Fabrics & Furnishings - Spring 2016 Issue

Pro Free pos cop te & ies a Evt t eks

Volume 26, Number 2

Spring 2016

The Global Home & Contract Furnishings Newspaper

Deco Off is ON PAGE

38

Joe Yu and Vincent Kwan

Bonanza!

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How the West Was Won PAGE

41 PAGE

14 PAGE

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Al Guthmi Starts Global Brands

Harry Samelson and Mark Teppel

Ahmed Al Guthmi and Sam Rayess, Bentex/ Burlington Technologies

Coral Healthcare Fabrics Boosts Samelson-Chatelane

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New Face at Proposte Michael Carr RM COCO Décor owner

Hispano Tex Offers Prints, Bedding To U.S. Retailers, Wholesalers Victor Melul

USA Office and Showroom 4 1 1 Av i a t i o n P a r k w a y Morrisville, NC 27560 Te l . ( 9 1 9 ) 2 3 4 . 8 0 2 5 Fax (919) 234.8030 info@classicalelements.com w w w. c l a s s i c a l e l e m e n t s . c o m Vi s i t Us at S h ow t i m e Ju n e 5 - 8 t h Booth # SMS 1-635 USA • It a ly • C hina

w w w. F a b r i c s A n d F u r n i s h i n g s . c o m

F FI I N F O The Global Home & Contract Furnishings Newspaper

Table of Contents F&FI Spring 2016 | Vol. 26, No. 2 Samplebook Supermarket ‘Bonanza’ Succeeds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Al Guthmi Starts Global Brands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Satin’s Pasaya Brand Looks for New Distribution in North America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Belle Maison Unveils Online Consumer Brand ‘Colorfly Home’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Yongshun 4-Pass Blackout Offers New Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 INTERVIEW: Designers Guild’s Tricia Guild Maintains Tradition With New Technology . . . 20 Carr Bros. Look to Restore RM COCO Residential Decorative Fabric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Czarnecki Joins Flocktex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The House of Arora Joins the World’s Most Beautiful Office Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The Rothman Fabric Dynasty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 St. Leger & Viney Expands House Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Paris Deco Off is On. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37 Hispano Tex Offers Prints, Bedding To U.S. Retailers, Wholesalers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Contract/HospitalityNews Coral Healthcare Fabrics Boosts Samelson-Chatelane Contract Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Trevira® Looks to Unlock Sales Potential in Asia, Especially China. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

De Negri Positions Itself In American Hospitality, Cruise Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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DESIGN

Follow the Yellow Brick Road. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

520 West Avenue, Suite 701, Miami Beach, FL 33139 USA Website: www.fabricsandfurnishings.com Telephone 001.917.251.9922 | ISSN: 1523-7303 Publisher & Editor | Eric S. Schneider Art Director | Roxanne Clapp, RoxC LLC Corporate Secretary | Gail Goldman, PhD. CORPORATE CONSULTANTS Printing/Distribution | Interprint Web Printing Web Design | Synthovation E.U. Legal Counsel | Herman Nayaert SIPCO NEWS NETWORK India | S. Vishwanath U.K. | Jennifer Castoldi Belgium | Jan Hoffman

EDITORIAL & PUBLISHING EDITOR & PUBLISHER USA, EUROPE & CHINA Eric Schneider Tel: 001.917.251.9922 E-Mail: eric@sipco.net

ART DIRECTOR Roxanne Clapp Tel: 001.813.991.1860 E-Mail: rox@sipco.net

WEB DEVELOPER Rocco Cerullo, Artisian Designs Tel: 001.954.914.4758 E-Mail: recerullo@artisian.com DISTRIBUTION Mike Panella E-Mail: mikep@apc-pli.com

ADVERTISING SALES

Departments

Photo Gallery - Showtime: Winter Showtime Sees Some New Faces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Photo Gallery - Heimtextil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Advertiser Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

TURKEY GERMAN SPEAKING AREA Sevim Gunes Isa Hofmann Tel: 90.532.236.25.24 Tel: +49 611.890.59640 Fax: 90.216.390.20.27 Fax: +49 611.87086 Email: skeskinci@gmail.com Email: info@ihofmann.com

INDIA S. Wishwanath Tel: 91.80.26685821 Cell: 91.93.42821379 Fax: 91.80.26684670 Email: s_wishwanath@hotmail.com

Dicitex Opens Tresorie Lifestyle Outlet Sipco News Network

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UMBAI, India—Dicitex Furnishing Group has launched its Luxury Brand TRESORIE, by showcasing its first lifestyle store of 10,000 square feet here with a range of DCTEX bedding along with readymades including cushions throws and accessories.

Dicitex is also showcasing its

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Italian made wallpaper collection at this location.

The newly renovated store features a roof top lounge and coffee shop.

It is headed by Mrs. Sonali Arora, design head and creative Director of Dicitex Furnishings. The mill says it will not open fabric stores but it will definitely showcase more

stores in future which have an eclectic mix of lifestyle luxurious products.

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Samplebook Supermarket Succeeds in China Market Bonanza to launch Western samplebook outlet within two years Sipco News Network

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RANKFURT, Germany — Joe Yu, Principal of Bonanza, a 20 year old Chinese wholesaler, is extending its successful concept of

Joe Yu

showcasing Chinese made fabrics in his four showrooms into a fifth western lines only showroom for use by interior designers and furniture manufacturers within two years time.

If you’re old enough to remember, Bonanza was also a highly successful Western series which ran on television from 1959-1973. Bonanza Principal Joe Yu and his consulting branding and execution partner, Vincent Kwan may be on to something big here, industry veterans say.

Yu and Kwan stopped by the Fabrics & Furnishings stand at Heimtextil to discuss their plans on how to win the West in their next venture, a Western lines only showroom, The new Western ‘supermarket’ is expected to open within two years and the pair is looking for Western

manufacturers and converters to join the excitement.

Bonanza is strictly a supermarket for sample books.

“Customers don’t want to spend the time shopping so they come to us and look at the samplebooks,” Yu explains. “We order their selections from the manufacturer.”

All of the lines are displayed in the original books so that the buyers can easily shop the entire market in a few hours without having to go to each manufacturer individually, saving lots of time in the selection process.

Currently, there are four

showrooms; one high-end showroom in Houjie, Dongguan, a furniture oriented area of China just like High Point, N.C. Almost 95 percent of Chinese lines are represented in the Dongguan store, Yu says. “These samplebooks service the medium priced furniture manufacturers Bonanza also represents JAB of Bielefeld, Germany; Pasaya of Thailand; Roc-lon®, the well known drapery lining produced in the USA; Reynaldo, the Dutch wholesale brand; Jim Thompson Thai Silks; Duralee’s Highland Court (USA); RM COCO Décor (USA) and Romo of the UK.

“

Customers don’t want to spend the time shopping so they come to us and look at the samplebooks

”

Major Middle East Wholesaler Al Guthmi Starts Global Brands Cocoon, Murex look to new export markets worldwide

Vincent Kwan This showroom also in Dongguan services the interior designer.

The other two showrooms represent mass-market lines in Shenzhen and Shunde.

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Satin’s Pasaya Brand Looks for New Distribution in North America

Sipco News Network

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EDDAH, South Africa — Mohammed O. Al Guthmi Sons Co., the largest wholesaler and retailer in the Middle East with 21 showrooms, 2,000 distribution points and $50 million in sales has launched its first export brands under the Cocoon and Murex label.

The lines were shown at Heimtextil 2016 and will be shown again in Istanbul during Evteks and then at Heimtextil Russia. Al Guthmi has its headquarters in Jeddah with branches in Kuwait,

Sipco News Network

UAE, Qatar, Lebanon, Yemen, Oman and all Gulf countries.

“We had all of our eggs in one basket, says Ahmed Al Guthmi, Principal and “ now we are talking some of those eggs and putting them in new baskets,” he laughs.

“In order to expand our business and add diversity to our clientele body, we decided to establish an export department,” says Ahmed Al Guthmi, Principal.

The 75 new collections of sam-

ple books in two lines are produced in Jeddah with photography from Holland and USA. All collections are served both on cut and roll basis. The company’s motto is “no order is too big or too small for us to accommodate,” says Mohammed Al Guthmi, Marketing Director.

Cocoon is the high end of the line in the $15-$80 per yard range while Murex is the mass-market line in the $15 and below range. Within (continued on Page 19)

Cocoon and Murex brand team: Burkan Uzun, Ayse Dedeoglu, wife of Ibrahim Dedeoglu, Ahmed Mohammed Al Guthmi and son Mohammed with Volkan Bakdur

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ANGKOK, Thailand — Satin Textiles Inc., has taken a new direction in marketing its Pasaya brand, which has expanded sales in the past five years according to Nick Bernhardt, International Sales Manager.

Satin Textiles brought Pasaya to market in 2002, gaining wide popularity and fame in the domestic Thai market that was followed by an export push.

“Pasaya continues to establish new distributors and showrooms in Thailand, Southeast Asia, as well as other major export markets like Japan, China, Australia, Europe and the Middle East according to Bernhardt, an American living in Bangkok.

He is working with Satin’s long time agent, Johnny Keeton, New York.

With the Keeton Sales Agency, Bernhardt has started to establish key distributors and working relationships to promote the Pasaya Collections in the United States, Canada and Mexico. They finished a joint road trip for this pur-

Ratiya Chantian Wood, Marketing Director, Satin Textiles with Johnny Keeton, U.S. Sales agent

pose in November accompanied by Ratiya Chantian Wood, Marketing Director and a principal of Satin Textiles with her husband Schlee Wood.

“Satin Textiles is bringing new products to shake up the market, including energy-saving draperies, silhouetted dimouts, wall fabrics with optional permanent FR treatment, roller blinds, and decorative rugs,” Bernhardt pointed out. “In an effort to appeal to all sectors (continued on Page 16)

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Belle Maison Unveils Online Consumer Brand ‘Colorfly Home’ Sipco News Network

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ICHMOND HILL, N.Y.-Belle Maison USA Ltd., a 35-year-old importer of mostly sheer curtain panels as well as a colorful print converter, has created a sixth brand called ‘Colorfly Home’ for online customers.

“The conventional retail customer base is shrinking out there and that is the reason for our

new online sales brand, Colorfly Home,” says Liz Romano, secondgeneration owner, since 2000 when she joined the company with her brother James.

Their parents Elie, CEO, and Ethel, Vice President, are still active in the business as the original founders.

“We have an internal design studio and buy our own designs,” she says. The company produces 40-50 sku’s every six months, she

says and is a regular exhibitor at Showtime in High Point. (She was recently seen at Heimtextil 2016.)

While readymade window treatments are still a major part of the Belle Maison business, the company also sells printed decorative piece goods under the ‘Belle Maison By the Yard’ brand and five readymade brands: Renaissance Home Fashions, Stylemaster, Twill & Birch,

Colorfly and Everdark.

“We sell to jobbers, manufacturers, big retailers and catalogs. There are no direct sales to designers,” Liz says.

The 25 employee company maintains a 20,000 square foot office and warehouse in Queens, NY and a company owned 50,000 square foot warehouse in Bridgeport, CT. There are ten agents on the road for Belle Maison.

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Liz Romano

(Continued from Page 14)

Satin’s Pasaya Brand of the market, Satin Textiles is making all of these items available in small as well as bulk quantities.”

Satin Textiles is a vertically integrated mill specializing in high quality home fabrics.

The 64 hectare campus outside of Bangkok is said to use green technology in an advanced production line consisting of in-house designers, yarn processing, weaving, dyeing, finishing, and sewing fabrics in 140 cm and 280 cm widths. Satin has been producing jacquards and dobbies for upholstery as well as bedding, window furnishings and accessories for the past 30 years.

Throughout the years, Satin Textiles has been a featured supplier at Heimtextil Frankfurt; Decosit Brussels; Maison Objet in Paris, and Intertextile in Shanghai.

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Satin Textiles Den Chalermphon, export sales with Nicholas Bernhardt, Export Sales Manager

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By Jennifer Castoldi

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anuary and February are a bit like an adventure with Dorothy and her gang along the Yellow Brick Road. The winter trade shows and design trails were brimming with new shapes, novel material applications, fun merchandising, and feel-good designs. Join us this month with Fabrics & Furnishings International to take a gander at some of the highlights.

Seasonal textiles are gaining momentum in the marketplace—and not your standard red and green. In the Christmasworld trend forum a variety of bright patterns are ready to warm clients next winter.

Cinna showcased a novel arrangement of upholstery at Maison&Objet where backrests almost appeared like shark fins breaking through the water, or even seen as the tip of the iceberg.

The Deutsches Tapen-Institut certainly brought color to its stand at imm cologne where a group of actors added flair to the latest wallcovering collections on show.

Haven’t had the chance to visit Amsterdam’s museums to take in the elegant Dutch floral paintings? They are a growing trend in prints, so no need to jump on a plane when textiles and wallcoverings are all around like this pattern from Eijffinger.

A visit to Creativeworld showed that knits are just as hot for the DIY market as they are in the trade.

Handmade has its charm; there are also porcelain markers now available to create the same aesthetic, but on hardgoods.

(Continued on Page 34)

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Yongshun 4-Pass Blackout Offers New Styles Sipco News Network

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NAHEIM, California — In 2016, Yongshun Textiles is planning to introduce a 200-sku collection of Allbright blackout fabrics with four-pass coating in jacquards, dobbies and prints according to John Sofka, U.S. Sales Manager based in California.

Sofka says the initial introduction of Yongshun 4-pass

blackout in basic styles last year to the workroom market has been successful.”

“The next step is for us to warehouse the fabrics on the East Coast of the U.S. and service manufacturers with a complete line by April 1. Sofka says that Yongshun has a coating capacity of 700,000 yards a month at its plant in Shaoxing, China, about two hours from Shanghai.

In other developments, Sofka

says Yongshun will introduce a non-FR line of blackout to the residential market this year.

In an unrelated development, Sofka, who also heads the Softex sales agency, has also developed a copyrighted ‘endangered species’ collection of designs for transfer printing hospitality and residential textiles and accessories. He is looking for a manufacturer of finished product to use the designs and arrange

retail distribution.

“These designs are digitally printed on NAFTA basecloths including recycled polyester.”

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Sofka shows off one of his new wild life designs

(continued from Page 14)

Al Guthmi Exports Cocoon, Murex Brands five years, Cocoon and Murex lines are expected to produce substantial sales according to Volkan Bakdur Area Sales Director covering Far East and North African markets.

The new lines feature plains, textures, jacquards, embroideries and prints in all price levels in polyester, poly blends with cotton, viscose and linens.

There are 100 percent silks from India and China as well as velvets, satins and taffetas from Europe and Turkey.

“The mix is 80 percent upholstery and 20 percent curtain fabric at this time,” Bakdur adds. Recently, Al Guthmi inked a deal with Mideast Sales Director Houssam Rayess to supply the Bentex contract line from Burlington Technologies which now has a showroom in Dubai.

“We expect to build a business globally now beyond the Middle East with these two brands that will eventually be equal in size to the parent company,” Bakdur confirms.

He is based in Jeddah along with his colleagues Ibrahim Dedeoglu, Export Manager; M. Burkan Uzun, Area Sales Manager for Russia and Europe, originally from Adoksan Mills, Bursa and Mohammed Ahmed Alguthmi, 22 year-old Marketing Manager, Export Division. The other men are in their late 30’s. Ayse Dedeoglu, wife of Ibrahim Dedeoglu, designs the collections and catalogs. Originally, Bakdur, Dedeoglu and Uzun came from Bursa where they worked with Turkish mills. Now, they run the new business for Ahmed Al Guthmi, the Principal. Al Guthmi has a liaison office with a new showroom in Bursa in order to accommodate customers who buy directly from Turkish mills.

Dedeoglu started with the company in the purchasing department of Al Guthmi. He was export manager at Elvin for 10 years and joined Al Guthmi in the Cocoon and Murex division last March 2015. F&FI

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Guleser JUNIOR

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INTERVIEW: Designers Guild’s Tricia Guild Maintains Tradition With New Technology Over 45 years in the industry and she is still going on strong

By Jennifer Castoldi

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ONDON — Designers Guild founder Tricia Guild has been a mover and shaker in the textile industry since 1970 and her showing at Deco Off proved no exception.

Tricia shed some light on the

new collections, her inspirations, and her business collaborations.

Based in the United Kingdom, with a house in Italy, and many stamps in her passports, this woman knows how to create international appeal.

The Spring / Summer 2016 collection is diverse in its offering.

The early 1950’s Parisian Haute

Couture featuring silks, brocades, and taffetas influences couture Rose; the flowers are big and bold.

Marquisette features tulips, painted clouds, small-scale textural patterns, and ribbon-like swirls in neutrals and soft hues. The Colonnade is both contemporary and classic – a jacquard woven check with an

overdyed velvet pile in delicate colorways. The greige cloth selection comprises a robust range of plain weaves, velvets, as well as jacquards in a variety of grays; some designs are recolored and reinvented, while others are new to the mix.

Tricia is very detail oriented and “quality is key” to her designs. She

Tricia Guild keeps licensing to a minimum as maintaining control of the brand is of utmost importance to her. She shares that Designers Guild is not tied to one supplier, but does value the long-lasting relationships that have been built over the years.

Mentioning a recent collaboration with Bisazza tiles, which interprets the hand-painted florals into elaborate mosaics, and an ear-to-ear grin spreads across Tricia’s face.

Coincidentally Rossella Bisazza stopped into the showroom during the interview and it was very clear that these women value industry friendships right along with beautiful, saleable designs.

The brand is known for the hand-painted florals coming from its studio, and balances the technological with the traditional.

Designers Guild has been an early adopter in the field of digital print.

Currently more than 60% of the print collection is digitally printed.

Tricia likes to play with repeat, scale, color gradations, and capture the detail of every brushstroke and color, all of which can be supported through the latest printing technologies sourced from Italy.

Solids are integral to the collection too. Tricia Guild thumbs through a swatch book and proudly explains how Designers Guild stocks 2500 colors of chenille in its UK distribution center.

Materials and textures are also silent drivers of the new selections. Tricia was keen to introduce unique contrasts this season by pairing noble materials like silks and velvets with raw materials like canvas and pure linen.

When asked about searching for inspiration Tricia philosophically stated, “It is agony and ecstasy.” F&FI

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Carr Bros. Look to Restore RM COCO Residential Decorative Fabric, Custom Workroom Businesses The pair see great opportunity going forward Sipco News Network

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APE GIRARDEAU, Missouri — The Carr Textile Group, a financially A rated, 43 year old fashion workwear, headwear distributor in Fenton, Mo. near St. Louis, hopes to restore R.M. Coco, now renamed RM COCO Décor Ltd. to its former glory as an important residential decorative fabric wholesaler under the leadership of principal and

RM COCO warehouse

President Michael Carr and his brother Steve.

The Carrs bought the assets of RM COCO December 1 and Michael already attended his first Heimtextil with Mark Knight, newly recruited Design Director and Jocelyn Anderson, Merchandising Manager, with the company eight years. The trio expects to attend Proposte this year for the first time as a team.

Michael will run the day-today product and merchandising business while Steven will handle inside operations. “We are developing better information systems for the customer and a new website for RM COCO,” Michael says.

After hearing through the grapevine that RM COCO was for sale, Carr became the successful bidder for RM COCO, which it bought the assets from a St. Louis, based bank in possession–lock, stock and barrel.

“Most everyone else wanted to slice and dice the assets. We bought the business in tact –just about everything but the debts– including the 93,000 square foot warehouse and workroom, accounts receivable, equipment and hired all of the 80 plus employees which run the business.

The business includes the Custom Creations workroom which produces custom bedding, pillows, draperies and top treatments and all of the fabric brands,” Michael explains. The brands include RM COCO, COCO Classic, COCO Suites, COCO Colors, COCO Allure, COCO Luxe, and COCO Allure Boutique. RM COCO produces 15-20 booked collections twice a year, Michael says.

Recently, Michael hired Mark Knight as Design Director to define and refine these brands “so that each one tells a story to the designer who buys them,” Knight explains.

Knight will continue to work with

Jocelyn Anderson, Michael Carr, Mark Knight

Jocelyn Anderson, Merchandising and Product Development Manager and eight year veteran with RM COCO, Knight came to the job from Kasmir, another jobber based in Dallas. Prior to that, he was with Westgate and Payne Fabrics for 25 years, brands now owned by ADF. Knight will continue to live in Dallas and expects to commute to St. Louis/Cape Girardeau by plane.

“I’m delighted that someone like Carr stepped up to buy a going business like RM COCO, taking it forward again instead of seeing it disappear like so many other wholesalers in this business,” Knight says.

“Our goal now is to produce everything our customers need before they know they need it,” he says.

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RM COCO headquarters building

Czarnecki Joins Flocktex Sipco News Network

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IRIYAT MALACHI, Isreal – Michael Czarnecki has joined Flocktex Ltd. of Israel in a marketing and sales capacity reporting to Mayer Zeiler, owner.

Flocktex is a high end manufacturer of solid color and printed flock upholstery with plans to introduce a new printed velvet range in the next few months. Czarnecki will be responsible for Flocktex sales to the upholstered furniture manufacturers in the USA and Europe.

He was previously Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Microfibres, Inc., a flock upholstery producer in Pawtucket, Rhode Island with additional production facilities in Winston-Salem,

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Mayer Zeiler

Michael Czarnecki

N.C., Tupelo, MS., Mexico and Belgium. After being in business for 90 years, Microfibres filed for Chapter 7 proceedings under the U.S. bankruptcy law on January 29 and is expected to be liquidated by Joseph DiOrio, (microfibres@DiOrioLaw.com) the trustee appointed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

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The House of Arora Joins the World’s Most Beautiful Office Structures The new headquarters of D’Décor is breath taking.

by Eric Schneider

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UMBAI—If you have covered the world of upholstery and decorative fabrics for the past 30 years as I have done, you can’t help but notice the outstanding presentation of fabrics in showrooms and office environments.

Some companies have gone beyond the norm of most textile factories, warehouses and offices in their attempt to elevate the environment of their employees and also increase efficiency of the workplace.

We’ve seen this demonstrated by Bru Textiles, one of the largest converters in the world today based in Mechelen, Belgium. Bru certainly comes to mind when considering the most outstanding robotic installations including their relatively recent warehouse extension just a few years ago.

Certainly, Satin Textiles in Thailand has the most beautiful textile campus where the owner, Schle Wood has designed the most exquisite architectural structures and live/work campus to house his employees. There is also an avante garde glass showroom, dye house and weaving shed, each with its own name.

Today, the most dynamic new structure housing any workforce dedicated to textiles in the world must surely be the just completed D’Décor 250,000 square foot state of the art office building in Mumbai.

The structure is also home to Disney India and Dolby Sound India.

D’Décor uses 72,000 square feet for its 220 employees. Nothing is ostentatious. Everything is low key and comfortable.

This modern building, built and owned by the largest supplier of textiles in the world with sales in the $250 million range is living proof of its ‘Live Beautiful’ advertising theme.

D’Decor now extends this message to the lives of its employees who have a beautiful home to work in during the day or night.

It is also home to Sanjay and Ajay Arora and their father L.K. who exhibit modesty in reflecting their latest success.

Sanjay’s daughter, Sanjana Arora, is the third Arora generation and also works in the beautiful building as Manager of the eight retail stores owned by D’Décor in India. There are other children who may follow her, insuring the continuity of the Arora family in D’Décor’s future. As many as 22 stores are planned with the possibility of franchising the name and the product offerings.

The new building is imposing but it is also understated in the use of its materials; lots of white marble with gray veins greets the visitor along with a complete open floor plan on the two huge floors occupied by D’Decor.

The lobby is two levels high with lots of natural light from the floor to ceiling windows.

There is an outdoor deck adjoining the interior space as well as several cafeterias for the use of

The House of Arora

Domestic customer showroom Sanjay Arora

Ajay Arora

the employees and meeting rooms complete with electronic presentation set-ups for group discussions.

The two main showrooms also feature electronic screens, which can

Santana Arora help the user choose through the thousands of sku’s in the D’Décor collections. The following pictures illustrate what I am talking about.

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Export showroom

Curtain fabric showroom Customer service area

wide hallways and doors

Lunch is served at D’Decor

Board room

Conference room

Upholstery showroom

Giacometti metal sculptures

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Light fixture in two story entrance

Outdoor deck

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Working showroom

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The Rothman Fabric Dynasty: Arabel Fabrics, the Miami Silk, Linen Jobber, Third Generation Family Business Led by Andy Rothman Sipco News Network

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ORTH MIAMI, Florida — Arabel Fabrics is enjoying a Renaissance under the management of Andy Rothman, third generation family member and his wife Marie Rodriguez Rothman.

Andy Rothman took charge of Arabel Fabrics Inc. with the passing of his father Steve

Steve Rothman

Andy Rothman and wife Marie Rodriguez Rothman

Rothman, February 28, 2013.

Steve’s brother Larry died May 15, 2015 and his widow, Shannon continues to run Rothman Fabrics, a Miami based jobber.

Andy’s partner is Marie Rodriguez Rothman whom he married in 2009. They have worked together in the business since 2004 when his dad Steve recruited Marie. Marie is a hands-

on customer service rep that is more like a personal shopper in this relatively small family enterprise which caters to some of the world’s top designers. “We really care about what we do for the customer,” Marie says. She was close to her ‘popi’ Steve, who taught her the business. She was previously involved with a family restaurant in downtown Miami and originally comes from Valencia, Venezuela.

While Arabel was founded based on raw silk, called ‘mataka’ in a bleached oyster color and natural shades it has been expanded to include linen, velvet and outdoor fabrics by Andy, a former tennis professional who joined the company in 2004. “Silk styles never really changed. We still buy the product in India in 30 yard lengths wrapped in burlap bales.

While silk still sells and is coming back, he says, linen was something he fell in love right from the start. His favorite linen supplier is Libeco-Lagae of Meulebeke Belgium. About 60 percent of the business for Arabel Fabrics is now linen with the balance in silk, Sunbrella® and polyester for contract jobs.

“We’ve expanded silk because it’s coming back again,” he says.

He is speaking about raw silk which can be paperbacked for wall coverings and knit cotton backed for upholstery.

Arabel Fabrics operates out of a 15,000 square foot warehouse across the street from its only showroom in a storefront in Miami Arabel Fabrics Inc. was started in the mid 1980’s by Andy’s dad Steven and Andy’s brother Howard. Howard went on to establish Arabel Inc., a window blind components distributor which is still operating.

Steve’s brother Larry started Rothman Textiles, a local jobber in Miami. Andy’s cousin Marcie (Larry’s daughter) started Encore Fabrics for the hospitality and cruise ship trade. (continued on Page 37)

Linen and silk ranges of Arabel Fabrics

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F FI NE W S

Contract/HospitalityNews C/HNEWS I Coral Healthcare Fabrics Boosts Samelson-Chatelane Hospitality,

Cruise Ship Business After Two Record Sales Years

After turning in annual double-digit hospitality gains healthcare kicks in converter using fewer base cloths.

We never lose a job based on aesthetics or price,” Teppel says.

EW YORK, New York — The “We have custom prints and in hospitality and cruise ship line prints, depending on what business has produced double digit the customer wants. In one sales gains for Samelson-Chatelane book alone, we offer 650 printed division of Charles Samelson, Inc. designs. Our total archive is huge,” these last two years and now the “We may not be in the top sales Coral healthcare division is poised tier of the converter trade but we to keep growth curve going for can hold our own competitively partners Harry Samelson and Mark with anyone, large or small,” Teppel.

Teppel reasons. He points to his Harry lives in Hawaii but leaves partnership with Harry as one of the more successful relationships in the industry and a big reason for the company’s success.

Prior to the Coral purchase, S a m e l s o n Chatelane was not in upholstery.

Michael Mondello Maria Rodriguez, Mark Teppel and Phillip Landau Harry Samelson and Mark Teppel Its focus was on drapery and Sipco News Network

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the day to day operations of the company to President Mark Teppel at New York headquarters. The pair meets several times a year to review operations. Teppel has been with the company for 35 years, a proud alumnus of Richloom Fabrics Group who then worked for the founder Charles Samelson, before Harry took the reins from dad.

Teppel’s team includes nine year veteran print designer Maria

Rodriguez who coordinates her print lines with woven goods, Phillip Landau, a greige goods expert previously with Shopak Mills and Michael Mondello, Vice President of Sales, 20 years and previously worked for Dazian Theatrical Textiles, with Samelson, is pushing the company forward.

In fact, Samelson-Chatelane uses 21 basecloths personally chosen by Landau which gives the company a great advantage compared to a

bedding products. “Coral brought us into upholstery,” Teppel confirms. “We needn’t products we didn’t have like privacy curtains and barrier products like Crypton®.

However, it took us too long to figure out how to make the acquisition work for us. Now we think we have it figured out,” he adds. Coral grew its business by 15 percent last year, he points out.

Samelson-Chatelane bought Coral in 2000, closed down the Chicago office for Coral and consolidated operations in New York. Coral is a healthcare specialist riding the rising wave with an aging American population.

“Baby Boomers are the largest share of the American population today (continued on Page 42)

C/HNEWS I Trevira® Looks to Unlock Sales Potential in Asia, Especially China Under Indorama Venture Management Sipco News Network

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RANKFURT, Germany — Trevira is starting to unlock the potential sales of Trevira®CS in China, according to Anke Vollenbroeker, Director of Marketing & Business Development. for Trevira®CS, the inherently FR fiber produced

by Indorama Ventures in Bangkok, Thailand, the current owner of the 250 million Euro polyester fiber company.

In its corporate image, Trevira is now including ‘An Indorama Ventures Company’ in its logo for the first time after five years of ownership.

“The largest market for

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Trevira is low pill apparel fabric,” Vollenbroeker said.

Vollenbroeker said that Trevira is now further opening up the Asian market to other yarn suppliers and mills that can pass the rigid standards associated with Trevira.

“Our gold and silver TreviraCS Club Member customers—yarn suppliers, mills and editeurs-can now source Chinese made TreviraCS. The mills in China need approval to use TreviraCS of course. While we have 60 gold and silver customers, only a small group of them is sourcing TreviraCS in China,” she said, during an awards ceremony for the best designed TreviraCS

fabrics held during Heimtextil.

The 15 winners for 2016 are: Creation Bauman AG, Saum & Viebahn, Wintex, Artisan Lab, Nya Nordiska, Rubelli, SoFarNear, Digital Lab, Dina/ Vanelli, Lelievre, Ludvig AB Svensson, Fidivi Tessitura Vergnano, Giorgio Piovano, Gaetano Rossini and Stotz.

Vollenbroeker also said the price level of TreviraCS is the same in Europe as it is in China.

“We have to increase our share of the fibers market in Europe and Asia has potential.”

“We’re selling the global market but we are maintaining high standards of production no matter where TreviraCS is coming

from. Principal customers are still located in Europe,” she said, especially in Italy, Germany and Turkey. “In China and the USA, Trevira is intensifying projects to network downstream stages in the supply chain. In particular, these aim to grow sales of TreviraCS materials and enhance awareness of the TreviraCS brand.”

A decade ago, TreviraCS came only from European mills; five years ago, Turkish mills got involved with TreviraCS but today, Asia is gaining ground, she added.

“Europe is associated with small quantities of Trevira CS in high end constructions while the Chinese are interested in large

runs,” she explained. “We are increasing our efficiencies to the point where we can satisfy the customers in Europe or China.”

F&FI

Anke Vollenbroeker

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F FI D E S I G N (Continued from Page 18)

Digital printing for interiors is gaining traction as seen at Heimtextil with Franc Gardiner. Keep an eye out for the developing popularity and application of this technology for window treatments.

At MissoniHome the upholstery takes on a new form reminiscent of giant pillows being gathered together with a floral and iridescent touch.

Pad celebrates its 10-year anniversary and has launched a ‘sharity’ blanket project. For every blanket purchased, shown here by founders Sasha and Mick, ten euros go to children’s charity Stiftung Mittags Kinder.

Papilio’s upcycled bicycle tube tire rug has been a huge success. At Domotex the company introduced the extended line of outdoor carpets in a range of brighter colors.

At Paris Deco Off the trendy material cork was discovered in a fascinating collection at 4spaces including decorative combinations such as satin, metallic, and iridescent.

The parrot has been a superstar in recent seasons’ designs; now he cheekily munches piping off of a vibrant chair seen in Jim Thompson’s windows in Paris.

Jennifer Castoldi is the CEO and Chief Creative Director of Trendease International. Since 2004, Trendease has been providing cutting-edge and competitive design information to readers spanning over 170 countries. Trendease is an influential resource reporting on global trends and key international design events. Hundreds of images and forward-thinking articles are presented on www.Trendease.com each month, additionally videos and podcasts are available on www.Trendease.TV.

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

Winter Showtime Sees Some New Faces

Showtime

Showtime always produces a surprise or two and this time it was David Ralphs of Joberg, South Africa, owner of St. Leger & Viney at the Keystone dinner hosted by Bob McKinnon, Chairman.(See separate story in F&FI about St. Leger & Viney, p. 33) The mood was upbeat at Showtime as buyers come off a pretty good sales year in 2015 in the upholstered furniture and retail fabrics industry. In new developments, Calico is planning some new initiatives at retail involving custom drapery programs and bedding.

— Eric Schneider, Publisher

David Ralphs, Principal, St. Leger & Viney fabric wholesalers, Johannesburg, S.A. with Maureen Blaine, Senior Furniture Designer, Kelly Wearstler, Los Angeles at Keystone dinner

Spectra Home’s Fred Fahrbach and Bryan Baker, both fabric buyers with Jim Ennis, (center) Principal of J. Ennis Fabrics and Vision Fabrics, Canadian jobber.

Chip Vanderford, Vice President of Sales, Fairmont Designs, Buena Park, CA with Reuben Lentz, Keystone Sales Representative and Lisa Romero Product Development Manager, Upholstery, Fairmont Designs. “Business is up,” she says of the mid range upholstery producer.

Calico’s Jennifer Mayer, Fabric Buyer and Julie Morris, Vice President, Merchandising at Keystone dinner. Morris is launching Calico’s Express Drapery program to be rolled out to all stores in June, she says. A Calico bedding program in conjunction with Eastern Accents, Chicago based top of bed manufacturer rolled out a joint program in early 2016.

Joel Klaff and John Diekmann, partners in Workroom Inc., Chicago based, with Liz Romano, Principal of Belle Maison Textiles, a print converter in Richmond Hill, NY

Jeff Rubin, principal, Edgar Fabrics, Hauppauge, NY (center) with Elliot (left) and Mickey Gentler, principals of Charlotte Fabrics, a 30 year old jobber based in New Hope, MN

Jayme Helms, J. Helms Designs with Amy DiGirolamo, upholstery coordinator for Calvin Klein Home, Southfield, MI with velvet supplier Robert Lachow, Vice President, Sales, J.B. Martin, New York

Del Starnes, CEO of Taylor King (upholstery maker), Taylorsville, NC with Blake Lindsay, Valdese Weavers Sales Representative; Taylor King’sTara Albrecht, Vice President, Sales & Merchandising and Tanya Comer Vice President, Marketing

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Mike Shelton, CEO, Valdese Weavers with David Kennedy, principal of Alan White Upholstery, Atlanta, GA and Steve Lindsay, Sales Representative for Valdese.

Interior Designer Becky Harmon with boss Robin Butler, principal of OmnAvia Interiors, Winston-Salem based aircraft interiors firm with Tony Remoter, Vice President, Sales, Crestmont Fabrics Ltd., Hauppauge, NY drapery fabric converter and Michael Harris Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, Crestmont.

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Bob McKinnon, Chairman, Burlington Technologies, the owner of Keystone and Se7en LLC with new friend Jose Rios, Managing Director of Rioma, Cordoba Spain

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St. Leger & Viney Expands House Brand to Include Emerging Middle Class, About Three Million Consumers two years but we have been able to offset this devaluation with increased sales,” he says.

The company has showrooms in Joberg, Capetown and Durban

Sipco News Network

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OHANNESBURG, South Africa — St. Leger & Viney, a well-known upper end fabric wholesaler and brand is broadening its own collection to include more of the market in South Africa according to David Ralphs, Principal and MD. “We’re trying to be more efficient in what we do and we feel that we are poised for growth,” he says. In addition to its own branded collections, St. Leger & Viney also represents several high end lines sold through sampling. This is the second important part of the

“

David Ralphs, Principal, St. Leger & Viney, Johannesburg, S.A.

middle class in a price range of $20-$40 a meter. “The style for this market is geared to more glitz than our typical English looks,” Ralphs says.

“We created an international look at a local price,” says Nicholas Stavrinos, the design director.

St. Leger is also putting more money into window fabrics for this emerging middle class market. The normal range for St. Leger & Viney is in the $50$160 category, he says. Ralphs tries to limit his purchases to 200-meter minimums per color with his suppliers.

“The weakness of the Rand has been a problem for us because it has been devalued about 30 percent for the last

WE CREATED AN INTERNATIONAL LOOK AT A LOCAL PRICE

business.

“We are now embracing three million consumers instead of just one million,” Ralphs explains about his focus on the portion of the 54 million South African population.

The new collection is called ‘Salon Prive’ for the emerging

”

Nicholas Stavrinos with agents in three other areas “and we’d like more agents if possible,” Ralphs says. Ralphs purchased St. Leger & Viney from Gary Searles and other investors in 2013. Ralphs has a business background with eight years in the Milan fashion business prior to buying the company.

“I knew Gary for 30 years so when he decided to move to Canada, St. Leger & Viney was called to my attention as an unexpected opportunity. First we bought out Gary’s partners and after that we purchased Gary’s shares over an 18-month period.”

Searles is now the Vice President of Sales for Kravet in Canada, a position he filled when he left South Africa.

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(Continued from Page 14)

The Rothman Fabric Dynasty Rothman Fabric History Andy’s Grandpa Max Rothman started a cut order business in New York in the 1940’s and later on had a little business in the backroom of D’Art Fabrics started by his son Steve in the 1970’s with Larry as his partner.

Steve handled finance and Larry handled purchasing. “Max was very fastidious in his organization; he taught us how to properly treat a roll of fabric so that it held

up well while in inventory,” Andy explains. Larry had two daughters, Simone and Elise who also joined D’Art in the showroom, part of a 50,000 square foot warehouse office and showroom in Liberty City. The business unfortunately, was eventually destroyed and went bankrupt after the ‘McDuffy Race Riots.’ While in operation, D’Art was known as the ‘silk source’ with a lot of Indian silk imported to its credit.

Arabel Fabrics warehouse (right) across the street from storefront Showroom

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Before D’Art, Steve started Herald Fabrics in downtown Miami in the 1960’s after moving from Brooklyn, New York in the 1950’s. Herald was a readymade and cut length drapery business.

Steve’s son Andy continues the fabric tradition today with Arabel which still features silk but has broadened its offering to include Belgian Linen from LibecoLagae and cut velvets and outdoor fabrics.

After, D ‘Art failed, Larry Rothman, (Steve’s brother) started Rothman Associates, a Miami based jobber which continues under his widow’s supervision, Shannon Rothman.

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F FI NE W S

Paris Deco Off is On

By Jennifer Castoldi, Trendease International

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O

edar kept it simple and put a new spin on the jungle trend.

nce again Paris Deco Off was a highlight on the Right and Left Banks of Paris. Textiles were barely present at Maison&Objet compared to the city center where streets were lined with linen lampshades that danced in the breeze.

Talking to professionals visiting the City of Light, they confessed to shopping Paris Deco Off before Parc des Expositions. Here are some highlights from the 7th edition that boasted some of the best textile editors and creators from around the world. This edition featured more than 100 French and international companies.

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esigners Guild was heavily trafficked with people taking in the new collections.

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ean Paul Gaultier showcased vibrant flower patterns that had ‘friendly’ insects like ants, ladybugs, and butterflies resting on the petals.

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arin Sajo’s windows were bright and attention-catching.

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aston y Daniela had an entryway that transported you to a faraway land.

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n a striking fashion American leather company Moore & Giles introduced Couture Calf: high style for the home.

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ashüt was located in a glass box on the street, partaking in live weaving demonstrations.

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iss Print made its debut at Paris Deco Off with a pop-up showroom in an impressive, old vaulted cellar.

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t Rubelli floral and geometric patterns were “inspired by normal life and by extraordinary powers of imagination.”

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ierre Frey launched two textile lines coordinating to two wallpaper collections.

Jennifer Castoldi is the CEO and Chief Creative Director of Trendease International. Since 2004, Trendease has been providing cutting-edge and competitive design information to readers spanning over 170 countries. Trendease is an influential resource reporting on global trends and key international design events. Hundreds of images and forwardthinking articles are presented on www.Trendease.com each month, additionally videos and podcasts are available on www.Trendease.TV.

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he Swedish wallpaper art of Sandberg was cleverly promoted through temporary tattoos offered to visitors of the showroom.

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

Heimtextil Brought The Buyers Back to Frankfurt Once Again!

Heimtextil Ali Aydin, President, Aydin Textiles shows off his new Genova Home brand of cushion, ottoman and rug lines in addition to decorative fabrics and upholstery

FRANKFURT, Germany — Mild Frankfurt weather plus new show dates helped get the crowd out for Heimtextil at the Messe Frankfurt showplace.

USA, UK, Pacific Rim, India decorative fabric markets proved to be the most dynamic but one should never count out The China domestic market. Middle East and Russia are hurting, Turkish suppliers say, while currency drops dramatically affect South Africa and South America.

“The rand is down 35% against the dollar,” said Port Elizabeth wholesaler Stuart Graham.

The rand drop has prompted Fabric Library to raise prices 18%, it was learned. Nobody can seem to buy cheap enough under those circumstances.

South America, especially Brazil and Argentina have also been hard hit by currency devaluation, making business slower there.

For many, 2016 will be a more challenging year. Stay tuned!

— Eric Schneider, Publisher

Sonia Bachleda, Account Executive, J.Queen NY with Oliver Zhou, J. Queen NY, China President

Like father, like son: Alex Ullman Joins his dad Andrew in the family business, Ullman International, Leeds, England textile agency

First time anywhere! Here’s Benjamin Chomette, USA and Canada Sales Manager for STOF, France.

He is moving to America, Miami Beach specifically.

Welcome Ben!

Gurvinder Singh, GM Fabrics Principal (India) with pal Mark Teppel, Principal of SamelsonChatelane, New York Rob Smedley, ‘Secret Agent Man’ based in Cheshire with Paul Marshall, Principal of Fryett’s, UK based wholesaler and retailer with supplier Abhishek Poddar, Siyaram General Manager, India

Ashok Nanwani and his brother Perkash, the owners of Amardeep, the well known wholesaler in Jakarta, Indonesia

Jian Wang, General Manager, Yada, Beijing based wholesaler with pals Vincent Kwan, Textile Consultant, Shanghai and ‘Joe,’ General Manager, Bonanza, Roc-lon and upper end line distributor in China

All from Tokyo: Hiroaki Hanyu, Representative Director, President, Kowa Corp., Twith Chiharu Takahashi, Wave Group Co. and Yasuo Ota, President, Y’s Collection Co. Ltd.

Claus Rosemann, Middle East & India Sales Rep based in Manama, Bahrain for Richloom Fabrics Group with Mina Dominic, principal of Casa Grande, Dubai based wholesaler and contractor

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Mayer Zeiler, Principal of Flocktex, Kiriyat Malachi, Israel with Leszek Kroczak, Central Purchasing Manager for SteinPol in Rzepin, Poland, a division of Steinhof and Shai Zeiler of Flocktex

“South African currency has dropped 30 per cent against the U.S. dollar.” says Stuart Graham, Port Elizabeth based wholesaler

Vivek Khandelwal, partner in Floor & Furnishings, a wholesaler from Gurgaon, India with supplier, Rajjnish Aroraa, Principal of Dicitex Furnishings, also Mumbai. Namaste!

Patrea Burrowes, Sydney, Australia agent with Guy Parmentier, Belgian based agent and customers Robyn and Gary Price of Materialized, contract wholesalers in Australia

Jessica Newton, Sourcing Assistant, Valley Forge Inc., Fabrics Inc, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (USA) with colleague Alyssa Weiss, Director, Special Projects & Account Manager; Elaine Taylor Gordon, FlashForce Agency, New York City and Diana Dobin, President Valley Forge Fabrics

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Hispano Tex Offers Printed Piecegoods, Bedding To U.S. Retailers, Wholesalers Flexible production at every stage meets demand

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ARCELONA, Spain — Hispano Tex S.A., a 60 year old Spanish weaver, printer and home textile cut and sew supplier to major retailers and wholesalers worldwide is setting its sights on the American market for the first time in its history according to Victor Melul, General Manager.

Over 90 percent of its production is exported. About 60 percent of the business is piecegoods including industrial orders The company is now targeting IKEA type retailers in the USA like Walmart and J.C. Penney and is looking for sales agents in North America. Hispano Tex already has customers in Quebec, Canada.

While Spanish printers have come and gone in the decora-

Victor Melul

Isaac Levy Faig

Greige rolls ready for finishing

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tive fabrics business, Hispano Tex with 350 employees says it has prospered and grown in the last five years. Since its birth in Barcelona in 1956, it has been dedicated to the manufacture of Home Textiles unlike so many other printers worldwide, which prefer to print piecegoods only. It seems that Hispano Tex has found a market for prints because it doesn’t stop with the piecegoods.

The company says it does not buy any piecegoods or greige from anyone else in the world—including China, Pakistan, Bangladesh or India. That means Hispano Tex competes with these countries for the same customers and is successful.

“We supply all home textiles and piecegoods to major retailers like Ikea, Leroy Merlin, Lidl and Carrefour for example to name a few,” Melul says. “Some of these customers are focused on kitchen and table textiles; others buy everything from us. If the customer requires finished curtains or bedding, we make it in our own workrooms, pack and ship it.”

Melul is in charge of Production and Quality Assurance at the company and also a member of one of the two founding families of Hispano Tex; Isaac Levy Faig heads the other founding family.

Melul and Deborah Jusmet, Marketing Director, will direct the North American market effort.

“We produce not only piecegoods and finished products; we also have a higher percentage on half ready tissue, ready to print, ready to dye, ready to finish… these are our biggest consumers,” Melul states, pointing to the company’s flexibility.

“We make finished product and piecegoods at all price levels from mass to editeur lines. This is actually one of our competitive strengths, and we have diversified our production processes accordingly. We also have the ability to customize pricing to the maximum, by country, by final application, by volumes.” Hispano Tex only discusses pricing with indi-

vidual customers and prefers to keep quiet about pricing.

“We also have a line of finished curtains, bedding, bed sheets, duvet covers, pillows, padded bedspreads, acrylic finished table cloths, aprons, cushions--we do it all in house,” he says. Hispano Tex makes decorative piecegoods, prints and solids on 12 different basecloths including outdoor fabrics. If the customer wants just the piecegoods, we have that too.

We have already adapted to sell full width or narrow width, based on the client’s or manufacturers requirements.

“As a textile company, Hispano Tex S.A. stands out by being involved in every stage of the production of its products. To achieve this control it has a weaving factory in Maia, Barcelona with 150 modern looms producing large quantities and an unlimited variety of fabrics, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, Melul says.

In addition to a company owned weaving factory in Moiá, Hispano Tex has a separate finishing factory. “There, we rely on the most modern and versatile machinery available, allowing us to produce any kind of finishing imaginable. The company offers rotary screen and flat printing; dyeing or any special finish including fireproof, flame retardant, hypoallergenic, biodegradeable blackout and water repellent.”

“We have a warehouse also in Moiá, from where we supply our clients world-wide with stocks, whether it be “piece by piece” shipments full trucks, or full containers.”

In this era, when so many companies source greige goods worldwide, Hispano Tex chooses to weave its own greige in house as well as all the fabrics it needs for printing and weaving. “Only in a factory with a mode of production in which the fabric is checked and controlled all the way from the preliminary stages until the very finish can we guarantee the quality of the product,” Melul maintains.

F&FI

100% cotton ‘Micado’ one of the Hispano Tex best sellers in 2015 for upholstery, cushions, and mattress covers.

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F FI C A L E N D A R April Proposte April 27-29 2016 http://www.propostefair.it/en Villa Erba, Cernobbio (Como), Italy

C/HNews

C/HNEWS I De Negri Positions Itself In American

Hospitality, Cruise Market

May HD Expo May 4-6, 2016 http://www.hdexpo.com Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas

Maison&Objet Americas May 10-13, 2016 www.Maison-Objet.com Miami Beach Convention Center Miami Beach, FL USA

Evteks May 17-21, 2016 http://cnrevteks.com/ Istanbul, Turkey

June Showtime USA June 5-8, 2016 www.showtime-market.com High Point, NC

Hometex & Floorex International Trade Show for Home Textile and Flooring Industry June 7-9, 2016 www.hometex-floorex.com Metro Toronto Convention Center Toronto, Canada

Heimtextil India June 22-24, 2016 New Delhi http://heimtextil-india.in.messefrankfurt.com/newdelhi/ en/visitors/welcome.html

Advertiser Index

Sipco News Network

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EST PALM BEACH, Florida — Gustavo Denegri, CEO of De Negri ZA.Ma in Caserta, Italy, has set his sights on building his business in the USA with the hospitality and cruise ship market as a high end specialist mill.

He spoke with F&FI during a business trip to Florida, which found him loving a turkey sandwich during the Thanksgiving time period His 165 year old silk mill which originally sold looms to King Ferdinando of Borbon, can produce all of its silk jacquard designs in silky Trevira® yarn for the commercial market, De Negri explains. De Negri’s family

originally came from Genoa in 1875 but later migrated to Caserta where is ended up owning the mill started by the King.

“Our editeur customers decided to work with Trevira as opposed to unbranded yarn because of its silky quality. About 80 percent of our business is residential but the balance in contract is growing for us for the past five years,” he adds.

De Negri utilizes Esant® yarn which represents a finishing process in the fabric state for silk, making it impervious to water and soil, he says. This is primarily for residential use and it has also found its way on to yacht interiors.

De Negri is doing about 30 percent of its business in the USA. It also has customers in China and

(Continued from Page 32)

C/HNEWS I Coral Healthcare in the 60 plus age group,” Teppel says. Assisted living, hospitals and longterm care facilities including hotel operated assisted living facilities and educational institutions are improving the fortune of Coral, Teppel points out.

Coral has all of its products in five big samplebooks grouped under Privacy Curtain Fabrics, Prints, Performance Upholstery and Performance Vinyl and Window Fabrics. Upholstery is geared to 50,000 double rubs for contract while the Samelson-Chatelane multi purpose decorative fabrics for

window and bedding are geared to 30,000 double rubs.

“Samelson-Chatelane is selling internal designers with important hotel chains and external specifiers in hospitality as well as cruise ship companies like Carnival, Disney and Princess in the USA,” Teppel explains. “We also sell fabrics to European based cruise lines like NCL.” Samelson-Chatelane produces vinyl upholstery, outdoor fabrics, shower curtain fabrics and finished shower curtains.

The company also sells

For more information about one of our advertisers, see the page number listed: Belle Maison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Boyteks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Classical Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Covington. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 D’Decor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7 DC Tex Furnishings. . . . . . . . . . . 19 Dicitex Furnishings. . . . . . . . . . . . 39 DiNole. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Evteks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Express Air Freight. . . . . . . . . . . . 16 GM Fabrics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27 Guleser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 J. Queen-NY . . . . . . . . . . . 29-31, 33 KC Fabrics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Kravet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Marteks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Mohammed O. Al Guthmi Sons Co. 35 MoOD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Proposte. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Richloom Fabrics Group. . . . . . . . 9 Rockland Mills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 Stof. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 YongShun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21

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www.fabricsandfurnishings.com

Taiwan, De Negri says. However, with the appointment of Rachelle Tenace as his agent in Florida, he expects the business to grow further. The contract line is in the 15-30 Euro range.

De Negri, who handles sales, is an equal partner with Luigi Malatesta, a technical specialist and with Marcello Zagarella, a production expert. The trio built a new mill in 2008 just as the Italian textile world was tanking.

Originally, the Zama mill made plains and this expertise was merged with De Negri about 15 years ago when his other two partners merged with De Negri.

That vision to build when everyone else was shrinking back is now serving the 30-man company very

decorative fabrics to decorative residential distributors including sheers, faux silk, textures and linens in synthetics and FR. The lines are stocked in a 75,000 square foot warehouse and transfer print facility in Spartanburg, S.C. “Prints were king at one time in hospitality and then came the introduction of the all white bed,” Teppel says. Now, prints have come back in hospitality in the past three years.”

“Quantities dictate the use of transfer printing versus digital printing but in the next five years, digital pricing should get closer to transfer printing,” he feels. “Narrow width goods have come down in price but wide width goods are still priced higher,” he adds.

F&FI

Caserta, Italy’s Gustavo De Negri Enjoys America, eats Turkey too! well, De Negri feels. “We are poised to grow again in 2016,” he says. F&FI

F&FI L E T T E R S Dear Eric: I have received your magazine – many thanks. Looks great, very good for those in the industry.

People must love seeing themselves in there. Warwick Jeffrey and I sure did!

(Jeffrey in white shirt) W e carry stock of all the lines we wholesale but are looking to have an indent line to augment our lines. This could be a range of designs that I sample in my market that another wholesaler stocks outside of my market (Australia and NZ). Sales that are made are cut to length and sent airfreight in a weekly consignment.

The other wholesaler/stockist gets access to another market – we get a range of designs without having to take a principle position for the outlay in stock.

Both parties reduce their typical margin for the advantage; a winwin for all involved – doubly so if both indent the others’ line.

With your knowledge of the players in the industry would you have some suggestions as to who would be approachable for this; maybe even a reciprocal arrangement.

Kind regards, Jason Rademaker Ken Bimler Ltd., Christchurch, NZ fabrics wholesaler

Spring 2016

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DESIGN AT WORK. -NATE BERKUS

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