Hoffman Fabrics Tropicals & Conversationals

TROPICALS and CONVERSATIONALS

Walter Hoffman is one of the pioneers of Big Wave surfing. Over many years, he has enjoyed the unique opportunity to express his love for surfing by developing fabrics that capture the carefree beach lifestyle. His keen eye for design and color has inspired many of Hoffman Fabrics’ iconic tropical and novelty prints. Major surf and lifestyle brands come to us seeking the “Hoffman look” for their garments and products.

Our original designs and authentic style are unmatched, as is our quality. Our textiles have stood the test of time. We’re proud to offer the highest-quality, 100% cotton fabrics for garment and apparel manufacturers and specialty retailers, as well as quilt shops and other independent retailers.

Demand for tropical and novelty prints in fashion, keepsake quilting and functional home décor continues to grow. With gorgeous landscapes, lush florals, scenic views and memorable motifs, these fabrics are sought by garment and accessory makers, home sewists and quilters looking to make a style statement. Tropical and novelty prints remain popular for their natural themes, unique colors and cool, retro vibe.

WHY HOFFMAN?

Hoffman tropical and novelty prints start with hand-drawn art, giving fabrics a fine-art look and an authenticity that no computer software program can create.

Many designs will stay active in the production pipeline, making it easy to re-order.

The fabrics are well-suited for men’s buttonup shirts and ladies’ and girls’ dresses, as well as tote bags and home furnishings.

Quilters can indulge their love of aloha and retro prints when incorporating them into their quilt and appliqué projects. They’ll find it easy to coordinate fabrics with hand-dyed Hoffman Bali Watercolors, one of several “basic blender” collections created for the retail quilting market.

The possibilities are endless! We invite you to turn the page to start exploring …

TROPICALS AND CONVERSATIONALS

BBYK-1214 7-Blue

swatch shown at 70% scale

“Island Getaway”

swatch shown at 70% scale

BBYK-1214 5-Red “Island Getaway”

BBYK-1215 7-Blue

swatches shown at 50% scale

“Royal Hawaiian”

BBYK-1215 8-Green

swatches shown at 50% scale

“Royal Hawaiian”

BBYK-1216 7-Blue

swatches shown at 75% scale

“Ukulele Tropical”

BBYK-1216 61-Turquoise swatches shown at 75% scale

“Ukulele Tropical”

BBLK-1026

61-Turquoise

“Tropical Island”

swatch shown at 60% scale

BBLK-1026 55-Charcoal

“Tropical Island”

swatch shown at 60% scale

BBHC-1061 25-Beige

“Parrots & Toucans”

swatch shown at 60% scale

BBHC-1061 41-Aqua

“Parrots & Toucans”

swatch shown at 60% scale

BBTC-943 19-Navy

“Margarita Paradise”

swatch shown at 75% scale

BBLK-943 4-Black

“Margarita Paradise”

swatch shown at 75% scale

swatches shown at 50% scale

BBLK-1131 22-Ivory “Palms”

BBHC-1125 4-Black “Leaves”

BBLK-925 19-Navy

“Plumeria”

swatches shown at 75% scale

BBDK-1153 18-Royal

“Shark Week”

swatch shown at 75% scale

SURFING IS ALL IN THE FAMILY- WALTER AND PHILIP HOFFMAN

From The Surfing Walk of Fame

Both Hoffman brothers were born in Glendale, California-- Philip in 1930 and Walter in 1931. They grew up surfing San Onofre, as well as the highly popular Malibu. As the classic story goes, Walter was enlisted in the Navy at Pearl Harbor and was fortunate enough to be exposed to Hawaii’s more serious surf. He soon sent video footage back to Flippy, who immediately booked a trip out there and, along with shaper Bob Simmons, was the first to rent a house at Sunset Point on the North Shore. Both brothers were among the first crew of renegades to venture to a few of the North Shore’s outer reefs, nearly three-quarters of a mile out to sea. Walter also experimented with new surfboard production methods and passed on much of his knowledge to Hobie Alter.

If there’s any doubt that surfing runs through blood lines, then check out the Hoffman’s. Walter and Philip (aka “Flippy”) were two of California’s first big-wave pioneers. Walter’s daughter Joyce Hoffman was one of the best known female surfers in the late 1960’s and his other daughter Dibi married Herbie Fletcher and soon Walter became the grandfather to aerial masters Christian and Nathan Fletcher. Flippy’s son, Marty Hoffman competed in the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau big wave contest at Waimea Bay in 1990. Of course, this saltwater lineage had to begin somewhere.

Walter and Flippy’s parents opened a textile business in 1924, which the brothers eventually took over. This ultimately engrained a place in Southern California for the new, burgeoning surf culture to blossom. Since Walter and Flippy had conquered numerous big wave breaks by the late ‘50’s on the North Shore of Oahu, they soon realized they could embrace what they love and make a living.

Philip “Fippy” Hoffman

Walter Hoffman quilted by JoAnn Hoffman

Walter Hoffman (left), Rube Hoffman (middle), Philip “Fippy” Hoffman (right)

By the late 1950’s, the Hoffman brothers were running the family business, Hoffman California Fabrics. A great part of our modern surf industry was built from Hoffman textiles used by brands such as Billabong and Quiksilver. Neither brother was too keen on competitive surfing, although in 1995, Walter received the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association Waterman Achievement Award for his contributions to surfing as a whole. It’s safe to say that without this dynamic duo, the surf industry might not be where it is today.

FROM WOOL TO WAVES

Rube Hoffman founded his company as Hoffman Woolens in 1924. The New York native had relocated to Los Angeles, where he started by selling wool fabrics from a small loft. Within six years, the company was printing its own fabrics from original designs and Rube changed the name of the company to Hoffman California Fabrics. It was in the 1950s that the company took to producing tropicals and conversationals, thanks to the surfing lifestyle followed by Rube’s two sons, Philip and Walter. In addition to being a leader in this niche, Hoffman Fabrics is known for its beautifully designed quilting cottons in a variety of themes. It’s also recognized for introducing authentic Bali Batiks (based on original designs created by in-house textile artists) to the quilting world. It remains a leader in offering the finest, hand-dyed and batiked fabrics.

Philip “Fippy” Hoffman (middle)

swatch shown at 75% scale

BBHC-1037 49-Khaki

“Surf Hut Woodies”

BBLK-900 49-Khaki

“Surfboards”

swatch shown at 75% scale

BBHC-1083 4-Black

“Hawaiian”

swatch shown at 75% scale

BBHC-1083 19-Navy

“Hawaiian”

BBHC-1083 22-Ivory

“Hawaiian”

swatches shown at 35% scale

Top Left: Walter Hoffman

Top Right: Marty Hoffman

Bottom Left: Indie Hoffman

Bottom Right: Rex Hoffman

BBLK-867 19-Navy

“Route 66”

swatch shown at 60% scale

BBLK-867 4-Black

“Route 66”

swatch shown at 50% scale

BBLK-972 7-Blue

“Highway 66”

swatch shown at 50% scale

BBHC-1133 4-Black

“Vintage Vegas”

swatch shown at 50% scale

BBHC-1133 19-Navy

“Vintage Vegas”

swatch shown at 50% scale

swatch shown at 50% scale

“Kahuku Pineapple”

BBKT-1087 22-Ivory

PAREAU

The name given to a floral print comes from pareo, the rectangular piece of fabric wrapped around the waist to become a fashionable cover-up.

ISLAND FLOWERS

Hibiscus: plant with showy flowers native to tropical and subtropical regions; state flower of Hawaii

Lei: a garland of flowers and/or leaves to be worn

Leilani: heavenly flower

Plumeria: a tropical flowering plant related to the oleander and often used in making leis

BBKK1189 5-Red Gold

“Hibiscus”

swatch shown at 25% scale

Pareaus evolved into men’s button-up shirts, and the fact these shirts became symbolic of the beach lifestyle is due largely to Hoffman California bringing tropical prints to market beginning in the 1950s.

Pareau

BBKT-641 165-Melon

swatch shown at 100% scale

BBKT-641 O19-Navy

swatches shown at 50% scale

BBKT-641 8-Green

Pareau

BBLK-194 19-Navy

swatch shown at 100% scale

BBLK-194 4-Black

BBLK-194 O5-Red

swatches shown at 50% scale

swatch shown at 100% scale

BBLK-919 4-Black/Turquoise

INDAH BATIK

swatches shown at 100% scale

141 655-Chalk

Hoffman California Fabrics designs and produces one-of-a-kind, screenprinted Tropical Conversational and Floral fabrics, including authentic pareaus.

Hoffman California Fabrics’ talented, creative teams excel at designing a wide variety of superior-quality fabrics and products to meet the specific needs of wholesale and retail customers, as well as manufacturers:

- Retail DivisionServes fabric stores, quilt shops and businesses selling fabric by the yard. (See the list of our Retail Sales Representatives By Region on inside back cover.)

- Specialty Manufacturing DivisionCaters to entrepreneurs who use Hoffman Fabrics in a wide variety of finished goods.

- Sportswear & Large Manufacturing DivisionSpecializes in custom designs and large-quantity programs for garments, accessories, and home textiles.

If you are an independent retailer or quilt shop owner wanting to place an order or become a customer, please call (800) 547-0100.

If you are a wholesale company or a manufacturer that would like to place on order or have us create a custom fabric and/or manufacture garments, please call (800) 527-8050 or (949) 770-6801.

TAMMY MELOTT Vice President, Manufacturing diVision tammy@hoffmanfabrics.net

HOFFMAN FABRICS HQ

(800) 547-0100

orders@hoffmanfabrics.com

BOB ADAMS

(214) 704-9228

adamsrl@swbell.net

MARET ANDERSON

(907) 317-1968

maret.fabricrep@gmail.com

KATHY BEAL

(541) 279-4563

kathybealtextiles@gmail.com

CAROL BRANDON

(405) 765-4908

dbtextiles_carol@aol.com

BRIAN COX

(407) 257-0145

bjccotton@yahoo.com

MICHAEL DEL VECCHIO

(202) 270-8404

medelvecchio@gmail.com

KIM DENEAULT

(804) 852-3934

kidzsew@gmail.com

CHRISTINA DUGAN

(518) 321-4148

christinaldugan@gmail.com

SHELLY FAXVOG

(507) 479-3992

smfaxvog@gmail.com

CHRIS GARDNER

(330) 888-9084

cgfabric@yahoo.com

KIMBERLY HUCKABAY (+ Reno)

(916) 826-2402

kimberlydhuckabay@gmail.com

ANDY JACOBS

(415) 793-4101

jakeasales@gmail.com

KIM LOPPNOW

(414) 232-0333

kim@directlinerep.com

LINDA McCLELAND

(773) 930-8519

linda@needleslovefabric.com

ERIN PRATT

(360) 430-2392

nwfabrics@yahoo.com

ELLEN PRIMACK

(949) 212-8123

ellenbrella@aol.com

BOB VANN

(305) 519-7098

bobbvsales@gmail.com

JESSICA WELCH

(978) 435-1135

jessica.welchllc@gmail.com

CAROLYN WILLIAMS

(307) 673-4350

carolyn@307onthefly.com

KIRSTEN HEFFERN

(303) 913-2855

MARGARET JONES (+ Las Vegas & Pahrump)

maggiejones112@gmail.com

(800) 547-0100

(949)

kirs