Fabrics & Furnishings International - Summer 2005 Issue by Fabrics & Furnishings International

LAS VEGAS MARKET

DECOSIT PREVIEW

DESIGNER’S DREAM

Daniel McKinnon, Messe Frankfurt executive director, N.A. tradeshows, inaugurates World Market Center with Interior Lifestyle

Patrick Geysels, Decosit show organizer, remains selective but open to companies that apply to Decosit 2005

Hunter Douglas Hospitality marries window coverings and fabrics to inspire designers, said Bob Harnach, president

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The Global Home & Contract Furnishings Newspaper • www.sipco.net

Vol. 15, No. 3

Summer ‘05

Marriott International Upgrades Its 208,516 Guest Rooms Cheryl Rowley and Richmond International Create New Room Standards by Jon Hendrix

ETHESDA, Maryland — Marriott International Inc. has commenced a dramatic redesign initiative, highlighted by an effort to reinvigorate 208,516 guest rooms across two of its full-service brands: Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Renaissance Hotels & Resorts. The new Marriott rooms will have a “a whole new look and feel,” according to J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International. The upgrades to these brands, which were announced in March, top off a slew of renovations and refurbishments that will take hold across each brand in the BethesdaMaryland-based hotel operator’s portfolio. In accordance with the industry’s continuing obsession with bet-

J.W. Marriott Jr. ter beds, Marriott is sending much-maligned bedspreads the way of the dinosaurs in favor of sheeted duvets. And guests who like pillowfights will have one more pillow per bed to swing away with (pillows increase on king beds from five to six, on doubles from three to four). The company is upgrading to 300hundred-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets from 180-threadcount sheets. The sheets should also be softer to the touch: 60-per-

cent cotton sheets replace 50/50 cottonpoly blends. The company will also introduce bedding components that are new to its brands. Beds will have synthetic or down feather mattress toppers, decorative bed scarves, bed skirts, euroshams, and an optional bolster, said a company spokesman. Cheryl Rowley Design Inc. contrived two prototypical design schemes (one in a contemporary style, the other transitional ) for the (Continued on page 36)

Duralee Eyes $100 Million Sales by Catering to Designers by Eric Schneider

Marty Rosenberger, Len Silberman, Robin Gordon, Lisa Rivera

AY SHORE, New York — Duralee Fabrics Ltd. expects to hit the $100 million sales mark by 2007 by catering to residential and contract interior designers, according to Len Silberman, founder and CEO of this aggressive fabric wholesaler and furniture manufacturer. “The designer has changed the world. They can make or break a marriage based on the colors they select. If the designer likes what you do, they stay with you,” he said. It took Duralee 50 years to

Contract/HospitalityNews

achieve $50 million in sales but it may take only five years to achieve the $100 million goal, Silberman explained. Duralee recently purchased a 180,000 square foot facility on 35 acres in Morgantown, North Carolina, to house its furniture manufacturing. After filling up its expanded 110,000 square foot Bay Shore headquarters with inventory and personnel, the company found it had “run out of parking.” Ultimately, two thirds of the newly-purchased building will also contain fabric shipping and inventory opera(Continued on page 20)

Breaking news starting on page 32

Left: Marriott Hotels & Resorts guestroom design Right: Cheryl Rowley’s rennaisance bathroom design

Hangzhou Upholstery Mills Turn in 20% Annual Gains Since 2000 by Eric Schneider

ANGZHOU, China — The mills of Hangzhou, a weaving stronghold about two and a half hours outside of Shanghai, have generated sales growth of as much as 20 percent a year in each of the last five years. These same mills are further accelerating their growth in the quota-free era that began in 2005. Everyone agrees that Chinese mills are the lowest cost weavers in the world today, but most of the Chinese mill owners recognize the importance of improving

design and quality levels to maintain that success. Now that lofty sales goals have been realized, some companies are taking the opportunity to improve product quality, testing facilities and design departments. Several mills are trying new qualities that are chenille free just to prepare themselves for a possible downturn in the strong chenille market down the road. Many Chinese mills are targeting 50-70 percent of their sales to the U.S., by far their largest market, with Europe a (Continued on page 22)

F& FI L E T T E R S

Thanks for Our First 15 Years! It has been 15 years since Sipco Publications Inc. started to publish Fabrics & Furnishings International on a kitchen table. During that time, we saw the collapse of a wall, the creation of the European Union and the adoption of the euro. We have made a lot of friends all over the world, throughout the years, met wonderful people we could not have done it without them! While we were making those friends, we saw an American dollar rally against the euro, settle down for awhile, and then head straight down to the cellar where it remains right now. Today, the weakness of the dollar is bringing Italian weavers to a crisis point as they try to figure out how they can hold on to their markets in America at sky high prices. This has been further compounded by the fact that as much as 40 percent of the business is now in suede, faux leather and leather. It isn’t all about the Chinese. There also has been a steady consolidation in all industries, not just the textiles industry. Clearly, you have to be clever to survive in this business or any other. We’re just glad to be here with the rest of you, creating something of interest for the markets we serve. While we’re all trying to survive in business, we find that the Chinese weavers are happily gorging themselves on euros and dollars and doing better than anyone else. It seems to be their time in the business world. That’s not all. The Chinese are now learning how to make better synthetic fabrics and silks for $7 plus a yard. Other competitors and customers alike, including Americans and Europeans are teaching the Chinese how to make better fabrics because they see the bleak future in their own markets as manufacturers. It’s cheaper to do it in China. China dominates the fabric business today and probably will for the next decade until someone else comes along who can do it for less. (See a special report on Chinese mills in this issue.) One area which the Chinese have not settled in is contract/hospitality fabrics. The Chinese like to dominate a business and sell container loads of products. That’s not the hospitality fabric business which is highly diverse in design and shorter run. There’s still plenty of room for innovation in hospitality fabrics. Starting in 2002, we added 3,000 important specifiers and designers to our international circulation. Recently, we created a new magazine called boutique DESIGN and Sipco Expositions LLC will launch a trade conference later this year called Hospitality Match International. We always try to cover the changes and the people making those changes in the worldwide fabrics industry on a quarterly basis and supplement it with news on our website www.sipco.net. The industry has entered a consolidation stage at every price level but there are companies which are still succeeding in the face of adversity. These are the stories we like to write. We hope you have enjoyed the ride and the read so far, at least as much as we have. If you’re successful and want to share your accomplishments with the rest of the world, think about using the pages of this newspaper to do it. We’re all ears! Hope to be able to write another column like this in another 15 years. Thanks for watching!

The Global Home & Contract Furnishings Newspaper Published by Sipco Publications Inc.

USA, ITALY, MIDDLE EAST, INDONESIA & JAPAN Eric Schneider Sipco Publications Inc. 1133 Pleasantville Rd. Briarcliff, New York 10510 USA Tel: 001.914.923.2246 Fax: 001.914.923.2247 E-Mail: eschneider@sipco.net

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MANAGING EDITOR Rebecca Goldberg Sipco Publications Inc. 1133 Pleasantville Rd. Briarcliff, New York 10510 USA Tel: 001.914.923.0661 Fax: 001.914.923.0018 E-Mail: rgoldberg@sipco.net

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UNITED KINGDOM Peter Gilmore Peter Gilmore Associates 57 Keyes House Dolphin Square London SW1V 3NA U.K. Tel: 44.(0.)20.7834.5559 Fax: 44.(0.)20.7834.0600 E-Mail: pgilmore@sipco.net

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Eric Schneider THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES SELL SUBSCRIPTIONS TO FABRICS & FURNISHINGS INTERNATIONAL: INDIA

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Summer 2005 ■ F&FI

Table of Contents F&FI Summer 2005 | Vol. 15, No. 3

Hangzhou Upholstery Mills Turn in 20% Annual Gains Since 2000

Quota-Free Trade Strongly Affects the European Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Baumann Dekor’s Reiter Adds High-Tech Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 American Leather Introduces Upholstery Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 UK Fabric Trade Cautious to Embrace New Suppliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Italian Editeur Rubelli Closes Donghia Purchase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Southey Named De Ball CEO . . . . . . . .10 Filiep Libeert Succeeds Jan De Clerck as CEO of Domo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Sternlicht ‘Checks Out’ of Starwood . . .10 World Market Center Opens, Market Week Debuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 JLA Home Opens Decorative Fabrics Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 STI Eyes $100 Million in Upholstery Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Steven Harsey Textiles and Christain Fischbacher Team Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Amicor Launches Amicor Pure and Amicor Breathe on World Market . . . . . . . . . . .29 Evimteks Opens New Plant, China Can’t Catch Ceyhan! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Daun Snares Spandauer Velours, Adds to Massive Textiles Portfolio . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Heydasch Streamlines Weaving and Business Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Sipco Publications Celebrates 15 Years in Italy During Proposte 2005 . . . . . . . . . .46

Decosit 2005 Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Over 800 Exhibitors Show the Latest in Turkish Textiles at Evteks 2005 . . . . . . .48

Book Review: Let Them Eat Cake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

A Sold Out Show Brings Textile Style and Innovation at Scoperta 2005 . . . . . . . . .48

12 16 36

Contract/HospitalityNews Hunter Douglas Hospitality Marries Hunter Douglas and Richmond Textiles . . . . . . . .32

Barclay Butera Home Leaps from Residential Furnishings into Hospitality . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Anichini Brings Printed Sheets into Hospitality and Raises the Par . . . . . . . .32

Mark David and Michael Wolk Join Forces to Create Hospitality Solutions . . . . . . .36

W Hotels Stretches Starwood’s Reach

iPod-Toting Guests Soon to Dig ‘The Wave’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 BED New York Opens Restaurant in Chelsea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

32 Hotels Continue Trend of Installing Better Beds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 8

HD Expo & Conference 2005 Prizes Innovation and Innovative Products . . .43 Wynn Announces Expansion Plans for Nascent Macau Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 www.sipco.net

43 Departments

People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Show Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Photo Gallery . . . . . . . .44-45, 46, 48 Advertiser Index/ Global Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Summer 2005 ■ F&FI

F& FI P E O P L E

Sternlicht ‘Checks Out’ of Starwood Hotels by Jon Hendrix

HITE PLAINS, New York — Barry Sternlicht, the founder of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., resigned from the $1.8 billion hotel operator on May 5. Since October, when he resigned his duties as chief executive, Sternlicht had remained executive chairman and had held his seat on the company’s board of directors of the 10-year-old company.

The board nominated Lizanne Galbreath to take Sternlicht’s seat on the board, and current director Bruce W. Duncan was elected chairman. Steven Heyer took over as CEO last year. Sternlicht’s resignation came nearly a month after he realized $17.6 million in stock options, and a week after Starwood released its first quarter earnings. It’s expected that Sternlicht will focus on building his new company, Starwood Capital, a Greenwich, Connecticut-based

Filiep Libeert Succeeds Jan De Clerck as CEO of Domo by Jan Hoffman

G Barry Sternlicht real-estate investment and private equity firm. In April, the company announced a plan to form a joint venture with Lehman Brothers to purchase the 36 properties of the upmarket European hotel chain, Le Meridien. F&FI

Southey Named De Ball CEO, Reports to Wood Wilkenfeld Rejoins Velvet Mill Sipco News Network

RANBY, Canada — Chris Southey has been named CEO of De Ball Inc. reporting to Christopher Wood, chairman and co-principal of De Ball. Four years prior to this new post, Southey was president and CEO of Groupe Bocenor Inc., a

window and door manufacturer located in Quebec and controlled by the Wood Family. Previously, he was president of Canada based Sunworthy Wallcoverings Inc. Southey will be based at De Ball headquarters in Granby. In addition, Merrel Wilkenfeld has returned to De Ball as southeast sales representative for all furniture manufacturer accounts, Southey confirms. Wilkenfeld returns to this post

after a 24-month hiatus. At the same time, High Point, North Carolina-based Peter Price, former vice president of sales for De Ball home furnishings for three years, has left the company to pursue other interests. Wilkenfeld, based in the Hickory, North Carolina area, has 36 years of experience in the fabrics industry including 12 years with J.L. deBall, the previous owner of De Ball. F&FI

HENT, Belgium — Domo has announced a new chain of command. As of May 1, Filiep Libeert has succeeded Jan De Clerck as CEO, managing director and president of the executive committee of Domo. Filiep Libeert is chairman of Euratex and is known to be one of the most prominent advocates of the European textile sector. Recently, he became an independent governor of Picanol, a Belgian producer of high-tech weaving machines. Jan De Clerck founded the carpet and chemistry group Domo in 1978 and is principal shareholder. Owner Jan De Clerck about this decision: “I consider this to be a logical step in the further development and ever greater professionalism of Domo. The group’s internal diversity forces us to pay even more attention to the strategic level....We are very pleased that Filiep Libeert is joining us. He has a lot of industry and management knowledge.” Since its creation, Domo has changed considerably. Its turnover rose from 27 million to 859 million euros in 2004, with a

workforce of 2,350 people. The group consists of three divisions: Chemicals and Polymers, Fibers and Yarns, and Floorcoverings. Together, these comprise of eight production sites in Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands. In 1999, a board of directors

Filiep Libeert was established. This board consisted of an independent president and three independent directors on a total of six members. The members of this executive committee are Alex Segers, the present COO who will also be appointed as director, CFO Ivan Lokere, Frank De Cooman and Norbert Leetsch. Baron Paul De Keersmaeker remains president of the board of directors of Domo. F&FI

Italian Editeur Rubelli Closes Donghia Purchase Baldwin Named President Sipco News Network

EW YORK, New York — After a year of dealing with the legal aspects of the sale of high-end wholesaler Donghia, a group of shareholders has finally purchased the company from the Angelo Donghia Foundation. The transaction was closed in May by Rubelli, the high-end editeur and mill based in Venice, Italy and a group of shareholders which includes Sahco Hesslein of Germany and Seguso Virl, the oldest glassmaker in Venice. Sahco is partly owned by JAB, the large fabric wholesaler in Bielefeld, Germany. In addition, Crans Baldwin has been named the new president of Donghia. Baldwin has been with the company since 1997. Sherri Donghia, executive vice president & creative director of the company, will continue in her post, reporting to Baldwin. Baldwin will also continue as the president and part owner of Bergamo. Rubelli also has a stake in Bergamo. However, Baldwin

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Crans Baldwin says he personally does not have an ownership stake in Donghia. Based in Mount Vernon, New York, Bergamo is a high-end fabric wholesaler and exclusive distributor of the Rubelli collection in the U.S. including to the hospitality trade. Baldwin said that “Bergamo is now a significant supplier, to high-end hospitality projects on a global basis.” Baldwin, a native of Chicago, has been in the New York-based contract industry for 25 years. Prior to joining Bergamo, he was the president of Cowtan & Tout, a high-end fabric wholesaler. Prior to that, he was senior vice president of Furniture Consultants, a large office furniture dealer. He has also held the position of vice president, sales for both Larsen and Ward Bennett Brickel. F&FI

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F& FI S H O W B U S I N E S S

World Market Center Opens in Vegas Interior Lifestyle USA and Market Week Debut at New Complex by Rebecca Goldberg

AS VEGAS, Nevada — With the debut of Interior Lifestyle USASM coming July 2629, Messe Frankfurt USA and the World Market CenterSM (WMC) are busy gearing up for the semiannual show, and the formal opening of what will be the largest home furnishings trade complex in the world.

Daniel McKinnon “Interior Lifestyle USA is a juried selection process based on the quality of the product. We anticipate over 200 exhibitors from our Ambiente and Heimtextil product categories,” said Daniel McKinnon, executive director, North American trade shows, Messe Frankfurt Inc.

World Market Center “Interior Lifestyle USA will be held in conjunction with the grand opening of the World Market Center Las Vegas, a brand new, state-of-the-art home and hospitality contract furnishings showroom,” he said. The show will be hosted concurrently with World Market Center’s premier Market Week, World Market Center’s temporary exhibition at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and the AWFS Fair (Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. “Combined, these events plan to attract more than 70,000 qualified attendees from the home and hospitality furnishings, furniture, furniture supply, home textile, home accent and table-top industries,” said McKinnon. “Our current hall is 100,000 square feet, however, we may expand into

another hall if we have as much interest as we do currently.” The show hopes to provide an upscale atmosphere and an inspiring environment. According to McKinnon, “with the Trend Pavilion presentation and additional select exhibitors, Interior Lifestyle USA aims to bring the trends, inspirations and international flair of world-leading Ambiente and Heimtextil fairs, held annually in Frankfurt, Germany, to the American market. Participation in this event will provide upscale companies an unparalleled opportunity to connect with domestic and international industry leaders and buyers.” The show is part of what WMC anticipates will attract a broad cross-section of buyers including retailers, wholesalers, importers/exporters, interior (Continued on page 31)

Fiera Milano, Europe’s Largest Exhibition Center by Rebecca Goldberg

EW YORK, New York — Fiera Milano, Europe’s largest exhibition center, has opened its first pavilions in Milan, Italy, last March, creating a 345 thousand square meter exhibition space. Additional buildings will open later this year. “In just thirty months, marked by a really full commitment, Fiera Milano has created an absolutely avant-garde exhibition area in a huge abandoned industrial area...,” said Michele Pernini, Fiera Milano president. The new Fiera Milano is connected to its considerably smaller (115 square meter) counterpart,

Fiera Milano City, which is just 10 km away. The building was funded entirely by private investors at a cost of 750 million euro. Fiera Milano hopes to attract trade fairs that have outgrown their current spaces, and hopes to create a few fairs of its own. “We don’t want to be aggressive,” said Pernini. “We want to accept exhibitions that need space to grow, and design shows that are the best of the best.” The center is already the new host of Salone Internazionale del Mobile. “Fiera Milano has linked its name to affirmation in the world of key production sectors, such as furnishings and fashion. In itself, it is proof of the Italian capacity to

combine good looks and functionality, beauty and use, in structures that are the maximum of efficiency, without neglecting the pleasure of aesthetics,” according to Pernini. The center will test this claim during its six shows in 2005. Beginning in January 2006, it will be up and running to full capacity. “This is the new Fiera Milano: for us an exceptional competitive weapon; for the Italian economy a valuable tool to stimulate competitiveness and development,” Pernini said. “It’s the town of Leonardo Di Vinci,” said Pernini. “Milan is the center of design and [the place] where people can recognize the design vision.” F&FI

Left to right: Michele Pernini, new exhibition center in Milan

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JLA Home Opens Decorative Fabrics Division Industry Veteran George Kerr Takes Helm of the New Launch by Jill Eisenstein

REENSBORO, North Carolina — JLA Home, a $150 million producer of home textiles based in China, has turned its attention from retail only to decorative jobbers and furniture manufacturers with the opening of a new decorative fabrics mill there. The new division, called JLA Home Fabrics, plans to stack up a $100 million fabric business over the next five years, according to its president George Kerr who will be responsible for product development in jacquards and dobbies. “JLA [Home]already produces finished products made from prints, suede, microfibers, cashmere, taffetas and other fabrics. It

would be a natural to introduce those items into the fabric company. However, in the beginning, we are starting with jacquards and dobbies,” said Kerr, exhibiting the company’s key philosophy: controlled growth. Previously the sole product developer for bedding at North Carolina-based American Century, Kerr said he was attracted to JLA by its successful business model. “More than anything, I was drawn to and excited by the opportunity to have such a powerful support group available to help resource and develop product,” said Kerr, who joined JLA in April, where he also holds the position of executive vice president of product development. JLA Home, itself a division of an even larger Chinese company, E&E Co., Ltd., develops, sources and imports private label products including bedding, bath, window treatments, table linens and deco-

Fixture Manufacturer Turned Sourcing Specialist Wants More Sipco News Network

AUNTON, Massachusetts — Wilshire Mfg. Co., a medium to high-end lamp and chandelier manufacturer, has reinvented itself as an expert in sourcing light fixture parts all over the world, said Mark Segill, the sales-oriented principal of the firm. Segill and his two brothersPaul, who handles marketing, and Robert, who handles sourcing, own the New Englandbased lighting company started by their father William, who at 81 is still CEO. “If a stamping costs ten cents to make in China and a dollar in the States, then we do that part in China. If India can make that part for ten cents and we can make it in Italy for a buck, then we do it in India,” Segill explained. “The cost of material has come down in price [for us] because of intelligent sourcing. As a result, Wilshire is able to put the parts together in Taunton from many different sources and stay competitive in the lighting business.” Wilshire was first a retailer of lighting fixtures, but started to manufacture fixtures in the 1970s when the European currency was very high. Today, it can produce any kind of light fixture in its 200,000 square foot factory in Taunton. The compa-

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Mark Segill with a large, synthetic resin alabaster fixture ny has a state-of-the-art plating, polishing and stamping line and a laser tool to produce short-run, custom light fixtures for hospitality projects. “Suppose a hotel designer wants to make 50 sconces in French gold? We can create the light fixture in China if necessary and then custom finish it in our own factory here,” Segill explained. “This gives the company greater flexibility than if it sourced the complete product somewhere else.” Recently, Wilshire entered a joint venture with a Polish glass manufacturer to make Italianquality blown glass at a fraction of the price. F&FI

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rative pillows and throws, for retailers in the U.S. and Canada. “At American Century I was the total product development team for bedding. At JLA, I have a staff of 27 textile sketch artists, and growing. The art staff is backed up by an excellent team of jacquard technicians. The product development team in China alone consists of about 200 people,” said Kerr. According to Kerr, the new division intends “to offer great products, at competitive prices, and service our customers better than our competitors.” Price points of the new fabrics—to debut in July—will range from $3.00 to $7.00. Despite what Kerr, and company founder Edmund Jin, believes is unbounded potential for the new fabrics, neither wants to grow too big too fast. Predictions of CEO and chairman Edmund Jin, who founded JLA in 1992, that JLA Home Fabrics will pull in $8 to $10 million in its first year seem “modest” to a home textiles company that has annual sales of $150 million after just twelve years in business. But both Jin and Kerr are cautious about growing too rapidly. Contract, for instance, is on the back burner. Said Kerr, “we are currently looking at developing solution dyed acrylics for indoor/outdoor” fabrics, and those fabrics will naturally go hand in hand with contract. “However, at present I am more concerned with staying focused and not trying to do too much too fast.” Scheduled to open in September 2005, the mill in China will send its fabrics to a warehouse in North Carolina (base of the new division), from whence it will distribute them to furniture makers in the U.S. and Canada. JLA’s U.S. corporate office will remain in Fremont, California, and the manufacturing base of the company will remain in Hang Zhou, China. Kerr will travel back and forth between the U.S. and China, a trip he’s accustomed to since in his last job he spent about six months of every year in China. “There is a learning curve to doing business in China. In the beginning, unsuspected things happen—most of them are not good. I hope I have learned to steer clear of the pitfalls and that I will avoid the mistakes,” he said when asked how he would use his extensive experience in China in his new position. For JLA, Kerr expects he will spend about four months of every year in China. Worldwide, JLA has about 400 employees, but that number is expected to grow as the new fabric business expands. F&FI

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Decosit Exhibitors Change, Turkey, India, China Play Stronger Role September Trade Show Absorbs Changes to Prove Itself an Industry Leader by Rebecca Goldberg

RUSSELS, Belgium — The Brussels Expo, the home of Decosit this September, will house a new crop of exhibitors this year. Though many of the names are the same, exhibitors are changing to meet the demands of a global economy, and they are, in turn, changing Decosit, said fair organizer Patrick Geysels.

first three for the fair. Our doors are not closed, but we don’t put the doors wide open,” he stressed. As Decosit becomes more international, it is making efforts to reflect the international scene. This has been done by increasing the number of Turkish exhibitors to 15, for example. “Considering the size of the Turkish industry it is normal that we made these additions.” The new blend of exhibitors mirrors the evolution of Decosit itself. As Geysels put it, “everything is becoming more and more mixed.” Once a trade fair made up of upholstery manufacturers, Decosit’s exhibitors have changed from 100 percent production to a mix of production and converting “because the markets are changing and the exhibitors are changing as they adapt to the market. In the future, these will not be so separate as they come closer and closer together in style and design,” he said. The textiles, too, are changing. “If we go back 15 years ago,

there was a big difference between the fabric of upholstery and curtains. Now (upholstery fabric) is not so heavy anymore, and combinations are made. This is also a move in how you make a product,” said Geysels. The narrowing chasm between residential and contract fabrics marks the final influence on Decosit’s evolution, according to Geysels. In response to market demand, Decosit created DecoContract in 2001. “Many companies have contract qualities inside—either big or small—and we have two shows, both Decosit and DecoContract, in the same place, which reach both markets,” he said. In a nod to innovative technology-driven fabrics, the show is bringing back its 2004 introduction, Decotec, to feature “products with added value, beyond color and design. It’s about innovation in the area of decorative products,” and Geysels said innovative products are the future of the industry.

Decosit’s Trends for 2005 Speaking of the future, Decosit will also continue to offer its trend presentations in it effort to give shape to the ephemeral global markets. “A trade fair will never change the world, it’s up to us to follow the changes in the market,” said Geysels. “On the other hand, a fair has to stimulate something and we try to inspire with all of the projects that we do.” Of the show’s evolution, Geysels said, “we don’t want to force anything. Most changes come from the exhibitors themselves.” F&FI

STI Eyes $100 Million in Upholstery Sales, Meets Chinese in Price and Delivery Time, Upgrades Jacquards with Glen Read Designs by Eric Schneider

Patrick Geysels Perhaps the largest change in the textile industry is the recent dominance of China, particularly after the quota lift at the beginning of 2005. According to Geysels, “70 percent of the 13 newcomers exhibiting at the show are Asian-orientated, and much of the growth is in Turkey, China, Israel and India.” The rest of the fair’s new exhibitors are based in Spain, UK, and Germany. Decosit will also see the return of 95 percent of last year’s exhibitors. “If you look to what’s happening inside of Decosit, it’s evolution,” said Geysels. “If you look to the changes and newcomers, you will see it is a little bit more Asian-orientated. This reflects the market.” To maintain Decosit’s reputation as a high-end trade fair, Geysels reviewed each potential exhibitor and limited the number of new exhibitors so that only those with a commitment to original design and high-quality textiles would be admitted. “We are selecting people on our criteria and quality. That’s the most important. We’re using the same strategy with newcomers as we always have,” said Geysels. “We made a list of the top ten Chinese companies and chose the

INGS MOUNTAIN, North Carolina — STI Inc. has become one of the few American mills to beat the Chinese at their own game as it zeros in on $100 million in sales within the next five years. Producing a limited number of dobby upholstery warps with up to 20 colors per design has paid off. The lines are value priced at $2.25-$7.95 to sell in large volume with four week delivery, said company owner Sean Gibbons. The STI strategy will be tested again when the company introduces its first major collection of highly styled jacquard upholstery fabrics in finer acrylic and polyester blends, produced with Glen Read Designs and LKP Design Associates. To make the line, the company has installed 14 new double wide Dornier jacquard looms with Staubli heads and expects to add more looms early next year. It has three in-house designers which it supplements with the purchase of outside designs. STI, which prides itself on innovation, is also experimenting with a hot melt adhesive backing to replace latex. New products in the pipeline include a new barrier fabric breakthrough that will

be priced well below competitive products. The company also has designs on outdoor cushion fabrics (working with a major supplier to several mass merchants), panel fabrics and fabrics for the fast-growing RV trade. STI said it has also engineered its needlepunch finishing to the point where it is hard to duplicate. The 230,000 square foot Kings Mountain factory has been expanded five times in the last six years. Once shipping is moved across the street, another 30,000 square foot expansion will follow to accommodate finishing upgrades.

“Competitors are trying to knock-off STI at the same price but they haven’t been able to,” said an important upholstery finisher. “STI is the only American mill who is beating the Chinese,” said another upholstery industry veteran. STI produces 1,500 new sku’s every six months but the bulk of its sales gravitate towards just 100 designs, Gibbons said. “If we can stay within a dollar a yard of everything we produce compared to the Chinese vendors, plus offer four week delivery, we have a chance in this business. What happens if you have a win-

ner in the market made in China? Are you going to wait 12 weeks to get more of it? Can China stock goods in the States to serve that market? I don’t think so,” Gibbons stated. “In a few years, the Chinese suppliers would have thousands of sku’s in their warehouse that hadn’t sold.” Realizing that many of his customers like to go to Asia for cut and sew programs, Gibbons recently did a project for one of his largest customers to see if his company could make a heavyweight acrylic chenille that could (Continued on page 29)

Left to right: Greg Sellers, CFO; Mark Hovis, vice president, technical services; Sean Gibbons, vice president of sales; John Kay, vice president of product development & marketing; Bill Gibbons, vice president, sales; Jim Brown, president and Rick Hahn, vice president, marketing

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Summer 2005 ■ F&FI

F& FI B O O K R E V I E W

Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses — as Well as the Classes Pamela Danziger’s New Book Examines the Ubiquity of Luxury by Jill Eisenstein

RIARCLIFF, New York — Before you go marketing your new luxury linens, there’s a book you should read—Let Them Eat Cake (Dearborn Trade

Publishing, 2005) by Pamela Danziger. Consumers are redefining luxury in their own terms, according to Danziger, president of Unity Marketing, a research and consulting firm serving luxury brands, and they want more than a product. They want a luxury experience—including deeper meaning and a more profound connection with their world. Luxury is no longer something only for the wealthy, Danziger

points out. Today the natural evolution of all luxury concepts is to be first introduced to the classes, then reinterpreted for the masses—sometimes at a very fast pace. Products move from luxury to lifestyle necessity sometimes within a year. Today, every consumer is potentially part of the luxury market, and that makes a huge difference in product perception, quality, and pricing. In laying out her thesis, using findings from a two-year survey of

luxury consumers, Danziger adds “performance” to the traditional five “p’s” of marketing luxury: people, product, pricing, promotion and placement. Today’s market, she maintains, is experientially driven. The sixth “p,” performance, connects the consumer with the marketer. “In my research with consumers, I have found that no matter who they are or where they live, no matter how much or how little money they make, no matter

how much or how little money they spend buying something, all consumers want the same basic things. They want to feel special,” says Danziger. Today, what she terms “experiential luxuries” provide the greatest sense of satisfaction to their consumers. Danziger quotes a respondent of her survey as saying, “Material possessions, they sort of become part of the background; experiences just get better over time.” With insights from top marketers at companies like American Express, Starwood Properties, Crystal Cruises, and Saks Fifth Avenue, Let Them Eat Cake offers advice on how luxury marketers can maintain premium pricing when others are discounting, extend the bar of luxury to reach both the masses and the classes, connect with consumers so that the experience lives on in their memories and they spread the word, and develop brands that connect on an emotional level with luxury consumers.

Pamela Danziger She also takes a look at the future. “One of the most significant changes on the horizon for luxury goods marketers, especially those that sell home goods, is the end of the cocooning trend that has dominated our consumer culture for the past 20 years,” she says. Since 1998, home furnishing expenditures have been on the decline as a percentage of household spending. This simply means, she adds, that home companies will need to provide “more functionality, more meaning and purpose, more style, more specialness, more uniqueness” for the luxury consumers. The good news, she points out, is that as consumers emerge from their cocoons, they will seek new products and new experiences on which they can spend their money. Luxuries are the things and experiences that make life more fulfilling, Danziger says. “Let your customers go to Wal-Mart to get their plain white bread, but when they come to you, let them eat cake!” F&FI

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Summer 2005 ■ F&FI

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Quota-Free Trade Strongly Affects the European Union by Jan Hoffman

russels, Belgium — The first of January, 2005, marked an important date for the textile industry in the 25-nation European Union. It ushered in a new era of quota-free trade for Chinese textiles. The acceleration of textiles ‘coming from the East’ is now, according to Euratex, exceeding 73 percent in value, and has made prices drop by nearly 47 percent in the EU.

Despite the fact that the European exports had a value of 40 billion euros in 2004, the EU textile and clothing industry lost 165,000 jobs in the same year. Almost 11,500 businesses closed. Was this bound to occur? According to Filiep Libeert of Eurotex, the authorities are particularly to blame. “Our authorities followed the ATC provisions to the letter,” he explained, “but not once did they call exporting countries to account

for failure to comply with Article 7 of the ATG which committed all members to open their markets too. As we stand today, many markets remain closed to our imports. And 2004 was a year in which a lack of proper governance across the EU led to deep stagnation of demand. The absurdly high euro held back our exports and sucked in imports in ever-increasing quantities. As a result, we came to the watershed date of January 1, 2005.” France is now urging for an

“O

ur authorities followed the ATC provisions to the letter,” he explained, “but not once did they call exporting countries to account for failure to comply with Article 7 of the ATG which committed all members to open their markets too.

”

emergency procedure to create new import limitations on a short term. This request is supported by the governments of Italy, Poland, Portugal and Belgium. Peter Mandelson, European Commissioner for Trade, said he doesn’t intend to just “stand and

watch how the European textile sector disappears.” However, not everyone seems to agree. Germany, Great Britain and the Netherlands fear that new protectionist measures can only damage the European Union in the long run. F&FI

(Continued from Cover)

Duralee Eyes $100 Million Sales tions, Silberman said. “We have grown a lot, just since 1998 when I became president,” said Marty Rosenberger, who started in the Duralee warehouse in 1961, went into sales where he built the West Coast operation over a 12-year period, and moved back to Bay Shore as vice president of the company in 1995. “We’ve gotten organized and upgraded with a huge expansion in space, inventory and customer service,” he said. Previously, Duralee Fine Furniture, a line with 500 upholstered styles and occasional furni-

Typical piece of Duralee Fine Furniture ture, subcontracted production. Now, the furniture is manufactured in-house. “We need more control over production of furniture to insure the designer gets what they want from us,” said Silberman. Furniture now accounts for $2 million in sales as a separate business and Silberman projects a total of $10 million by 2007. But the furniture is not a vehicle for the sale of Duralee Fabrics, as the designer can choose any fabric they want on the furniture, Duralee or COM, he insisted. All divisions of Duralee, from contract fabrics to fine furniture, turned in double digit sales gains last year and 2005 should be no different, the spry octogenarian predicted. A commensurate expansion of (Continued on page 30)

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Summer 2005 ■ F&FI

F& FI N E W S

Anand Predicts Chinese Will Encounter Tougher Competition Cites Inflexibility and High Volume Requirement as Potential Problems by Eric Schneider

LMSFORD, New York — “The price points are cheaper in China but India is more innovative,” said Raghi Anand, an international sourcing expert originally from India who now lives in the U.S. He works on special projects for U.S. manufacturers. Since leaving Croscill, the large privately-held bedding and bath products importer and manufacturer, three years ago, Raghi and his wife Pam have established P. International Inc., an international sourcing consultancy. The reason most companies buy in China, he explained, is price. Retailers in America are now generally going direct to Chinese mills, bypassing the American agents in order to cut costs. “Most department stores rotate buyers from socks to shirts to sheets in order to make them well versed. When the apparel buyers came to home lines, they bought silk, ecru and white sheets. The buyers’ first stops were India and China, and on the low-end, it was Pakistan. The Chinese government is beginning to loosen its grip on the

SMD Establishes Ergo For Hospitality Sales

OMO, Italy — SMD Textiles Ltd. has opened a new division named ‘Ergo’ (means therefore in Latin) in order to focus on the hospitality fabric business according to Jason Kenworthy, managing director of SMD. Craig Handler has been named sales director of this new division based in Preston, Lancashire, UK. Matt Gerraghty has been names sales manager of the new hospitality division based in offices near Brighton, England. Handler has been with SMD for eight years as contract sales director focusing on the healthcare industry. Gerraghty is new to the industry. Both men report to Kenworthy. F&FI

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textile makers, and the competition will drive the costs down even further, he predicted. “Slowly, the Chinese government is giving responsibility to individual factories,” Anand explained. “As a result, this will create more competition between the Chinese mills. Fat mark-ups for the first companies out of China are now a thing of the past. They’re not all going to survive.” “The difference between China and India is that India start-

Pam and Raghi Anand ed its export business in Europe. As a result, India got used to doing smaller runs for the smaller countries of Europe. Indian mills also hired European designers who would put together small runs or develop new designs. On the other hand, Chinese mills are very inflexible. They mostly do long runs and container loads,” he said. According to Anand, India also does more intricate work than

China. As a result, India does lower volume at higher prices, he said. Born a Hindi in New Delhi, Anand speaks Urdu which is the language of Pakistan. He has been in the textiles industry since 1978 and came to the States from India

in 1983. Pam, with an MBA in Finance from Pace University and banking experience at ABN Amro in New York, oversees the business while Raghi travels nonstop and handles the technical side of the business. F&FI

th Annual

Decosit/F&FI Golf Tournament

Join the only international trade event of its kind! Reserve your spot for this choice event. Bring a customer to play on one of the world’s greatest courses. Date: Friday, September 9, 2005 Tea Off Time: 9:00AM Cocktails: 2:30PM Buffet and Awards: 3:30/5:30PM Where: Keerbergen Golf Club

Reservations and Payment: Due by August 1. Contact: Belinda Troncone, btroncone@sipco.net Tel: 001-914-923 0616 | Fax 001-914-923-0018 Send payment in Euros or dollars to: Sipco Publications Inc. POB 161 | Briarcliff, NY 10510

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F& FI N E W S (Continued from cover)

Shanghai Road to Hangzhou, Center of the Chinese Upholstery Universe distant second and the Pacific Rim, particularly Australia, in third place. Culp, one of the first American suppliers to source its weaving in China, has been successfully operating its own finishing plant for the past three years in a 7,000 square meter factory just outside of Shanghai. Culp does backing, washing and softening in this plant. Finishing is very inexpensive in China, at just ten cents per yard, but Culp has been able to bring higher American finishing standards to China with this venture. Culp buys from several Chinese mills including Hightex, Kentex and Yulong. The bulk of its Chinese production is yarn-dyed as opposed to piece-dyed and Culp has been trying to improve the mill standards in China through detailed quality control reports and feedback to its mills. Culp report-

Hightex Simon Ge, 29, has responsibility for both domestic and international sales at 12-year-old Hightex. For six years, he has reported to mill owner Mr. Lu who also owns the local Hotel Zenith in Hangzhou. Hightex, which sells fabrics to sofa manufacturers, bedspread manufacturers and fabric wholesalers, had sales of $25 million in

Huatex Geared to fashion and design, this company, owned by Xu Bohua, seems to be at the forefront of the quality movement in Chinese upholstery and drapery. Having dropped from a defect rate of eight percent five years ago to two to three percent today, Xu

edly produces $40 million worth of upholstery in China just for La-Z-Boy alone. La-Z-Boy then ships pre-cut recliner chair covers back to America. Made-ups, a low margin business but necessary to stay in the game, are being added by many suppliers for customer convenience. Veken is said to be building a new made-ups plant in Jiangsu. Several months ago, WalMart established a bedding sourcing office in Shanghai in order to subcontract all of its cutting and sewing. Value City owns a cut and sew factory in Guangdong where it finishes Chinese-made fabrics into slipcovers. To insure that no one can steal its fabric designs—a fact of life when mills use common cut and sewing houses in China-each mill is trying to do its own cutting and sewing.

2004 in chenille upholstery jacquards, curtain fabrics and bedspreads. About 75 percent of its production is geared to upholstery, with curtains and bedspreads at ten percent each and the balance in cushion and luggage fabrics. “With $20 million in upholstery alone it is our fastest growing business,” said Ge, “[But] we’re capping our sales of upholstery and putting more

attention on curtains and bedspreads especially in [the] USA.” The company entered the curtain and bedspread market just two years ago not with chenilles but with poly, poly/cotton and rayon. Main export countries, with about 50 percent of the pie, are U.S. and Canada. The Middle East—Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Jordan and Lebanontakes 25 percent; Europe, only 10

said he now has the quality control systems in place and is not concerned with rapid growth. “Our quality should improve in 2005 to 99.5 percent,” he said. “We expect higher sales volume but this isn’t the only issue—quality, better design, is more important to us,” said Xu. “We put five percent of our sales each year into R&D.” Huatex’s design department has ten people with four terminals tied into the EAT-based CAD system. The original mill started in 1996 had 96 China-made looms but Xu sold them off and started a new company four years ago with 20 wide-width Picanols with Staubli heads. At $12 million in sales last year, it is a smaller mill but beautiful origi-

nal paintings and soft, relaxing music point to a higher design sensitivity and concern for aesthetics. Huatex offers traditional designs, more toward classic, with a popular price range of $3-$5 and a steady sales growth of 15 percent annually. In 2005, Xu expects almost ten percent growth. “We do no domestic business so it’s easier to control our product from a design standpoint. There are no Huatex samples in the local market. We do copyright for all of our own patterns, about 40 copyrights a year in China, in case something happens.” He said this effort costs $30,000 a year. The problem is that if he sees a copy of one of his designs in a local exhibition, he asks the company to remove it, but that’s about the only leverage he has in stopping the copies. “Even with copyright there’s not much we can do to protect ourselves,” he said. Xu feels that design infringement cases are less now than before. “Major players in the market are trying to be more careful and focus on their own design direction.” The company exports 60 percent of its production to the U.S. and the balance to Europe and the Middle East. “We see better growth in Europe than in the U.S. in the future in terms of percentage, especially within the UK,” Xu said. F&FI

Clockwise: Huatex president, Xu Bohua; Huatex facilities

This has reportedly led to an overproduction in cut and sewn goods, a problem that may have to be addressed in the future. Not a single mill F&FI visited is involved with producing fabrics for the contract market. For the time being, Chinese mills are not producing regular lines of inherently FR fabrics. Their yarn choices are limited to residential products and FR yarn would interfere with the bulk of their production, they say. The price they would need to charge to produce contract fabrics would not be low. Only Hightex alluded to providing solid color fabrics to European contract suppliers for hotels where the customer does its own testing. The following is an overview of each of the mills visited with comments by the publisher.

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percent. Hightex also sell to Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Like most mills in China, Hightex currently commission dyes and finishes but plans to bring all of that work in-house. Ge said the company expects to invest about $50 million over five years in cut and sew, yarn production including boucle yarn, yarndyeing and a finishing mill. To accommodate its expected growth, the company is looking to buy additional land three km away from the current mill where it only does weaving. International markets are pushing a hard bargain in China, said Ge. Hightex’s selling price has shifted slightly down to $3-$5 from a high of $6 two years ago. “The international market is more difficult so we have to be more competitive at the lower end—and increase our business with higher quality—-nothing over $6,” Ge remarked. He noted that local manufacturers are buying better goods from Europe—Italy, Turkey, Portugal. Even the Zenith Hotel bought voiles from Turkey and Portugal, he said. F&FI

Chinasia Cushion covers, slip covers and readymade curtains are on the drawing boards for this $12.5 million business owned by Lena

Gao Lang Gen, Yulong Group

Yulong Group This may well be the largest upholstery mill in China today with $60 million in sales, including $12 million in made-ups, a new business started in 2004. The mill, which produces goods ranging from $1.50 per yard for tapestry to $4.50 per yard for chenille, is unique in that its finishing includes needle punching, coating and washing. “We expect to grow to $250 million in the future, making us larger than anyone else in China in this business,” said Gao Lang Gen, mill owner, one of six partners. He invites the outside world to become a partner in his activities in the future to help Yulong develop technique. “Either put your own mill in China or team up with us,” he said. F&FI

Kelida Kelida has boosted sales from $5 million to $20 million in the past five years and ultimately hopes to build a $50 million business by moving into jacquard, embroidered silk and silk blended draperies at $5-$15 per yard according to Enxiao You, president. The company recently built a new weaving shed and took delivery of the first ten of 30 Somet wide-width looms it ordered for the new silk line. Five years ago, wooden handlooms stood in the mill but these have disappeared in favor of more modern equipment. “We want to stand out in this business but not in size, the young president and principal said. F&FI

Shen and her husband George Gao. The two plan to get into the cut and sew business to serve the American market and expect to nearly double the business in 2005 with a $22 million turnover. “We want to create our own brand,” Lena said. She handles production and design while George does the trading. The line is strong in chenille and boucle from $2.50-$7. F&FI Lena Shen, principal of Chinasia Textile

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UK Fabric Trade Cautious to Embrace New Suppliers by Geoff Fisher

ONDON, England — Turkey and China have become two of the main shopping windows for British fabric converters. When looking for fabric suppliers in such emerging countries, UK wholesalers, converters and design houses have straightforward requirements: the right quality at the right price. But the industry in the UK has had mixed experiences with Turkish and Chinese suppliers. Whiteheads Fabrics, for example, currently places a lot of orders with Turkish firms for both piece-goods production and readymade curtains, and sees this business continuing strongly. According to Matthew Crew, one of the company’s two principals, five years ago Turkey was considered only a place for cheap sourcing. Now, the country has adapted and has taken over as one of Europe’s leading fabric suppliers. It is also principal supplier to Russia, the Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere, and plays a significant role in international fabric supply networks. “Turkey has invested extensively in equipment and is probably now more technically advanced than either Italy or Belgium,” said Crew. He added that many Turkish mills have developed niche, valueadded businesses, because they know they cannot compete in the volume market with China. But Whiteheads also uses China as a sourcing location, particularly for readymade curtains. “China still has a bulk orientation and you have to appreciate lead times,” Crew pointed out. “In addition, all the creativity still comes from the customer.” Despite China’s current focus on volume, Whiteheads has been happy with the quality of the goods they have received, and Crew believes it is only a matter of time before its textile companies will embrace the more creative aspects of the fabrics business. “For European and North American fabric producers to survive, they must become even more decorative, editor-oriented specialists operating at the highend of the market,” he said. On the other hand, chief executive Ashley Brodin of the Ashley Wilde Group is not so enthusiastic about the new breed of suppliers from China and Turkey and stresses the need for protection of intellectual property. “China is really affecting the UK market,” he said. “Anybody can now go there and buy a container load of fabric. The Chinese

will supply anybody — retail, wholesale, even black market. But there is no respect for other people’s designs and there are few controls, these are the biggest problems. China mainly works by supplying plain commodities, churning out volumes and cutting out the middleman.” Brodin claimed the UK has become a dumping ground for home textiles, and said part of the blame must be placed on the retail industry. “Some UK retailers, who have begun buying

directly from China, have found more stock coming in than required. And with the design input not so good, these products have not sold as well as expected, which just has the effect of depressing the market,” he said. Brodin believes Turkey is not as dangerous as China to the UK trade and in general is more creative than its Far Eastern counterpart. “While Turkey is the new Italy, China is the new Turkey,” he said. F&FI

American Leather Introduces Upholstery Division Business Skyrockets with Microfiber Demand and Sleeper Sofas by Diana Dilworth

ALLAS, Texas — After fifteen years in the custommade leather sofa business, American Leather continues to expand its business with its entry into the upholstered sofa market. Its new division, American Upholstery, has grown the company’s business by 20 percent in less than a year and it is forecasted to double it by 2008. American Upholstery is focused on taking a basic approach toward design, specifically by using microfibers. “The reason that we got into the upholstered couch business is because of the possibility that it offers. It is three times the size of the leather market because of the demand for the product,” said Sanjay Chandra, president and chief financial officer for American Leather who started the company with Bob Duncan in 1990. “The best selling product in this division is the comfort sleeper which is a part of the Queen Patented Sleep System developed by Robert and Barbara Tiffany. This product alone represents 15 percent of this division’s business. It even comes in a king size, which is the only sleeper on the market offered in a king.” With the introduction of the upholstered couch division, American Leather has been able to offer a lower average price point; sales over the last eight months have reached $4 million,

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Sanjay Chandra in this division for 2005, with a goal of $10 million. American Upholstery produces 75,000 to 85,000 pieces a year, which amounts to a $60 million business, and it is projecting this number to double by 2008. Most of the company’s product is sold to retailers, however, it has made an entrance in the hospitality business where it supplies custom pieces with proprietary fabrications. American Leather uses a simple business model to achieve such growth: produce made-to-order couches and chairs and ship two to three weeks from the order placement. According to the company, this can only be done by keeping the whole process under one roof within the U.S. “The main goal of the company is to focus on fashion, performance and innovation,” said Chandra. “Our goal is to offer the latest in colors and styles, good service, high-quality manufacturing and an innovative business model with quick turnaround.” The company’s leather division focuses on several product categories, including sofas and sleepers to recliners, ottomans and pillows. All of their leather pieces are designed and manufactured on a made-to-order basis in American Leather’s facilities in Dallas, Texas. F&FI

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F& FI N E W S Hexin With the name that means “peace” in Chinese, Hexin started making home furnishings fabrics in 1994 under owner Zhou Zhong Ming (who, as chairman of the fabric association of Haining City, was also a spearhead of the new Hangzhou Fabric Show in April.) Although it does make some upholstery fabrics, the company is largely a producer of polyester, poly/cotton and cotton curtain and

bedding fabrics in 280-meter width. Hexin has two in-house designers working on its higherend products. Nearly 60 percent of its higher-end export goes to Europe, 20 percent is sold domestically and 20 percent to miscellaneous countries. Sales have moved from $13 million to $15 million in a slow but steady growth, and Hexin foresees $20 million in sales within the next five years. The company wants to focus on medium to high-end product in the future. F&FI

Shaoxing Shenhua Textile Nearly 95 percent of Shaoxing’s $40 million worth of home furnishings fabrics is geared for export according to Alan Sun, business manager in charge of foreign trade. About half goes to the U.S. and Canada, and the rest goes to Europe and South America, each with 20 percent of sales. Most of the fabrics, about 60 percent of production, are geared to low-end upholstery— $1.00 per yard tapestry and $1$3 per yard chenille—with the balance of sales in bedding and curtain fabrics. Shaoxing also has a cut and sew division, including sheers, that brings in about $10 million. The company offers a strike-off service and charges

$250 per design of a ten-meter sample that is refunded with the initial order. Though the company makes a lot of cheap fabrics, it also offers a 1000-gram-plus chenille at $8 per yard. “We want to get into the apparel fabric business where we already have existing customers in the U.S. and Europe through our apparel fabric trading company. We want to replace our outside sourced apparel fabrics with our own production,” said Sun. A shortage of skilled weavers has Shaoxing currently running at 80-90 percent of capacity. “We have orders but don’t have enough people to run machines,” Sun said. F&FI

Shaoxing Tapestry for $1 per yard or $8 for 1000 plus grams of chenille-the broadest price range seen

Left to right: Inside the Yashiju factory; Xu Zheng Quan, operations manager of Yashiju

Yashiju “We’re the only major supplier today with silk production in China,” said Xu Zheng Quan, operations manager, who reports to mill owner Jin Tian Kun. “About 20 percent of our production is silk priced from $5 in plain

Kentex Mills Kentex, primarily an upholstery house, introduced its first embroidered curtain range at Heimtextil in January. Owner Doris Deng and her U.S.-based partner Wayne Linn are trying to sell higher value upholstery products in the $2.50$6 range.

to $9-$10 in embroidered varieties. We’re 20 percent cheaper than Indian silk,” he said. Yashiju, with silk production geared to wide-width bedding and curtain fabrics, had sales of $18 million in 2004 but expects to achieve sales of $23 million in

2005 with a production of 350,000 meters a month. “Our silk lines are more in demand in Europe than in the U.S.,” he said. Yashiju will produce minimums of 300 meters per color for either custom colors or stock. F&FI

Deng also owns nine retail stores — with more on the way — under the Victoria brand in the Shanghai area. The Victoria brand used to import 100 percent of its fabrics but now buys half of its product from Kentex. “Retail is going well for Kentex,” Deng said, “but our largest store, Fabric Depot, is

scheduled for demolition by the Chinese government due to the value of its location in Shanghai. We are discussing the price right now.” Fabric Depot opened five years ago in 10,000 square meters of space and was the largest store in China. Its demise attests to the soaring prices of Shanghai property. F&FI

Zhongwang Fabrics Products Co. After growing from $17 to $22 million, upholstery producer Zhongwang has shifted its focus to quality. In a major expansion of its testing facilities, owner Yang Lin Shen has built a separate 100,000 square foot building where he is partnering with a major Chinese testing group, ITS, to gain better control of his products — particularly shrinkage, lightfastness and rub tests. “There’s no point to compete

on price with so many mills copying each other. We are putting more attention to the aesthetics and on time delivery of our products,” he said. F&FI

Left to right: New 100,000 square foot building to house quality control and testing facility; Yang Ling Shen, principal of Zhongwang, Fabric Products Co., Hangzhou

Baumann Dekor’s Reiter Adds High Tech Touch Bernhard Reiter

Sipco News Network

‘BFresh™’ and ‘B-Guard™’ Specialty Fabrics Keep Air Clean

MUND, Austria — Bernhard Reiter has been named CEO of Baumann Dekor, a specialist in hospitality and contract fabrics for international markets. Reiter replaces Elizabeth

Summer 2005 ■ F&FI

Baumann, previously chief marketing officer who has retired after 30 years with the company. He reports to Maxmillian Baumann, chief technical officer

and a principal of the family owned business established in 1916. Prior to joining Bauman, Reiter was in the Information Technology consulting business based in Frankfurt, Germany. He is Austrian born and relocated with his wife and two children close to Gmund, near Bauman headquarters. “Bauman is having success with two new products in its fabric line-up, ‘BFresh™’ a permanent anti-bacterial and flame retardant process and ‘B-

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Guard™’ which repels stains, oil and water,” Reiter points out. Both offer special properties to Baumann fabrics which repel bacteria especially in the cruise ship environment, Reiter said. “I know how to manage a company in a competitive environment,” said Reiter. “Adding functionality to textiles on a nanotechnology level in the contract business is a must today, especially in four- and five-star hotel rooms. “People often ask for nonsmoking rooms and then smoke in them anyway,” Reiter said. “BFresh and B-Guard can be

used to make the room smoke free whether a smoker lives there or not. This is a permanent application and works with fire retardation. It makes hotel operations independent of assigning a smoke free room to a non-smoker.” That returns all rooms to a non-smoking inventory status, he explained. “In addition, the properties in our fabrics reduce the need for cleaning or removing the smell in a cruise ship or hotel room. This in turn reduces the maintenance cost represented by the heavy cleaning needed to remove the smoke smell.” F&FI

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Steven Harsey Textiles and Christain Fischbacher Team Up New York’s D&D Showroom Hopes to Offer Designers Something Different by Dianna Dilworth

EW YORK, New York — Steven Harsey Textiles and Christian Fischbacher, two leading textile design and distribution companies, have partnered in the opening of a new showroom in the D&D Building in New York City. It is “the natural marriage of exclusive upper-end lines, all of which complement each other,” said Christian Fischbacher of the joint venture. With the collaboration, Fischbacher said that he hopes to offer fabrics with the designer in mind. “The large companies dominate the playing field, yet the interior designer in New York, Florida, California or anywhere in between is always asking the same question, ‘what can you show me that is new?’ Nobody has a lock on that,” Fischbacher said.

“Therefore, even if the industry is not growing, we are convinced there is not only room for us but a great opportunity.” Even during its first year in the U.S., the Swiss company’s jacquards, textures and prints are being scooped up by high-end designers. “Our first year in America, being distributed by Steven Harsey, has proven that to us and our business is increasing in America. Even with the high cost of the euro, we are finding a loyal following of customers-mostly the top design firms in America,” said Fischbacher, great-great grandson of the company’s founder. Steven Harsey isn’t complaining either, as interior designers, architects and specifiers admire and order the silk and natural fiber collections of his 26-year-old company. “The design professional we target can be residential, hospitality, or corporate but the emphasis is on the residential designer[s]those who shop at the D&D Building and those larger firms who maintain a design library any-

Clockwise: Steven Harsey and Christian Fischbacher Harsey and Fischbacher Team Up in their New D&D where in the Tri-state area (of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania),” said Fischbacher. The new showroom features the Steven Harsey Textiles line in its entirety as well as Harsey’s other brands—including the Orient Express, Italian-based Blue Home from Milan and Kligi from Venezia. It also features the complete Christian Fischbacher collection including a line of luxury bed linens. To round out the showroom, the two companies display furniture, lighting and mirrors by Motif Designs; trimmings and hardware by Brimar, hand painted wallpaper by John Prince, as well as a line of contemporary drapery hardware by the German company, Artline. Fischbacher and Harsey felt that they needed a large space in order to present their fabrics, “the way our studios intended them— as complete collections,” Fischbacher explained, and it needed to be in New York, where the “market for high-end decorative luxury fabrics is the largest in the world.” According to Fischbacher, “the designer in New York deserves a showroom where each collection can be shown the way the creator’s inspiration intended it to be utilized.” The Christian Fischbacher line is designed by a staff of six fulltime designers under the direction of Ursula Schad in its St. Gallen studio and headquarters, then sourced internationally. The company currently weaves in over 14 countries in Europe and Asia. Its custom line of bed linen is woven in Switzerland. The Steven Harsey Textile line is created in California and is produced mostly in India, Thailand, and Italy. While the Steven Harsey line focuses mainly on the residential market, the U.S. hospitality market is a twinkle in Fischbacher’s eyes. “Many of our very expensive fabrics can be recreated in Trevira CS and other fibers especially for this market segment. Hotel occupancy rates are up and that means more business. We hope to capture some of it,” said Fischbacher. Harsey has had his fabrics specified for MGM and Wynn Development projects in Las Vegas. In Europe and Asia, where its fabrics are designed exclusively for four- and five-star properties with high design levels and large budgets, hospitality is already a signifi-

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cant part of Christian Fischbacher’s business. Every fall the company launches a 100 percent Trevira CS collection. “The upscale hotels are not only reinventing their bedding with down duvets and a variety of pillow choices but they are using better fabrics for the furniture and draperies. We are poised to take advantage of this trend,” he said.

“T

he large companies dominate the playing field, yet the interior designer in New York, Florida, California or anywhere in between is always asking the same question, ‘what can you show me that is new?’ Nobody has a lock on that.

”

To increase sales outside of the showroom, Harsey and Fishbacher customers will be called on by Tarlton-Brais. “We are convinced that in today’s marketplace you must have a strong road sales effort to support the showroom. They work in tandem with the showroom who often services the requests and needs of the outside sales team.” F&FI

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Daun Snares Spandauer Velours, Adds to Massive Textiles Portfolio Sipco News Network

RAIRCLIFF, New York — Daun & Cie AG, a 1.6 billion Euro privately held corporate giant, has purchased the interests of The Becker Group in Spandauer Velours GmbH & Co. for “next to nothing,” a source said, although the actual purchase price was not disclosed. Spandauer, based in Lichtenstein, Germany, produces jacquard and other types of woven and printed velvet including flock upholstery fabrics. It is also the European licensee of Crypton® by Hi-Tex. The Becker Group was heavily involved in the apparel fabric industry before it purchased its

interest in Spandauer several years ago. Gunther Walther, president and part owner of Spandauer retired earlier this year but still manages to visit Spandauer offices every other week, monitoring his investment a source said. Michael Borofski, hired by Gunther before he retired, was named general manager of Spandauer this year and continues to manage the operation. Daun & Cie is heavily invested in the textile industry but has diversified interests in the automotive, retail, steel, and mining industry based in South Africa. Sales of the company were $1.2 billion in 2002 with an increase of over 10% a year since then, it is

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Duralee Eyes $100 Million in Sales Duralee’s 11 corporate showrooms and 20 satellite showrooms displaying Duralee Fine Furniture has also taken place to make them more designer friendly. For example, the Atlanta showroom expanded from 2,700 square feet to 5,000 square feet. Similar expansions took place in Dallas and Boston. With the hiring of Robin Gordon as director of marketing 18 months ago and the recent addition of her assistant Lisa Rivera, Duralee has made a major commitment to marketing and merchandising. Under Gordon’s direction, Duralee has created new graphics and produced seven new books for its Pavilion brand of

indoor/outdoor fabrics in acrylic, olefin and polyester fibers. “Four thousand sets of these books will form part of a new section of the designer’s library,” Gordon said. “It’s a tribute to the fact that Duralee outdoor fabric is no longer just polka dots, plaids and stripes.” The Pavilion brand has been revamped and upgraded along with Highland Court, the luxury brand of Duralee launched in 2001. Gordon’s next job is to replicate Duralee’s e-commerce site for its contract division and for Highland Court. “We started (this) last January with our residential ecommerce site,” she said. F&FI

estimated. Daun owns 50 percent of the Unland GmbH textile company in Sedelsberg, Germany with the balance owned by the Unland family. In addition, the home textile companies known as Elvo and Cordima were purchased by Unland earlier this year. The private company owned by Claas E. Daun owns as many as 1,500 separate companies and is considered extremely aggressive and efficiently run. Daun maintains a staff of 16 people in

Germany who track the investments on a daily basis. It is very profitable, a source said, although no figures are ever published. Daun & Cie expects to make a public offering in the future, it is said. Many of the companies are located outside of his base in South Africa, including Germany, Czech Republic, The Netherlands and Belgium. Last year, Daun bought a retail garment chain, NKD in Bayreuth, Germany. “He’s still buying between five and ten companies a month,” a source said. Daun has built his business by buying companies on the verge of bankruptcy for a song and using

Claas Daun his entrepreneurial genius to turn them around. “I have always gone against the tide, looking for opportunities where others have given up hope,” he said in a front page story in F&FI in 2002. F&FI

Seba Upgrades Lines, China Sells $3 Goods Sipco News Network

ESTEL, Turkey — ”If you have the correct strategy, then China shouldn’t be a problem,” said Ihsan Cerrah international sales director of Seba Tekstil since 2004. He was previously in a similar position with Kadifeteks. “We have felt the knife from China in the $3 goods but we have upgraded our product. Even though this won’t replace the volume at $3, we have started a cut order service in some countries.” Seba has also started a made-ups program for the UK and the U.S. In addition, it is working with E.A.R. Design Group in Turkey to produce special designs for the U.S. “We have to learn more how to trade. We have to improve service and make on-time deliv-

eries. That’s what the export customer wants from us. That means correct communications in after sale services. Nothing should stop after you make the sale. Follow up with the customer. Support the customer after they receive the product. Give them new selling ideas for your product and handle any complaints in an acceptable time period.” Seba is offering minimums as low as 100 meters per color and is making special yarns inside the company. Seba is owned by three brothers: Ismail, Ahmet and Murat Berber, the third generation of the family started by their grandfather. The company began fabric production in 1989. Seba was producing upholsteries in the $3-4 range and is trading up to $7.50 fabrics and even $10 goods with improved

structure and quality. Seba expects to start back coating the line for UK and Far East consumption. “There is no volume in the higher price ranges but it is important to show the customer what you can do. You can give the customer an idea by doing better goods.” About 80 percent of Seba’s business lies in export with $10 million in sales in 2004 with 32 looms, with 24 of those geared to jacquards. “Heimtextil was a very good fair for us this year. We had the new, higher priced collection available there. As a result, we increased export by 20 percent due to the higher priced collection. He now covers a territory that includes Australia, New Zealand, Far East, Baltic Region, England, U.S. and Canada. F&FI

Greece, Albani Group of Germany, Interfabrics of Spain and Loescher of Austria as important customers Evimteks’ latest creation is a triple woven organza in wide width. The third layer contains shrinking yarns to give the fabric a pucker effect in the warp side only. Double woven taffeta and organza with fils coupe for 8-10 euros is a

standard item for Evimteks. The company is also introducing new plains with special yarn effects. Minimums are 300 meters per design but for a large order, Ceyhan considers 150 meter minimums in one design in three colors for example. “The world market is becoming more cut length oriented. Many of my customers offer the cut length service.” F&FI

Evimteks Opens New Plant, China Can’t Catch Ceyhan!

URSA, Turkey — Due to rap- Left to right: Turk Ceyhan, idly increasing sales of its cur- Fancy plain, taffeta and organtain fabrics to Italy, Spain, za quality in fancy yarn Germany and especially to Greece, Evimteks is moving into a brand second (floor) is geared to quality new 12,000 square meter facility control, which must improve as we bring our quality to European on three floors, here, in June. Evimteks expects to have $15 standards, and warehouse and million in sales at current levels, delivery. The third (floor) is for according to Turk Ceyhan, chair- yarn twisting. We make some man and founder. This civil engi- fancy yarns and also buy yarn from neer and self taught textile design- outside suppliers, mostly polyer, is considered a fashion leader ester,” he said. Evimteks exports to China by many in the industry. He works through its Shanghai based cuswith a team of four designers. Greece is one of Evimteks’ tomer DP Global. “Our main largest export markets. Many advantage is our ability to quickly cruise ships and hotels are outfit- introduce new collections so that ted with curtains in Greece and if they are copied, we’re always on this has been a big boost for to something else,” Ceyhan says. “China can copy us but Evimteks Evimteks sales. In regards to the new factory, always has something new. We “the first floor is for weaving on 48 produce 200 designs every six double width looms and we will months, first for Heimtextil and buy more looms in the future. The another collection at Evteks. The

world will not catch Turk if I run fast enough,” he laughs. Ceyhan says that his customers “follow us” and wait to see his lines which are priced higher than the competition. “We don’t work with big customers who emphasize price only. We serve smaller wholesalers and some retail accounts.” Evimteks counts Sarlas of

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F& FI N E W S

Heydasch Streamlines Weaving and Business Operation Sipco News Network

OMO, Italy — Mueller-Zell GmbH has consolidated its weaving and business operations with a company move from Zell to the former Pippig & Reichel headquarters in Weissdorf, Germany.

Mueller-Zell acquired the assets of Pippig & Reichel at year end 2004 which consists of 70 Dornier jacquard looms with Staubli heads. This gives Mueller Zell a total of 110 looms in the former Pippig & Reichel facility, according to Andreas Heydasch, president and owner of the com-

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World Market Center Opens in Vegas, Market Week Debuts designers, architects, contractors, hospitality representatives and corporate specifiers. “During the next decade, the integrated Las Vegas World Market Center is designed to grow to a commanding 12 million square feet — making it the largest, most diversified home furnishings trade complex in the world. We hope to become the preeminent international market in the U.S. connecting buyers and sellers from around the globe,” said Dana Pretner, World Market Center director of marketing & public relations. Each of WMC’s venues features a cross-section of all home furnishings product categories including furniture, home accents, accessories, bedding, lighting, rugs, wall decor, floral,

home office, home textiles and more. “There will be some hospitality resources at World Market Center, however, we expect this category to grow over time as the Market expands. As the hotel capital of the world, and with corporate specifiers and designers for many exciting resort and high rise projects based here in Las Vegas, there is a tremendous opportunity for WMC to serve the contract hospitality industry on a year round basis,” said Pretner. “Ultimately World Market Center is about bringing more buyers and new products to the marketplace, and giving exhibitors and buyers the most attractive platform to conduct business in a 21st century economy,” she said. F&FI

Shamash Sees Retailers Buying Direct from China, Questions Result Sipco News Network

EW YORK, New York—More retailers are going direct to China for bedding programs, bypassing traditional suppliers in the U.S. and Europe according to Kevin Kiley, president of Shamash & Company, a longtime importer of Chinese made apparel and bedding items. Although Kiley did not want to name names of specific retailers which have gone direct, it is well known that Wal-Mart and Sears have direct purchase programs from Chinese textile suppliers. In another instance, Target Stores is another well known recent example when it awarded a $50 million bedding contract to a Chinese supplier instead of giving the business to WestPoint Stevens as it had in the past based on an open bidding process. Kiley questions how well the direct retail involvement will work in the face of chargebacks, markdowns and distribution centers. Will the retailer be happy with the

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result, he asks? While Kiley notes there is the wholesale movement to import from China to the U.S. and European markets, there is also another opportunity awaiting suppliers in the same countries, he said. “The Chinese consumer wants imported products in premium price points within the mid-toupper-salaried executive market because the Chinese customer is becoming more stylish.” “The Chinese market likes American design,” he said. He feels these two points would support the idea of exporting better American designed textiles to China. “In addition, prices are high at retail in China but there are not a lot of high-end home products being sold there right now. It’s mostly high-end apparel imports like Louis Vuitton or Max Mara fashion items. As a result, there is a big opportunity for specialty home chains in China who want better merchandise,” he added. F&FI

bined companies. He forecasts 15 million euros in sales for 2006. Heydasch first purchased Mueller-Zell in 2001 from Blydenstein Willink. He was previously general manager of the Mueller-Zell operation beginning in 1996. “The European collection of Pippig & Reichel will now be transformed into a collection geared to the Asian wholesaler market under a new brand called ‘Pur,’ which means means ‘real.’ It will be priced from four euros to 12 euros,” Heydasch said. “The Mueller-Zell line will be our higher priced line from 8-25 euros and this will feature Trevira®CS.” “We are selling our lines to China where we already have two customers. Let them copy our designs. We can develop new designs faster than the Chinese can copy the older designs,” he laughed. Heydasch has hired Michele Rondelli, previously with Carnegie Textiles in Rockville Center, New York, the Creation Bauman distributor in America.

Andrew Heydasch with Michele Rondelli (above); Richard Schutte (center) and Dennis Vrolijk of Chivasso at the Grand Hotel Como, Italy We will achieve the Asian collection through our internal design team of seven people under Rondelli’s supervision plus the use of freelance designers in America, India and Asia. “Rondelli lives in Spain and Weissdorf. He’s Swiss and speaks six different languages. Rondelli will organize our creative power.” Mueller-Zell has three sales agents selling its lines and a fulltime sales manager. Since January, Mueller-Zell has an agreement with Ellen Letchinger to repre-

sent the company in the U.S. “We have 350 customers today and will look for more who want to build international sales outside of their home base. Heydasch is starting in Japan and in the U.S. We will not work with everybody; only those companies who fit this profile. “Our strategy is creativity and innovation,” the young entrepreneur explains. “We’re not strong in selling. That’s the role of our partners in the wholesale business,” he says. F&FI

Important American Fabric Buyers Speak Out—July 12!

Breakfast at Showtime “Where do Imports Fit into High End Upholstery Selection?” Speakers: Terry Allen vice president of design for Clyde Pearson

Nadine Andrews Fabric Merchandiser for

Date/Time: Tuesday, July 12, 7-8AM Location: String & Splinter Club — High Street, High Point, NC

Lexington Home Brands

Sponsored by: Sipco Publications Inc. Bob Choppa senior vice president, Thomasville Furniture Industries

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publishers of Fabrics & Furnishings International

RSVP: Belinda Troncone at: btroncone@sipco.net Tel: 914.923.0616

Seating is Limited! 31

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Contract/HospitalityNews HD Expo Wrap Up • The Bedding Wars • Marriott Upgrades Over 200,000 Rooms

Hunter Douglas Marries Richmond Textiles at HD New Company Caters to Specifier Through Mass Customization by Rebecca Goldberg

AS VEGAS, Nevada — The answer to any designers’ dream, Hunter Douglas and Richmond Fabrics have joined together under one roof—forming Hunter Douglas Hospitality—to offer a unique product marriage of fabric and window coverings. The Chicago, Illinois-based Hunter Douglas Hospitality debuted at HD Expo in May, following the launch of the company’s new website and online showroom. Hunter Douglas Hospitality is part of the $2.2 billion Hunter Douglas Corp., based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. “Hunter Douglas has always focused on hospitality,” Bob Harnach said, Hunter Douglas Hospitality president. “We develop the tools designers need.” The goal of the project is to

raise the bar, not only in design, but in product innovation, customization, and ease of use. By offering both window and fabric fashions, Hunter Douglas Hospitality hopes to give designers more opportunities to be creative. This idea is brought to the forefront with the company’s new hospitality-themed categories; the blue and green dominated ‘Resort,’ earthy colored neutrals of ‘Spa’ and the rustic reds of ‘Urban’. “With Hunter Douglas Hospitality window coverings and

Hunter Douglas hospitality’s Palm Beach shutters Below: Bob Harnach fabric, we’re combining visions to show a new statement at window level,” said Harnach. “We’re focused on bringing you the tools you need to create your vision.” To give designers what they’re looking for, they’ve increased their product offerings (Continued on page 42)

Anichini Brings Printed Sheets into Hospitality by Rebecca Goldberg

EW YORK, New York — Under the scrutiny of frequent laundering, the idea of printed sheets in hospitality has always been taboo-if even considered at all. To prove itself an innovator in style and luxury, Anchini presented its line of printed sheets to the hospitality

trade this year, during HD Expo in Las Vegas-and has chosen to defy this convention, believing that the high-end of the market will always purchase the best. The greatest chink in Davide Fanelli the printed sheet armor is its tendency to fade. To maintain colorfastness, hotels would have to keep several sets of sheets one

hand, which is a costly measure and reserved for only the most luxurious properties. “The par level is the number of sheets that hotels purchase for each room. For example, if the hotel has 100 rooms, and a par level four, then they purchase 400 sheets,” said Davide Fanelli, VP sales and marketing of Anchini’s hospitality division. Fanelli joined the company in August 2004. A par level four would be nec-

Starwood Extends Global Reach Under New CEO, Plans New W Hotels

essary to keep the shading on the printed sheets in shape, according to Fanelli. “With a par level four, the only companies that can afford them are four-or-five-diamond hotels,” he said. Fanelli predicts two likely scenarios where the printed sheets will make the transition from the bedroom to the guestroom. “A new opening,” he said, “is a more flexible situation because it (Continued on page 50)

Inside Contract/ Hospitality News Michael Wolk Creates Line for Mark David . . . . . . . . . . . .36

by Dianna Dilworth

HITE PLAINS, New York — Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is planning to expand its W Hotels brand with new international hotel openings on the horizon. The company has recently undergone big changes in upper management. Barry S. Sternlicht, founder of Starwood Hotels, who recently handed the reins to new CEO Steven Heyer, is responsible for development of the W Hotels brand. This development included spending $480 on every bed to offer the ultimate comfort and to place W Hotels on the international map in the trendy boutique market. Heyer plans to continue on the same path. “Barry has been a terrific, collaborative partner, and I look forward to realizing our shared goal of moving our brands from some of the best in the hotel business, to some of the most admired in business period,” Heyer said. The brand continues to expand with new planned openings of W Maldives Fesdhu Resort, W Dallas Victory Hotel and Residences, W Scottsdale Hotel and Residences, W Hoboken Hotel and Residences, W LA Sunset, W Fort Lauderdale Hotel and Residences.

Stacy Garcia Lends Her Style to Design Origins . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Steve Wynn Brings His Empire to Macau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 The W San Diego, one of Starwood’s W Hotels These openings reflect the W Hotel’s brand positioning: to open new hotels in up-and-coming locales. Stretching its reach in other areas of the market, W Hotels is expanding its line of consumer home textiles. This program is intended to to promote brand loyalty and remind their guests of the (Continued on page 38) W Hotel experience, even while at

HD Expo Prizes Innovation and Innovative Products . . . . . . . .43

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Hotels Continue Trend of Installing Better Beds By Jonathan Hendrix

otels at all levels have been upgrading their sheets, pillows and mattresses since 1999 when Westin debuted the ethereal Heavenly Bed, a high-end, all-white ensemble topped with a cloud-like down duvet. It showed the industry how sexy a bed could be. The Heavenly Bed not only triggered a full-blown industry migration toward better beds, but it has made beds a chief selling point for hotels and resorts from economy hotels to luxury brands. “We want guests to say, ‘Wow, I can’t wait to sleep in

that bed,’” said Jon Coleman of Starwood, noting that Starwood spent $13 million last year in television and print advertisements that promoted its Sheraton brand Sweet Sleeper bed. “The Sealy Simmons Serta people thank us, they say, ‘you guys started something.’ Starwood, which owns the Westin brand, remains the grand poobah of beds in the hospitality industry. Everyone interviewed for this section paid homage to the Westin bed. Sheets boasting higher thread counts and crisp white duvets, and down duvets in some cases are replacing germridden bedspreads. Beds have more pillows on them.

Hotels are installing thicker and softer, soft-top mattresses. “Look how long it took for beds to change initially,” said Molly Biwer of Carlson Hotels Worldwide, which owns the Hilton brand. “Hotels had the same beds for 25 years. Finally a company said this is important: we’re going to pay a lot of attention to it.” In Carlson’s guest surveys, the bed ranks among the top most important features of a hotel room, said Carlson’s Mark Gatzke, vice president of provisions for Carlson Hotels Worldwide. “In past 10 years, it has always been in the top three for customers,” he said.

Carlson Revamps Radisson and Country Inn Brands Of the five lodging businesses owned by Minneapolis-based Carlson Companies, Inc., three are on deck for bedding upgrades. By the end of 2006 Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Carlson’s fullservice, upscale brand, will have transformed some 90,000 beds, said Molly Biwer, one of Carlson’s bedding program directors. Carlson struck a deal in which Select Comfort, a Minnesotabased mattress manufacturer, supplies patented Sleep Number mattresses for the Radisson upgrade. Using a remote control, guests can adjust the firmness of the 12-inch pillow-top mattresses in five-digit increments, from zero to 100 (the most firm).The beds cost about $2,000 on the retail market and are warranteed for 15 years, said Dave Gatzke, vice president of provisions at Carlson Hotels worldwide, a subsidiary of Carlson Companies. Sleep Number beds are easier on Radisson’s housekeeping staff, Gatzke said. “Because the beds are basically air, they are easier to make,” he said, adding that the

mattresses also do not need to be flipped. When franchisees replace mattresses, they must simultaneously replace all-synthetic-filled pillows with pillows that are a combination of feather and down and upgrade to 250-thread-count sheets, Gatzke said. Radisson also rolled out pillows larger than sleeping pillows, enabling guests to prop themselves up, and a duvet-cover. After the North American upgrades are complete, the brand will develop a plan to introduce bedding improvements for its European and Latin American properties, Biwer said. Meanwhile Country Inn & Suites, a mid-scale, select-service Carlson brand, is testing products, Gatzke said. Customer response will be a chief determinant of several components of pending bedding upgrades. “There will be a phased implementation period depending on which items we think are the most important to guests. For instance if guests feel that a pillow is the most

Starwood: Bringing the Best Beds Since 1998

Carlson’s Bedding Upgrade important, we may have franchisees change pillows within first year; we may give longer time (four or five years) to change mattresses.” Country Inn is also peeling Vellux off its beds and moving toward “a softer cotton or synthetic blanket that is more typical of what you have in your home,” Biwer

Homewood Upgrades Bring a More ‘Duckorative’ Look Homewood Suites announced in mid-February that it will install new bedding and mattresses at its 145 hotels within five years. Under a branding initiative called Distinctly Homewood

Hilton Garden Inn’s ‘King’ Guests To Sleep on Air Hilton Garden Inn has begun a slow roll-out of beds that are more technologically advanced than their old ones. The midscale brand (also the fastestgrowing brand of Hilton Hotels Corp.) introduced the bed at its annual franchisee meeting on Feb. 14. By the end of 2006, HGI plans for 10 percent of its kingsized beds to be replaced with mattresses from V.S.S., a Weeki Wachee, Florida-based mattress manufacturer. Called the Garden Sleep System, the core of the mattress is made up of nine “baffles.” Intake and exhaust valves connect the baffles, enabling air-pressure in the mattress to adjust automatically, depending on a guest’s position on the bed. “When you sleep, you move

every 15 to 20 minutes,” said Mark Nogal, vice president of marketing for Hilton Garden Inn. “The body knows to move to keep blood flowing [to pressure points]. This sleep system eliminates [the need to shift positions]. You sleep more soundly and therefore don’t have to sleep as long necessarily, which is huge when you’re traveling.”

said. “We are looking at knit or woven blanket, and a 100 percent cotton option.” Park Plaza, Carlson’s mid-scale, full-service line, will finalize its bedding components in October. “We’re still finishing up the core identity of that brand,” said Gatzke. F&FI

Guests can also adjust the firmness of the bed manually using a dial on the side of the bed that ranges from 0 to 9 (most firm). “If you like firm, you can turn the number up,” said Nogal. Depending on how well the beds are received by guests, Hilton will install V.S.S. beds in other sizes, and possibly in other Hilton brands, Nogal said. F&FI

New beds at the Hilton Garden Inn are fit for a king

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every aspect of the rooms will be upgraded. Hilton Hotels Corp., which owns the brand, has specified Serta Suite Dreams mattresses. The new beds will include 200thread-count sheets and 250thread-count pillowcase with satin piping, said Richard Barter, corporate director of strategic sourcing at Hilton. Westpoint Stevens will supply new pillows, called Brentwood Cluster Gold. These ‘cluster pillows,’ which mimic down, Barter said, are filled with pellets that have fibers coming off them. Homewood has also added duvets and duvet covers. “The duvet covers are designed to be like a pillowcase: they’re open at the end for housekeeping purposes,” said Barter. At the foot of the bed, Homewood Suites is using a double-sided blanket patented by W.S. Raschel Blanket. The all-suite brand’s new decorative top-of-the-bed pillow, which is manufactured by Mandel Industries, is embroidered with the Homewood brand logo, a duck. F&FI

Can a bed be a celebrity? Since Westin Hotels & Resorts debuted the Westin Heavenly Bed in 1998, this Starwood Hotels-owned brand has become synonymous with “good night’s sleep,” not to mention a good-looking night’s sleep. The Heavenly Bed, with its triple-sheeting (including the industry’s first 250-thread-count sheet) down comforter and crisp white duvet, is widely acknowledged as having been a trigger-point for change in hospitality bedding. Where beds had been just a necessity for hoteliers, Westin elevated them to an artform. The bed has since spawned a multi-million business, even selling Heavenlys at retail. Westin’s retail business generates between $7 million and $8 million dollars a year in sales. Over ten years later, the Heavenly Bed retains its status, and in the last couple of years, Starwood has tweaked the brand only incrementally.

The Westin Heavenly Bed Currently, Starwood is replacing double-sided mattresses with ones that do not need to be flipped. Starwood is upgrading beds in its other brands, too. Four Points by Sheraton, Starwood’s mid-priced brand, will finish upgrading beds in its 100-plus properties this year. (Continued on page 49)

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Marriott’s Rooms with Gusto

Cheryl Rowley Renaissance Hotels & Resorts guest rooms. Chief among the signature pieces added to the Renaissance rooms is sofa chaise. “It makes more of a fashion statement than a lounge-chair and an ottoman, and it’s more appealing residentially,” said Cheryl Rowley, principal of the Beverly Hills, California-based firm that is well known for its work in the boutique design segment. “The sofa chaise also has a romantic quality because two people can sit on it together and be quite comfy and cozy. That was an important feature.” The piece, which Marriott touts in a company press release, nearly got cut when Rowley presented the prototype rooms to Marriott. “It was unexpected when I first made the presentation,” she said.

“Mr. Marriott raised his eyebrows, and I had to convince him he would be comfortable, sitting on it in the morning and reading the paper. I brought in a paper and said, ‘Kick up your feet, Mr. Marriot isn’t that comfortable?’ The new-look Renaissance rooms also feature a lantern-esque lampstand with a pyramid-shaped lampshade, as well as a desk that rests partly on a credenza. “Marriott liked the notion [of the credenza-supported desk] very much,” Rowley said. “It was costcutting we could eliminate the leg to save a little bit of money. At the same time, it makes a bit of a design statement. Reinvigorated bathrooms will showcase a cantilever vanity bowl. Rowley worked on about a dozen color schemes before she made selections for the prototype rooms, she said, explaining that the firm tried to create rooms that would be “universal” for secondary markets. “The transition room has a more East Coast (U.S.) flavor to it. With the use of indigo blue and gold, it can go across a lot of geographical settings. It would be appropriate to San Diego, for instance, as well as to rooms in the Northeast. The contemporary room, which we refer to as the ‘red

room’ now, has a bit of a more urban feel to it,” she said, noting that the striped carpets and patterned walls were new elements to Marriott’s design “vocabulary.” Meanwhile, Marriott believes that rooms in its totem brand, Marriot Hotels & Resorts, will be enhanced by the installation of cherry wood doors, as well as greater use of stone, glass and chrome finishes on the amenities. The Park Lane Marriott in London, which was designed by London-based Richmond International, was the aesthetic inspiration for the brand’s new design. “The new guest rooms or elements of them will be phased in as part of the regular renovations process at our hotels,” said the spokesman. “Since we do not own our hotels, we have designed the new rooms so that our owners can incorporate [the entire scheme] or components of the design.” Though the spokesman declined to divulge any costs associated with the upgrades, in late April, the Fullerton Marriott in California finished renovating its 244 guest rooms to the tune of $3 million. The re-design undertaking speaks to the company’s strong first-quarter performance, and

Barclay Butera Home Leaps from Residential Furnishings into Hospitality Sleek L.A.-Style Goes Boutique by Rebecca Goldberg

AS VEGAS, Nevada — By exhibiting at the Hospitality Design Expo last May, Barclay Butera, ASID, formally entered the world of hospitality, a world in which he has never been a stranger. Hospitality currently makes up 20 percent of Butera’s business, but he is hoping to swing that ratio closer to 50:50. The Newport Beach, California-based company has been in the residential market for over a decade, and Butera’s furniture, known for its sleek tailoring, has already found a home in many boutique hotels across the U.S. “We show at High Point and have had business in the hospitality side of market as result the

interest in our product. And we came to this show here in Vegas figuring that it was foolish it we didn’t pursue this market,” said Butera. Butera hopes to capitalize on his reputation for tailoring that most closely resembles European furniture design. “We’re the

Barclay Butera Home Furnishings American company that takes detailing into hospitality,” he said. The company anticipates that its largest market will be boutique hotels, where some of its furniture, including everything from chairs, chaises and sofas to

case goods, already resides. “We’re marketing toward boutique where home (style) becomes your home away from home,” he said. Butera feels that his sleek L.A. style will fit in with niche design projects like boutique hotels. “They appreciate the tailoring, it’s like a man’s suit,” he said. The company produces small volume and it’s not planning on creating a separate division for hospitality. Instead, it would rather expand its presence in hospitality through attending specialty tradeshows. It’s not changing its name either — Barclay Butera Home gives it a unique edge in offering residential luxury wherever its clientele happens to need it. Barclay Butera Inc. plans to open five Barclay Butera Home showrooms in 2005. F&FI

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Renaissance Guestroom, designed by Rowley sends a de facto message that the much ballyhooed recovery of the lodging sector is more than wishful thinking. Considered the bellwether of the industry, Marriott reported a first-quarter income increase of 27% ($145 million, up from $114 million in the same quarter 2004). In its full-service brands alone, Marriott’s posted

income of $116 million, a 16% rise. First-quarter net incomes for Hilton and Starwood also increased over the same quarter a year ago: Hilton increased net income 73% to $64 million from $37 million; while Starwood’s income swelled 132% to $79 million from $34 million in the first quarter of 2004. F&FI

Michael Wolk Designs New Mark David Line by Michelle E. Finkelshteyn

AS VEGAS, Nevada — Michael Wolk has teamed up with furniture manufacturer Mark David Inc. to design a new collection of lounge seating and integrated media centers for the hospitality industry. The collection of indoor and outdoor pieces debuted at this year’s HD Expo. Mark Norcross, president of Mark David Furniture, and Michael Wolk, chairman and creative director of Michael Wolk Design Associates, had envisioned this day for years. They had worked on several projects some 20 years ago and had kept in touch, knowing that one day their collaboration would come to fruition. And finally, at HD Expo 2004, they decided to seal the deal. Ultimately, as Wolk puts it, “we finally decided to actually create something new and excit-

Michael Wolk’s Collection for Mark David

ing.” This visionary design anthology is comprised of two collections. The seating and table collection was in response to Norcoss’ request for a group of contemporary small-scale lounge, lobby, and guest room upholstered furniture. These pieces have a market in both the contract and residential arenas. The “integrated” media and entertainment case goods are for hotels that want to meet and exceed the technology trend. Michael Wolk Hotels have been challenged to retro-fit existing rooms and furniture to make way for the new flat screen monitors. The “integrated” media furniture was a solution to this issue, according to Wolk. He designed furniture with pre-wired and built-in technology — thus making the guest room plug-and-play ready. Wolk met the challenge posed by hotel owners (Continued on page 42)

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Starwood Hotel’s W San Diego

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Starwood Hotels Expands home. The already-existing line, currently available on the company’s e-commerce web site and in certain W Hotel properties, features 350-thread count sheets, mattresses, down pillows, towels, blankets, throws and tablecloths. W’s slogan, ‘whatever/whenever,’ is meant to convey feeling of superior service and attentiveness. In recent years, the chain

has offered programs ranging from pet sitting to personal shopping. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the largest hospitality companies in the world with approximately 750 properties in more than 80 countries and 120,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned

brands, the Starwood Corporation is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, and W Hotels and Resorts as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc. Starwood plans to open more than 70 new hotels in 2005 and

2006 around the world. Nearly half of these new hotels are outside of the United States. “Our development momentum continues to be strong and we’ve won more than our share of hotel deals,” said Heyer. “Our W and St. Regis brands are very sought after by the development community and Westin was actually the world’s fastest growing upper upscale brand in 2004 and is a terrific growth vehicle with lots of opportunities abroad.” F&FI

iPod-Toting Guests Soon to Dig ‘The Wave’ by Jon Hendrix

ARTINSVILLE, Virgina — By the end of this year, hotel guests will be able to listen to their favorite songs in high-quality sound without headphones or the tinny-sounding hotel clock radio. American of Martinsville’s armoire-cum-sound-systemcum-high-definition-television piece called The Wave lets guests fill their hotel rooms with sound from the iPods and MP3 players. “Whatever you can plug into a headphone jack, can be played through The Wave,” said AOM spokesman Rick Evans, explaining the all-in-one piece that made its debut at HD Expo. The product is a brainchild of AOM’s Fusion Studio, an inhouse division responsible for combining furniture and technology. Red Rose Music, a manufacturer of high-end audio equipment, designed the sound system in The Wave. The dark-maple, granitetopped piece also contains a vertical surface on which a flatscreen television could be mounted. “The key to this is customization,” said Rick Dortch, vice president of design at the contract furniture manufacturer. “Our job is to put ideas out there.” The largest percentage of the Martinsville, Va.-based company’s sales are to companies in the hospitality segment. AOM also sells to government clients as well as customers in healthcare industry, especially the assisted living niche. The company has been a subsidiary of La-Z-Boy Inc. since 2000. F&FI

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Stacy Garcia Designs Collection for Design Origins Garcia’s Carpet Designs Debut at HD Expo by Rebecca Goldberg

ANUET, New York — Design Origins has retained Stacy Garcia to produce a series of licensed carpet collections, according to company officials, and the collections premiered at

HD Expo in Las Vegas in May. Design Origins, a division of Shaw Industries Inc., launched its custom-patterned carpet brand in 2001 and has had success licensing famous designers to design ‘collections.’ Garcia brought more than a decade of design experience to the carpets, though this was her first carpet collection. She gained her hospitality experience as senior designer at New York City-based

Richloom Fabrics before founding Nanuet, New York-based Stacy Garcia Inc. She is also the founder of LebaTex, Inc., her consulting firm. Garcia met Shaw at a time when it was looking for new talent to contribute to its Design Origins’s line. She was, coincidentally, looking to get into the carpet business. “They didn’t limit me,” said Garcia. “They were familiar with my work and they said ‘create

Stacy Garcia’s Collection for Design Origins what your vision is for carpet,’ gave me the perimeters, and we did it.” Shaw has committed to producing three collections for this year and an ongoing three collections in the future, according to Garcia. Her first carpet collection features a minimum of 20 designs with field patterns and borders that coordinate with her own fab-

ric collections marketed under the LebaTex name. “We created a carpet collection which relates back to our fabric collection,” she said, adding that it was because she envisioned a solution for designers who are looking to match these two categories in a hospitality environment.

“Interior designers can pull together the inspiration between the two categories...and they have layers of product that they can pull from” “Interior designers can pull together the inspiration between the two categories...pull the pieces together, and they have layers of product that they can pull from,” Garcia said. With her collection, she wanted to introduce a new way of looking at carpet. “For me it was a cross between modern and transitional where it still has some leaf elements, it’s a very colorful modern look which is sort of signature, Stacy Garcia colors—a saturated palette,” said Garcia. “The super traditional carpets are not very big anymore. There is definitely a more modern aesthetic and as a whole, that’s where the trends have gone. It’s more colorful and more contemporary,” she said. According to Garcia, her carpets will excite those looking for a new kind of carpet, especially younger designers. “Our customer base is young, and typically the initial decision makers in the design community. Younger people respond to this style. We’ve had a lot of success with this on the fabric end and that’s why we’ve pulled this into the carpet collection. We’re offering something that looks new and fresh.” Of Garcia’s licensing, vice president of sales and marketing for Design Origins, Desiree Worsley, said: “we are delighted to welcome Stacy to our design team and look forward to the fresh, new approaches she will bring to the Design Origins label.” F&FI

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BED New York Brings Sheets to the Table in NY Restaurant Beds Provide Novel Restaurant Seating that Attracts Celebrities by Dianna Dilworth

EW YORK, New York —A New York restaurant is bringing the Bedroom to the dining area and by doing so, adding a new take on hospitality interiors. (Beverage. Entertainment. Dining) BED, is a chain of restaurants where guests can enjoy their dinner in a particularly comfortable setting-the bedroom. The latest launch, BED New York, opened in January, 2005, and houses some 23 beds. The restaurant is the second version of the BED Restaurant chain, the first opened in Miami in December 1999. “BED’s concept has matured and we are thrilled to expand our Bedroom to New York.

By taking the aesthetics of relaxed Miami elegance and twisting it with a modern New York interpretation, we know our guest will enjoy our menu in a relaxed and comfortable environment,” said Oliver Hoyos, partner and interior designer who designed the space within the confines of a 15,000 square foot loft in the Chelsea district of Manhattan. Together with his partner Dirk van Stockum, Hoyos brings more than 20 years of experience and his many contacts to BED New York. Between them, they have owned or operated international hotspots Havana supper club in London, The Beach Club in Holland, Black Market, Match/M-80, Hamptons, Flowers, Life, Spa, Float, crobar, BED Miami before the opening of BED New York. “BED New York is going to be an exciting new addition to the New York landscape. The design lends itself to a unique dining experience and our executive

chef, Vitor Casassola, will create a dynamic menu to complement the setting,” said van Stockum. The textiles and furnishings were originally supposed to be designed by Dwell Home, but instead were designed by Hoyos himself and made in-house. The Tempur-pedic mattresses are laid on zebrawood bed platforms, and are covered with goose down pillows in rose lilac and ivory tones. The walls are covered in foil wallpaper, the entrance halls lined with backlit fabric above wide plank walnut flooring. The second floor rooftop terrace features individual manicured gardens with gates leading to private dining areas. The rooftop also features a glassenclosed gazebo and enclosed atrium dining room and bar. The company currently offers a line of limited line of apparel products including, shirts and hats, to the retail customer through its web site, but hopes to expand into the home textiles market with a signa-

BED New York ture line of sheets. Though van Stockum and Hoyos have not decided who will design this line, the goal will be to brand the identity of the restaurant as well as to increase sales. Not only would creating a line of sheets increase revenue, but by building the brand, the company could use the retail line to expand the restaurant into more markets. As with the original Miami restaurant whose name reached New York through merchandise sales promotions via the BED Restaurant web site, the goal of having a line of sheets is to create brand loyalty.

Las Vegas is the next area that the BED Restaurant chain is moving into, as well as into a partnership with an Atlanta boutique hotel which has yet to be announced. “If we have the line of sheets, we can use them to promote our name before we move into the area, then by the time we get there, people have already heard of us,” said Danielle Shingleton. BED’s director of marketing and promotions. With the signature line of sheets added to the slew of regular celebrities that frequent the BED Restaurants, a brand identity of Bedroom-inspired restaurants and products looks promising. F&FI

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Raising the Par involves a designer who might appreciate the style.” According to Fanelli, existing properties will prove to be more of a challenge because they must convince the hotel to change their way of doing things. “My expectation in the American market, is that it will take three years before it is fully accepted. Until then the designer’s sensibility will appreciate it,” Fanelli said. The brand is well represented around the world, however, due to its highend appeal. He explained: “we sell on five continents because The Four Seasons, RitzCarlton, and Mandarin Oriental are on five continents.” These are the same companies who appreciated Anichini’s quality before the company formally entered the hospitality industry nearly five years ago as a natural extension to its high-end residential line. The 20-year old, Tunbridge, Vermont-based company, was founded by CEO Susan Dollenmaier and is still privately owned. “What we are targeting today is the high-end niche,” Fanelli said referring to Anichini’s highend clientele. “(To have) the lady

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that steps out of our boutique in Beverly Hills (California) today and goes to Cabo San Lucas (Mexico) tomorrow morning where she sleeps on Anchini sheets, then sees our linens in a restaurant—that is our ultimate goal, to extend her experience.” Anichini takes pride in adding luxury to one’s experience through the highest quality tex-

Anichini’s Printed Bedding Collection—Ravenna Mocha Blue was Shown at HD Expo tiles available. “Susan uses the best from every country in the world,” said Fanelli. These materials include Egyptian cotton (geeza 70) that is woven in either Italy or Istanbul, Indian silk and linen from Lithuania,” said Fanelli. “This is the spirit of the company. We can create whatever the customer wants from our textiles.” F&FI

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Hunter Douglas Marries Richmond Textiles Richmond’s ‘Urban Collection’; Richmond’s ‘Spa Collection’

in both categories. Most noticeably, they have expanded the Richmond line to include upholstery, top-of-bed, drapery fabrics and faux leather. “In keeping with the clean, contemporary and innovative style of Hunter Douglas Hospitality, Richmond is being featured in five-star properties. Now, Richmond makes fabrics that can even be made as duvet covers,” said Tony Tedesco, VP

sales and product development of Hunter Douglas Hospitality. Woven, top-of-bed Trevira fabrics help make a statement, according to Tedesco. With five-star hotels choosing more and more wovens, the company is positioning itself to meet that demand. Collections are split up into ‘Economically Essentials’ and ‘Essential Style’. And the polyester fabrics have tapestry looks and large scale patterns with Trevira

CS yarn. The ‘Sertanno Print Collection’ and ‘Bed Basics’ collections also debuted at the show. With Hunter Douglas Hospitality, Richmond can compete with larger companies in its new incarnation. It also allows Hunter Douglas to create decorative window coverings, which the designer has the availability to customize. “Richmond’s focus has been on custom prints. Here, custom color is blended with custom

process, as all windows are different,” said Harnach. “The designer can use the window as a design element.” To promote the new brand, Hunter Douglas displayed several innovations at the show in Las Vegas, Nevada. These products include ‘GreenScreen’, a PVCfree solar shade that does not emit gas or odor, ‘Duette Vertiglide’ vertical blinds designed with the sliding glass doors typical of timeshares in mind, and ‘Vignette’, which pairs Richmond patterns on Hunter Douglas fabric blinds. “The question is ‘what does the design community need us to do for them?’ All of our hospitali-

(Continued from page 36) Michael Wolk Designs New Mark David Line

and operators while continuing to adhere to his “own love of 2N D AN N UAL refinement and obedience to the strict laws of functionalism.” To complete the design concept, the outdoor collection is at The Fontainebleu Resort, based on the indoor pieces, Miami Beach, FL with additional items such as chaisTOPIC: es, side tables, dinDesigning for ing tables and the Boutique chairs. Experience Wolk has designed the pieces with the option for customization in mind. He, together e invite you to an engaging panel diswith David, decided to give cussion and Q&A featuring leading - bouthe hotel owners

SPECIFIERS’CLUB LUNCHEON

The Specifier s Luncheon hosted by Sipc o Events was well worth the trip. Our sales team received a great tique designers followed by a spectacularIntegrated media perspective on the hospi tality industry and valuable Wolk-style South Beach buffet luncheon. inside tips and advice from and designers true made-tothe panelists. As we begin our expansion into the-hos order possibilities, while still Date/Time: Tuesday, September 13th pitality division, we ve - sus having the media pieces adhere pected that our fashion -bath (day before HD Boutique) 10 AM -2 PM to some of the restrictions dicroom furnishings would be a tated by the equipment. But in L o c a t i o n : The Fontainebleau Resort great fit for this terms of finishes and some exte4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140 market the luncheon helped us rior modifications the potential confirm it. This was a great way to aesthetics are endless. network with some key industryC o s t : $75/Person — Includes Panel Discussion & Buffet Luncheon, Limited Seating Available The case goods with the intedecision-makers, while enjoying great food and a spectacular grated media solutions were priR S V P : Belinda Troncone, Tel: 914.923.0616 or view. marily intended for high-end e-mail: btroncone@sipco.net — Angela Eubanks, hotels that are design and tech® National Account Manager, DECOLAV SPEAKERS TO BE ANNOUNCED

M O D E R ATO R : SUPPORTERS:

Produced By: A portion of the proceeds will benefit:

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ty products focus on needs in the marketplace. We’ve gotten great feedback from the community and we’ve made major innovations because we were listening,” said Harnach. The company has added dozens of additional salespeople to accompany its new high-end focus, which brings residential luxury into the hospitality market. Additionally, the company is getting ready to launch a Pacific Rim sales force. “We’ve assembled one sales force to offer total solutions. It’s all about giving designers the tools they need to create,” said Harnach. “By offering both fabrics and window coverings, we’ve developed a unique, innovative opportunity for today’s designers.” F&FI

nology savvy. For this purpose, three broad categories of design styles were introduced: “The Cosmopolitan.” for urban, Zen, minimal, contemporary proper-

ties, “The Ambassador.” for the transitional locations, and “The Nautilus.” for the coastal, casual, resort-style hotels. And as the smart business man that he is, Wolk knows that “this collection has additional validity in the residential market.” Response from the expo has been overwhelming and “more than we expected,” said Wolk. It is quite remarkable that these efforts were realized in just one short year. This was in part due to the incredible commitment of the Mark David team and their manufacturing facilities in North Carolina, China and the Philippines. Wolk said this was a “much more exhilarating experience for me than most of my other product launches” because of the timeline from sketch to deployment. Both men are critically accomplished designers. Wolk heads the design firm Michael Wolk Design Associates, specializing in interior, furniture, product and web design. They are based in Miami, Florida. Most recently, he is working with Donald Trump on several hotel projects in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. F&FI

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HD Expo Prizes Innovation and Innovative Products by Michelle E. Finkelshteyn

AS VEGAS, Nevada — Presentation is everything, and the exhibitors of HD Expo 2005, which ran from May 5-7 at the Sands Exposition and Convention Center, here, pulled out all the stops to showcase their brands, products and designer visions. This year’s expo was bigger, brighter and full of innovation that is HOT. With over 1,000 exhibitors, here is a wrap-up of the best:

Edelman Leather

Hospitality. This new line of carpeting comes in several patterns that will set the stage for a designer’s vision in various patterns and textures of a neutral palette.

Westinghouse Digital & Aesthetic Mirror This year’s expo has shown us how companies can merge products and designs to bring us innovative uses for ordinary objects and enhance others. Enter Westinghouse and Aesthetic Mirror...they have turned the LCD TV into art with beautiful frames available in 16 different standard frame and matte combinations to fit 27” and 32” screens. Installation is a snap-literally. Decor Frames simply slide onto the Westinghouse LCD TV until it clicks into place.

the hospitality world ‘Beadazzled,’ has introduced ‘Mother of Pearl.’ The Mother of Pearl collection merges the elegance and natural look of genuine shell, which is cut into flat, contemporary rectangles. This veneer can be bent to fit curved surfaces. Also at show, Beadazzled, the company’s flexible glass bead wallcovering, has taken on a new life thanks to digital printing. Designers can print any image they wish behind the transparent beads.

Aqua Box

he has revolutionized modern design by integrating locally sourced organic materials with innovative hand-made production techniques. He is a product designer, manufacturer and owner of a furniture company [Interior Crafts of the Islands, Inc.] with his mother Betty, an accomplished designer is her own right.

Think furniture, fish tank, art...The Aqua Box. This cleverly designed aquatic fish tanks are housed in veneered and wooden cabinets. You can even listen to music. This was Austin, Texasbased Aqua Box’s first showing at HD Expo.

Harrison & Gil Philips Philips, based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands and Europe’s largest electronics company, has taken the viewing experience to a new level with the 50” Pixel Plus 2HD Flat Screen television. This unit may seem ordinary but, turn on your favorite movie and see the difference with Ambilight. With full-color ambient lighting, the viewing experience is enhanced as a soft light glows on the wall surrounding the TV. This hightech TV also allows users to share music and photos via the built-in USB and memory-card reader.

Shaw Hospitality — Design Origins by Shaw A booth of mood lighting created an alcove to showcase the new Bookends Collection of Shaw

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In a seamless dance from vision to evolution, from sketch to creation, Chris Harrison of UKbased Harrison & Gil, set out to design a chair that is sophisticated, sexy...and very elegant and the new design concept is just that. The patent-pending “Chris X Cross” Chair is unique in its rear leg configuration of a fluid letter X.

Continuing as the leading innovator in ultra-thin liquid crystal display (LCD) and plasma display panel (PDP) technologies, Seoul, South Korea-based LG stood out with the stunning 71-inch plasma HDTV monitor, the largest PDP in production worldwide today. The company is paving the way for design-conscious hoteliers to enter the digital television era, with a broad line of integrated LCD and plasma HDTV solutions. And, LG was the only featured TV manufacturer in the HD Expo 2005 “Hotel of Tomorrow” exhibition.

Maya Romanoff Making a grand stand at the expo with a new products sure to be a huge success. The ingenuity of Chicago, Illinois’ own Maya Romanoff, who recently brought

Kenneth Cobonpue USA Kenneth Cobonpue’s addition to the expo was The Dragnet, which needed no booth, no explanation, and no sales-pitch. Its composition is as entwined as the ropelike shell, made of a steel frame with steel cables knotted by hand. Strips of fabric (Sunbrella for the outdoor version) are then woven over the steel construction. A native of Cebu, Philippines,

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his arrival, and allow the business traveler to enjoy a virtual meal with her family. Maybe grass will replace traditional wallpaper or the avid runner can jog along the Maui coastline. The possibilities are as endless as our visions.

Leucos Enter the Andromeda collection from the lighting artists at Scorzè, Italy-based Leucos. This new line of hand-blown authentic Murano glass designs are custom designed for each project. Installations include the Borgata Hotel and Casino is Atlantic City, New Jersey and more casinos are in the works.

LG Electronics USA The quality and workmanship of New Milford, Connecticut-based Edelman Leather is now combined with the designs of Herman Miller to bring the discerning customer the best of both worlds. The classic designs of Charles & Ray Eames, George Nelson, and Alvar Aalto, along with contemporary designers such as Mark Goetz, is available in hundreds of Edelman Leather colors and textures.

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Aqualair

Robert Allen Contract Fashionably dressed mannequins in gowns with Robert Allen fabric adorned this creative approach to display at the textile giant’s booth. Here we saw the new fabric designs in numerous color waves. Robert Allen is based in Mansfield, Massachusetts

Imagine a private water retreat in the comfort of your suite. Dahlonega, Georgia-based Aqualair, a first time exhibitor at the show, inspires that ahh-factor with the introduction of their collection of showers and tub/shower combinations. These easy to assemble units provide all the amenities of a luxurious spa treatment facility: steam, shower, soak and powerful jets-without leaving your guestroom. F&FI

The Hotel of Tomorrow (HOT) The challenge: What will the hotel guestroom look like in the year 2025? The contending teams: Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Joie de Vivre (JDV) Hospitality, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo, and 13 manufacturing companies, along with the “ideation” strategist Matt Phillips of Phillips+Co. The outcome: After team building activities and numerous design and analysis projects, we were given a glimpse into the hotel of tomorrow (HOT). These rooms will know the guest before

F& FI P H O T O G A L L E R Y

Hospitality Designers and Suppliers Live the Good Life at LAS VEGAS, Nevada — At the show and around town, visitors and exhibitors of HD Expo had plenty to see, do, and numerous parties to attend. Whether at KravetContract & boutique DESIGN’s Cinco de Mayo Party, the Platinum Circle Awards, or the Party by the Pool, here are some of the revelers who managed to partake in both business and pleasure.

HD Expo 2005

CINCO DE MAYO

Victor Badillo, resource coordinator and Lynn Clements Soutter, director of purchasing, Duncan & Miller Design, Dallas, Texas

Dan Baldinger, principal of Baldinger, New York with Rosie Feinberg, principal of sfa Design, Santa Barbara, California

Tony Amplo, design director, KravetContract, New York with Lacy LaMartina and Lisa Roth of Montgomery Roth Architecture & Interior Design, New Orleans, Lousiana and Arnold Grodman, vice president, KravetContract

Rob Mayer VP, sales & marketing, Mayer Fabrics, Minneapolis with Don Bottorff, product business manager, seating of The HON Company, Muscatine, IA and Richard Mayer Sr., president of Mayer.

Jerry Schwartz, COO, Kravet Fabrics Corp. with Peggy Patterson, sourcing specialist, parks & resorts, Disney Worldwide Services Inc., Lake Buena Vista, Florida

PLATINUM CIRCLE

Clodagh of Clodagh Design and Rocky Lafleur, KF business development liaison for Keedler-Fauchere

Joan Malloy, project architect and Robert Ostan, design project manager, both of MGM Mirage Design Group

Jeffrey Beers of Jeffrey Beers International with Krista Johnson, director of business development and Todd-Avery Lenahan, both Las Vegas-based of ABA

Jerry Zeitner, VP and Ron Swidler, senior VP of Gettys with Thomas Shoner, principal of Thomas Shoner Associates all of Chicago, Illinois

Illinois natives Roger Hill, The Gettys Group CEO with Susan Spalding, Duralee Contract sales manager and Michael Medzigian, chairman and managing partner of Watermark Capital Partners

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Summer 2005 ■ F&FI

F& FI P H O T O G A L L E R Y

PARTY BY THE POOL

Philip Shannon, sales manager with Robert Goldstein, director of sales & marketing, both of Shimmer Screen, with Karen Farley, account manager and Nicole Mico of Metropolis magazine

Leslie Temples, principal of Leslie Temples & Co.; Scott Guthormsen, director-franchise design & construction, western region, Hilton; Christianne Clark, senior property improvement consultant-Americas, InterContinental Hotels Group

Janet Grodsky, Stern Professional Search & Consultants president; Susan Spalding, sales manager and Erica Jane Marshall, both of Duralee; Amy K. Price, of The Johnson Studio

Hannah Rogers, senior sales designer, Nigel Foxall, U.S. technical sales manager, Karl Mobley and Khaled Kefry, all of Cambridge Weavers New Yorkers Michael Freedman, national sales manager and Thomas Jensen-Hawver, VP sales & design, both of Innovations with Tamara Costa, advertising sales manager, Metropolis magazine

AROUND THE SHOW

Cindy Wolf, director, business development, Janus et Cie, Miami, Florida with Dorinne Mei Lee, president, DLA Design Group, Santa Monica, California

Summer 2005 â&#x2013; F&FI

Andy Pacuk, senior vice president, product design & merchandising and Karen Keating, operating vice president, fabric design with The Robert Allen Group, New York

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Dolly Zeligman, Igman Interiors, San Juan, Puerto Rico with Nancy Jackson, president, Architectural Systems Inc., New York and Toby Schermerhorn, principal, Toby, Frederick, Maryland

F& FI P H O T O G A L L E R Y

Sipco Publications Celebrates 15 Years in Italy During COMO, Italy — More than 7,800 visitors and 108 exhibitors attended Proposte, this year. The show ran from May 11-13 at Spazio Villa Erba, where it celebrated its 13th year as one of the world’s premier furnishings and curtain fabric fairs. Meanwhile, after dark, Sipco Publications had a celebration of its own at The Grand Hotel. F&FI invited a few of its closest friends to its 15th anniversary party. Thank you to those who attended and to our supporters! Here are some of them:

Proposte 2005

Luc Vandewiele, managing director of Beaulieu Fabrics, Kruishoutem (center), Belgium with Dirk Steenbeke of Passe Partout Trendy Furniture in Bornem, Belgium and Anders Bergqvist, fabric purchaser for United Fabrics, Nassjo, Sweden

Larry Leibenow, CEO, Quaker Fabrics Corp., Fall River, Massachusetts with Addy Bois, export design director and Roger Berkley, principal of Weave Crop., Hackensack, New Jersey

Nimish Arora, principal of Dicitex Décor, Mumbai and Al Bolton, export manager Valdese Weavers, Valdese, North Carolina

Tom Warwick, group chairman of Warwick Fabrics Ltd., Australia and girlfriend Robyn Sinclair at Regina Olga

Scott, Utta and Larry Kravet at Proposte

Peter DeWaele, sales manager for DecoContract with Patrick Geysels, director of Decosit

Angelo Brenna, U.S. sales manager for Emmecia, Italy; Nadine Andrews, fabric merchandiser for Lexington Furniture Brands, U.S. and Mike Shelton, president of Valdese Weavers, Valdese, North Carolina

Oxana Kleamenko, Kleam & Bros, Moscow upholstery wholesaler; Mario Sirtori himself and Regina Gurman, export manager for Sirtori who covers the Russian market

Pietro Bertarini, general manager, Imatex with David Canovan, sales director of Villa Nova, Nottingham, England; Adrian Adams of Weavers Gallery agency, Bristol, England; Hayley Gill, design manager for Villa Nova

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Summer 2005 ■ F&FI

F& FI P H O T O G A L L E R Y

A Sold Out Show Brings Textile Style and Innovation CHIASSO, Switzerland — Scoperta, which ran from May 10-13, here, celebrated its seventh anniversary across the lake from Como, Italy where its neighbor Proposte was showing. This year’s sold out show brought in exhibitors from 80 countries and visitors from approximately 60, all of whom were on hand to view this year’s fabrics and drapery. In effort to promote innovation in the industry, the show included Comocreainterni, an outlet where the technology could be on display.

at Scoperta 2005

Eric Mathou, Lise Watkins of Woods and Watkins and Claire Eastwood, ATP Classic designer, both from Lancashire, UK.

Happy Birthday Bill Davis!

Jean-Marc Saurini, principal of Domobel, Chassieu, France with Elaine Taylor Gordon, FlashForce and Andrew Green, managing director of Trade Link Ltd., organizer of Scoperta.

Bill Davis of Trade Link celebrated his birthday opening day of Scoperta, on May 10, and combined it with the 7th Scoperta celebration!

Robert Thompson, New Zealand consultant and Karl De Preter of Tissat, Oostrozbeke, Belgium

Over 800 Exhibitors Show the Latest in Turkish Textiles ISTANBUL, Turkey — This year’s trade fairs took us all across the map last spring. Our final stop was Evteks, Turkey’s greatest home textile trade fair, which ran from May 18-22. The show features tulles, curtains, upholstery, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, linen, floor coverings, wall coverings, and home accessories from over 800 exhibitors. Here are some of the people we met along the way:

Yasmin Guidas and Serge Nevelans, principal of Symphony Mills in Wielsbeke, Belgium

Patrea Burrows Hall of Patrea Burrows Pty., Ltd., Sydney, Australia and Lynette Rayward, product coordinator for James Dunlop Textiles, Auckland, NZ

Prince Vijay Assomoul of Jakarta, Indonesia

at Evteks 2005

Ersin Tukek, principal of Ipek, the Rustika distributor in Turkey; Ayse Yildrim and Muge Pamuku of Tekboy, knitted fabric printing house in Istanbul and Jorge Bernabeu sales manager of Antecuir of Spain

Saleh Aljedaie of Riyadh, S.A. and Ismail Cansever of Penelope, Bursa, Turkey

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Nadia Benmoussa and husband Aderrahman Benmoussa of Casablanca

Summer 2005 ■ F&FI

F& FI G L O B A L M A R K E T P L A C E

Advertiser Index

AIR & OCEAN FREIGHT FORWARDING WORLDWIDE

For more information about one of our advertisers, see the page number listed: Company

Page #

Company

Page #

Bezz Gidas . . . . . . . . . . . .1, 10

Integra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

¥ ¥

Blue Mountain . . . . . . . . . . .21

Kosa/Avora . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

boutique DESIGN . . . . . . . .38

Libas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Breakfast at Showtime . . . . .31

London Fabric . . . . . . . . . . .50

Croscill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Messe Frankfurt . . . . . . . . .18

Dicitex Furnishings . . . . . . . .9

Portfoilio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Duralee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-7

Quaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-5

Edgar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-3

Richloom . . . . . . . . . . . . .26-27

ESA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Rockland . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-15

ESC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-13

Specifiers’ Club

¥ ¥ ¥

Express Air Freight . . . . . . .65 Fanimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 HD Boutique . . . . . . . . . . . .41

LOWEST PRICES DIRECT COMPUTER ACCESS TO OVER 100 MAJOR AIRLINES AUTOMATIC FAX FLIGHT INFORMATION CENTRALIZED CUSTOMER SERVICE 2-3 DAY TRANSIT TIME WORLDWIDE BILINGUAL STAFF TOLL FREE WITHIN THE

USA:

TEL 1-800-878-0303 FAX 1-888-878-0303 www.expressairfreight.com e-mail: info@expressairfreight.com CORPORATE OFFICE: 147-20 184TH St. Jamaica, NY 11413

7966 NW 14TH St. Miami, FL 33126

LAS VEGAS OFFICE: WASHINGTON DC OFFICE: 6414 Windy St. Cargo Building #5, Las Vegas, NV 89119 2ND Floor OUTSIDE THE USA: Washington Dulles Int. Airport OUTSIDE THE USA: TEL (305) 592-3344 OUTSIDE THE USA: TEL (718) 995-2900 OUTSIDE THE USA: FAX (305) 592-9988 TEL (702) 614-0900 Washington, D.C. 20041 FAX (718) 656-0859 TEL (404) 765-9891 FAX (702) 914-8036 OUTSIDE THE USA: TEL (703) 996-8885 MIAMI OFFICE: FAX (404) 765-9825 FAX (703) 996-0415 ATLANTA OFFICE: 510 Plaza Drive Suite 1880 Atlanta, GA 30349

OUTSIDE THE USA:

TEL (310) 978-2720 FAX (310) 978-2727

TEL (704) 359-8900 FAX (704) 359-8600

Luncheon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 c o n t r a c t / h o s p i t a l i t y

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Showtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Textirama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

(Continued from page 34)

Starwood: Bringing the Best Beds since 1998

Trevira . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Improvements to the brand fall under the Four Comfort initiative TSG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 that was announced last July. Hospitality Match Starwood specified Sealy International . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Unidad Textile Puente . . . . .25 Posturepedic Plush Top Sleep System (an 11.5-inch-tall mattress) Hertiage House . . . . . . . . . .29 Vakko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 for the Four Comfort bed. Sealy was also tapped to provide a nineinch-tall box spring, called the Shock Abzzorber. Coating and Finishing of Nonwoven & Industrial The brand rounded out its Fabrics upgrade by adding two more pilWe need a top level individual with a minimum ten lows to the bed. A Four Comfort years experience in the fabric industry to sell our com bed has four pillows (two for sleepmission finishing services: Chemical coating, saturation, lamination, calendering, application of water repellants, fire retardants, antimicrobial treatments, etc. We are a 104 year-old company with five plants locat ed in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Full benefit pack by Jon Hendrix age included. Salary commensurate with experience. Please send detailed resume including chronological ACAU, China — Wynn work history to: Resorts, Limited will expand the Wynn Macau TSG Incorporated resort, the company 1400 Welsh Road, North Wales, Pa. 19454 announced in early Attn. Personnel Dept. May. Meanwhile, the primary construction phase continues. Wynn broke ground on the property in June Highly experienced textile salesperson 2004, and the venue is with a proven track record is looking for scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2006. lines to represent into the eastern porWork on the expansion is slattions of the United States. Hisar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

LOS ANGELES OFFICE: CHARLOTTE OFFICE: 12833 Chadron Ave. 4749 West Blvd Hawthorne, CA 90250 Charlotte, NC 20208

SALES MANAGER

ing and two oversized pillows) for ‘lounging,’ said Starwood’s Jon Coleman. A decorative, cushioned duvet replaces the traditional bedspread, and a pillow atop the bed leverages the brand’s logo, a compass. Sheraton brand’s Sweet Sleeper, a double-sheeted bed based on an 11.5-inch-tall Sealy Posturepedic plush-top mattress, was introduced two years ago. W Hotels, a boutique brand aimed at hip customers, offer

Simmons mattresses and 250thread-count sheets in its 20 locations. St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, a Starwood luxury line, features 100 percent cotton, 300-thread-count sheets. Baker Linen provides many of Starwood’s bedding components They source sheets that we use from a variety of different sources,” said Coleman. “The ensemble on the Westin side and for Sheraton comes from Kojo Worldwide.” F&FI

Wynn Expands in Macau

Fabric Lines Wanted in USA

The ability to see all of the major U.S furniture manufacturers and distributors is assured. The ability to contract and manage a sales force for the entire country is available so you can secure national representation of the highest caliber. If you are a mill who is dissatisfied with your current representation or looking to enter this market with the highest caliber representation, please contact me at the address below.

experiencedseller@triad.rr.com Summer 2005 ■ F&FI

ed to begin in the third quarter of this year and should be finished by July 2007. All told, Wynn Macau will sprawl over a 16-acre parcel on the Macau inner harbor that Wynn Resorts has leased from the Macau government. The campus, located about 40 miles from Hong Kong, Steve Wynn will house 600 hotel rooms, nine restaurants, 28,000 square feet of retail space, a spa, a salon, and

entertainment facilities. Its 185,000 square feet of casino space will be a gambling haven with 350 table games, 850 slot machines and a sports book. The budget for the initial phase of the Wynn Macau project is $704 million, according to Wynn Resorts’ most recent quarter-ending report. The agreement between Wynn and the Macau government requires the casino-andresort company to approximately $500 in casino projects by June of 2009. F&FI

SALES REPRESENTATION World recognized jacquard mill, Wearbest Sil-Tex Mills, Ltd., located in the United States is seeking international sales representation in the following regions; Middle East, Far East, South America and Europe. Our award winning designs are constructed of natural and man-made fibers, featuring silks, mercerized cottons and rayon. We have just launched our outdoor/indoor performance product, Bella-Dura™ and we are now ready to introduce it to the international market. If you feel that you are the right person or agency to handle one or more of these regions fax a cover letter and resume to Mr. Tom Notaro, Vice President Sales/Marketing, at (212) 633-9480 or e-mail to www.tnotaro@wearbest.com. Interviews will be conducted at Decosit.

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F& FI C A L E N D A R June

Baltimore Convention Center Baltimore, Maryland Contact: Mark Falanga, vice president Tel: 312-527-4141 E-mail: mfalanga@mmart.com NeoCon East provides solutions for the design and management of the built environment. The show also includes Government Interiors, Buildings Show®, GREENlife™: Products for Sustainable Environments and the new Architectural Stone and Ceramic Tile Exposition.

23-24 HD Asia 2005 Hong Kong Convention Centre Hong Kong, China Contact: Lee Arevian E-mail: larevian@vnuexpo.com Tel: 703.488.2739 www.hdasiaexpo.com Hospitality Design Exhibition & Conference: the only expo and conference in Asia Pacific solely focused on hospitality.

Decosit

September July 21-24 International Tile & Stone Show New York Jacob Javits Convention Center New York City, New York Contact: Stevan Fisher, U.S. national sales manager Tel: 818.344.4202 Fax: 818.344.4203 Email: steve@itssexpos.com www.internationaltileandstoneshow.com ITSS represents the lowest cost trade show in New York City.

25-29 Interior Lifestyle USA World Market Center Las Vegas,Nevada Contact: Messe Frankfurt, Inc. Tel: 770.984.8016 Fax: 770.984.8023 E-mail: info@usa.messefrankfurt.com Web: www.interior-usa.com World Market Center will hold two semi-annual Markets in January and July. The first Las Vegas market to be held from July 25-29, 2005.

August 29-31 HotelExpo 2005 Gostiny Dvor Moscow, Russia Contact: ITE Group Plc 105 Salusbury Road, London, NW6 6RG, UK Tel: +44(0)207 596 5000 Fax: +44(0)207 596 5111 Over 200 international exhibitors from all sectors of the hotel, restaurant and bar equipment industry.

November

14-15 NeoCon East

10-13 DECOSIT 2005

2-6 Maison & Objet Parc des Expositions Paris, France Contact: www.maisonobjet.com/en/index.htm Tel: +33 (0)1 58 07 18 00 Fax: +33 (0)1 46 73 91 54 E-mail: hotlinemo@gldatasystems.fr Come and meet, consult, talk with and subscribe to French and international media in the world of decoration, giftware, tableware.

8-11 PROMOSEDIA — 29th International Chair Exhibition

9-12 Textiles d’intérieur première tip & Prêt Brussels Kart Expo Brussels, Belgium Contact: www.tipexpo.com Tel: +44 (0) 1442 233234 Fax: +44 (0) 1442 240123 E-mail: tip@trade-link.co.uk A vast range new fabric collections are shown from top manufacturers worldwide. Original designs and innovation, combined with traditional quality and style are the keys to the exhibition’s success.

Earis Court 2 London UK Contact: Caroline Huffelmann — Event Manager Tel: +44 (0) 20 8910 7724 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8910 7985 www.100percentdesign.co.uk 100% Design promotes and supports a London-wide celebration of contemporary design (100% Guaranteed).

New in 2006: exclusive high-end pavilion Contact: Caroline Hayes Tel +44 (0)20 7724 0851 Fax +44 (0)20 7706 1924 Email: londonfabric@bfm.org.uk

14-15 HD Boutique South Beach, Florida Contact: 866.693.1007 or 301.694.5243 E-mail: hdboutique@vnuexpo.com www.hdexpo.com HD Boutique connects you with the people, products and ideas you need to take on new challenges in the everchanging hospitality design marketplace.

Mandalay Bay Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada Contact: Steven Fisher, U.S. national sales manager Tel: 818.344.4202 Fax: 818.344.4203 E-mail: steve@itssexpos.com www.internationaltileandstoneshow.com ITSS Las Vegas is the #1 trade show in the US for machinery, stone and tools plus the entire spectrum of allied products and services.

Hyatt Regency Atlanta Atlanta, Georgia Contact: JD Events Tel: 203.371.6322 E-mail: info@jdevents.com www.hcaredesign.com The Symposium on Healthcare Design is the longest-running event dedicated to the improvement of the overall health and welfare of patients and successful business outcomes through the design element. The symposium will bring together the entire team including facility managers, architects, interior designers, healthcare executives and practitioners.

23-25 E3S Bad Salzuflen, Germany Contact: Mittelstrasse 50 33602 Bielfeld Tel: +49-(0)521-96533-50 fax: +49-(0)521-96533-77 The European forum for Solid Surfaces and Engineered Stone.

100% Design

HD Boutique

11-13 International Tile & Stone Show Las Vegas

26-28 The 18th Annual Symposium on Healthcare Design

Drapery & upholstery fabric, leather and trimmings International Trade Fair

Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, Georgia Contact: U.S. Green Building Council 1015 18th Street, NW Suite 805 Washington, DC 20036 Tel: 202.828.7422 E-mail: info@greenbuildexpo.org www.greenbuildexpo.org The Greenbuild International Conference & Expo is presented annually by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit coalition of more than 5,500 private companies, nonprofits and governmental agencies working to transform the building industry.

22-25 100% Design 2005

Earl’s Court, London

Udine Esposizioni Showgrounds — Torreano di Martignacco Udine, Italy Contact: Jessica Picotti jessica@promosedia.it www.promosedia.it/salone_eng/info_sa lone_eng.html This is the only international exhibition in the world dedicated to seating and is an event not to be missed for thousands of members of the trade worldwide: buyers, importers, agents, wholesalers, retailers, architects, designers and the media.

Brussels Expo Brussels, Belgium Contact: info@decosit.com www.decosit.com Decosit is the leading specialized trade fair for the upholstery sector.

9-11 The Greenbuild International Conference & Expo

Mail or FAX this form with your credit card information to: (914) 923-0018 (USA) Sipco Publications Inc., P.O. Box 161, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510, USA. Order online at: www.sipco.net

US$130 One full year subscription: (4 Issues) Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Products you specify or purchase: ❑ Fabric ❑ Upholstery ❑ Area rugs/Machine made rugs ❑ Towels/Sheets/Bedding ❑ Fibers/Yarns/Fiberfill ❑ Window coverings ❑ Wallcoverings Type of business:

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Charge It! Fax It! or Mail It!

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