surface interest and provide a soft hand. We have incorporated some of his stripes into our offerings for 2005. “In terms of colors for the new season, we believe that brown will be important and will be the new black. While black has dominated the upper end of the market in the past and is quite striking, we believe that brown will replace it because it is warmer and looks great with rust and brick red, as well as blue. Blue and brown, which originated in apparel several seasons ago, will be important in furniture fabrics for next year. “While we believe there is a consumer segment that will be drawn to bright colors, we also believe that the dominate colors will be chocolate browns, with accents in brick red, blues, greens and even bright red.” Brenda Pereyda, assistant vice president, sales and marketing, Mallin Casual Furniture: “For our customer base, earthtones are still the leading choice, but we are seeing a trend to more and brighter colors, including reds, blues and burgundy. We are also seeing a lot more texture in fabrics. In fact, the more texture the better as far as we are concerned, including chenilles and jacquards. Texture will play a big role in casual fabrics for the new season. “The Sunbrella collection for 2005 is unbelievable - really wonderful. We liked the boldness of the colors, the patterns, the textures and the combination of yarns that make the textures stand out. “Richard Frinier and Joe Ruggiero have added an upscale, sophisticated look to the Sunbrella collection that cannot be beat in that segment of the market. We have incorporated five or six of the new designs from Richard that are very subtle and have a very rich look. We will be looking to bring in Ruggiero patterns in the next season.” Patti Frye, fabric merchandise manager, Laneventure: “One of the biggest trends in casual fabrics today is the fact that we are seeing a variety of colors, as opposed to just forest green or neutrals. Spicy reds and golds, spa blue and chocolate - these are just a few of the new color combinations we are bringing to market. “Sunbrella fabrics have changed dramatically over the past few seasons. The hand is terrific, and the biggest question that we get from retailers and consumers is whether the fabric is really for the outdoors? It is hard for consumers to believe that it feels so good and yet it has performance too. They are getting used to it, though, and performance and great styling are becoming the new standard in casual fabrics. “One of the greatest things that Sunbrella has done for the new season is to give us a complete color and styling program. They have solids, stripes and jacquard patterns that all work together. There are color coordinated and matched patterns, which opens up all sorts of styling possibilities.” Lou Rosebrock, president, Whitecraft : “We have seen a really big increase in the types of fabrics that are available to us for casual furniture. The new textures and colors are very exciting as the popularity of solution dyed fabrics has increased. There are more colors to choose from and more interesting yarns, such as the boucles from Glen Raven, which are incredible. “When Sunbrella came out with linen textures a few years ago, we were impressed, but they have moved far beyond those fabrics now with their new jacquards. The new Sunbrella waffle weave is terrific and the Dupioni silk look from Glen Raven has created a lot of interest. Sunbrella has introduced new surface interest and new vibrant colors while they still cover the basics. “We are especially excited about the new patterns from Richard Finier. He has hit on a true luxury feel in his introductions, including Sailcloth and SpaWeave. We really like the weightiness of the fabrics and the great appearance they make on furniture frames - really nice.” Richard Frinier: “Sunbrella's ability to engineer and develop such incredible textures as our Sailcloth (flat weave), Shorelines and Seashore (bouclé) and SpaWeave (waffle-patterned weave) are simply extraordinary for upholstering every room of the home, not just the outdoor room. “I have been designing furniture, accessories and fabrics for the casual industry for more than two decades, and some of the most remarkable changes are occurring in the performance fabric arena. Sunbrella is at the forefront of this industry, as you can see from our new collections together. “The natural look of our Sailcloth, Shorelines and SpaWeave fabrics have been extremely well-received at market, while the spirit of travel to exotic lands has been infused into many of our jacquard patterns. From coastal lifestyles to more European and exotically influenced homes, our assortment of fabrics has something for every taste.” ? ? ? Joe Ruggiero: “My mission has been to help bring Sunbrella fabrics inside the home, so when I make additions to my collection, I am thinking interiors. What we are seeing, however, is the casual market gravitating to some of my designs for use in outdoor settings and for transitional areas in the home. As an example, we created a wide stripe called Upland in the color Spice. While it was a little too bold for interiors, it has done quite well in casual fabrics because if has a terracotta coloration that is great outdoors. “The casual furniture industry overall is moving to more sophisticated fabrics because many of the pieces they are introducing are very sophisticated in design and can be used inside the home as well. The industry is looking for performance fabrics that are just as sophisticated as the furniture designs, which means that damask and chenille fabrics in Sunbrella are being widely accepted in the causal market. They are the ideal crossover for the indoor/outdoor concept. “Outdoors is the new frontier for interior designers as the popularity of outdoor living spaces increases each year. Draperies, pillows, draped tables - applications that were not even thought of a few years ago - are ideal for Sunbrella fabrics and trims. Because there is such a broad range of performance fabrics today, interior designers have so many more opportunities to decorate outdoor spaces.” Gina Wicker, design director, Glen Raven Custom Fabrics “I believe consumers will be amazed and delighted when they visit patio shops and see our new offerings in Sunbrella fabrics next season. Richard Frinier's new fabrics are perhaps the most luxurious ever offered for the outdoors, capturing a timeless look and feel of elegance. Joe Ruggiero also brings classic design elements to our offerings, blending urban and country influences. “Newly added colors, such as Tuscan Orange, Palm Green and Mineral Blue, were added with the needs of our customers in mind. They work well within the range of frame colors and coordinate nicely with neutrals that are a big part of casual furniture lines. “Novelty yarns, such as loopy boucles and luxurious chenilles, add dimension and interest to outdoor fabrics without sacrificing performance or cleanability. Our new Sunbrella chenille and boucle fabrics bring a soft, luxurious hand to a market that historically demanded performance over softness. Today, both are available in the same fabric. “Our greatest challenge ahead appears to be convincing consumers that fabrics that look and feel this good and have such unique colors, are indeed Sunbrella and will offer care-free performance for years and years outdoors.” ? ? ? Sunbrella brand fabrics are marketed by Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, LLC, a subsidiary of Glen Raven, Inc., a global provider of innovative fabric solutions. On the web at www.sunbrella.com Richard Frinier's award-winning design career spans more than 25 years with current collections including furniture designs for Century Furniture and fabric designs for Sunbrella fabrics. Additionally, Frinier designs for a select and international clientele and will be launching a lighting and accessories collection with Currey & Company in 2005. Joseph Ruggiero & Associates, Inc. is a multi-media home design and television production company based in Los Angeles. As host and executive director of “Homes Across America” on HGTV, Ruggiero's design career spans more than 30 years and includes an award winning case good and upholstery collection for Norwalk Furniture and an extensive collection for Sunbrella. He has just introduced an indoor/ outdoor furniture collection for Terra Furniture. On the web at www.ruggieroideas.com.