Deco Design Fürus makes its mark with designs and compostable materials For 30 years, Deco Design Fürus remained in the background as a supplier for textile manufacturers and wholesalers. Following the death of founder Ulrich Fürus in the summer of this year, managing director Manuel Schweizer is focusing on additional priorities e.g. the compostable textiles under the OceanSafe brand.
Question: Deco Design Fürus (DDF) has enjoyed a successful market presence for 30 years, yet is still relatively unknown despite this. Why is that? Manuel Schweizer: That is connected to the fact that the company was always working in the background. DDF concentrated on collection development for notable manufacturers and wholesalers and gathered beautiful materials which were perfectly suited to the profiles of our customers. We are active in the German-speaking countries first and foremost, but also internationally. Some customers only buy our designs, whilst others purchase the finished product and thereby rely on our warehouse; here in Krefeld, around 3 million metres of fabric is available at all times. This service is becoming increasingly important, and of our 19 staff, four are extensively involved in this area. Question: Which textile product groups make up your range? Schweizer: Our core expertise lies in decorative fabrics and we offer a very broad range of these products. The basis is formed by singlecolour fabrics in over 50 colours, then there are also embroidered textiles, jacquard fabrics or crash – our company founder, Ulrich Fürus, was the king of crash. Right now, printed fabrics are on their way up – and by that I mean for the 20/21 season, as we work with long lead times. We are also strong players when it comes to textiles with special properties, like dimout fabrics or flame-resistant materials for use in commercial buildings. We have achieved strong growth in this area. With all the materials, we pay particular attention to ease of maintenance.
Question: You have been running the business at DDF since January 2018. Such a leadership change is usually accompanied by innovations... Schweizer: Until now we have exclusively dedicated ourselves to the collections and their aesthetics. This shall continue to be our main focus. At the same time, though, it is important to me that we are also up to speed with the latest digital and PR technology. Therefore we have installed a completely new IT system in a very short space of time. And the marketing strategy must also be entirely reformulated. It is true that we are continuing to remain in the background as a supplier to manufacturers and wholesalers, but we also want to make more of a mark in our own right. Until now we were only represented by a large but discreet and low-key stand at the Heimtextil trade fair in Frankfurt; we are planning a greater presence for 2019. At the fair we will be specifically presenting our designer fabric families and our new brand, OceanSafe. Question: That means that you are currently either modifying or expanding your portfolio. Schweizer: Because the market for decorative fabrics is highly competitive and our earlier suppliers, such as those from Turkey or India, are now our rivals, we want to and need to set ourselves apart from them as much as possible. We are doing that firstly by expanding our core business around the collection development, and secondly by providing completely new textile solutions. A note on the core business first of all: in this area we are increasing our focus on design. We at DDF are continuing to remain in the background, and so it is our designers who will be becoming increasingly visible – such as with their signature on the selvedge of the material. DDF is always working together with new external designers. Our in-house designer, Said Shorhreh, compiles their ideas into wide-ranging collections which tell the whole story. Question: Wide-ranging collections which tell a story – what else can
you tell us about this concept? Schweizer: At present we are working with an Italian designer, Evelina Antuono. She has developed various basic textile concepts for us, which we have been able to implement in different techniques and in different price ranges – from a top price-performance ratio up to very high-grade products. One example of this is a fabric with appliquéd red flowers, which was rendered in three different forms: as a commercial printed fabric, a plastic jacquard weave and a material with elaborate appliqué details. Then there are also the matching single-colour fabrics. In this way we now provide the whole story, not just an individual fabric without context as we used to do, and at the same time this is allowing us to showcase our expertise. Our sector is still very traditional, and there is still a lot that can be achieved. Question: Can you give us an example? Schweizer: We are the first provider to release an embroidered linen fabric on which the embroidery changes colour in sunlight. When in contact with UV radiation, some features temporarily become pink, purple and green. During the day the curtain material is then softly coloured, whilst in the evenings it is simple and white. However, our most spectacular project encompasses the textiles in our completely new line: OceanSafe. Question: The name OceanSafe has clear connotations. It sounds as if it could have something to do with the current microplastics debate. Schweizer: That is one part of it. I have already been grappling with the issue for some years now. One analysis concluded that the second biggest cause of microplastics in the oceans is textiles. What’s more, even textiles made from natural fibres are often problematic, due to the numerous refinement processes which they undergo. They are lightened using chemicals, coloured or printed using dyes which are not eco-friendly, and the buttons and labels are not biodegradable. I wanted to address this problem, so I developed the OceanSafe line. A few years ago when I reached the end of my 40s, I decided to deepen what had until then been my ‘good half-knowledge’ in matters
of textiles and ecology, and to study a Master’s programme at the Swiss Textile University (Schweizer Textilfachhochschule). During my studies I implemented my passion project and developed textiles which assimilated themselves seamlessly and safely into the biological cycle. In other words, these are fabrics that completely disintegrate in the forest or the oceans seamlessly and safely, without damaging nature. And at the same time they are not just for eco-romantics, but are also suitable for mass use. In addition, it should be possible to produce them economically. I have worked closely with the industry in this development. Question: So you already have some good contacts from your many years of working in the textile industry. Schweizer: Absolutely. The result is the first completely compostable woven textiles, which we are offering under the OceanSafe brand in the form of a cotton fabric and a fabric derived from petrochemicals. For both fabrics, we are pursuing the gold standard awarded by the Cradle to Cradle environmental seal. The certification process is ongoing and is currently in its final phase. Question: Why the Cradle to Cradle label specifically? Schweizer: In the textile industry there are over 400 environmental seals. I researched the 67 most notable labels and I determined that almost all of them concentrate on only a few components, such as the material or the production process. And oftentimes only washed material samples are analysed, or no follow-up controls are carried out. Eventually I came across Cradle to Cradle, a label that shines a comprehensive light on the entire production process and sets strict criteria. Throughout the whole value chain, no pollutants may be used – no pesticides in cotton farming, no hazardous oils or lubricants during production. In order to realise this, the machinery must firstly be modified in part. The social conditions must also be acceptable and the energy must come from sustainable sources. Here in Krefeld we want to install solar panels on the roof. We already have district heating, which was recommended to us by the company
founder some years ago already, in part for reasons of cost-efficiency. Ecology and economy are often very closely allied. Question: You say that you have so far developed two completely compostable fabric types – one cotton fabric and one fabric derived from petrochemicals, or in other words, materials made from petroleum or natural gas. Schweizer: The cotton fabrics are being used to make decorative fabrics and bed linen, whereas the fabrics derived from petrochemicals are only used to make decorative and upholstery fabrics. Albin Kälin from the Swiss Certification Insitute, Epea, is currently carrying out an audit on site. Question: And all these fabrics are completely compostable – both the cotton and the fabric derived from petrochemicals? Schweizer: Conventional polyester is no different in function or quality from the OceanSafe fabrics made using a percentage of petroleum. Only the environmental influences are different. It is even possible to eat them. And if they are buried in the garden, they will naturally decompose after a period of time. Here and at my home, almost every flowerpot contains a piece of fabric whose decomposition process I am following. Question: But we needn’t fear that the curtain fabric will simply decompose on the window if it encounters moisture? Schweizer: Absolutely not, that only works with the microorganisms that live in the soil. What’s more, the Cradle to Cradle principle is not just limited to the OceanSafe fabrics, it also includes the accessories. Even the buttons on the bed linen and the curtain sliders are biodegradable. However, these shouldn’t be buried in the garden – instead the materials are to be taken back to the retailer where the intention is that they will then be supplied to an industrial composting plant. There they will produce natural gas and fully viable plant soils. Question: A very comprehensive project, then, that first requires large investments. You are simultaneously taking over DDF, and that too
requires financing. Schweizer: We are doing it because both myself and the inheritors are confident that the investment will eventually generate a return. After all, I can see a large market for truly pollution-free, climate-neutral, yet also attractive fabrics. With the OceanSafe brand and the Cradle to Cradle certification, we are providing our partners with powerful arguments which they can in turn use to convince their customers. This is especially impactful in light of the omnipresent discussion surrounding microplastics and health in the home. Question: Naturally there are always the associated production costs as well... Schweizer: If we do everything right, we can even organise the ecological production so that it is more economical than traditional production. Of course this will not happen overnight; we must first establish ourselves. At present we are still buying smaller amounts of pellets derived from petrochemicals, having them spun into fibres in Germany and then weaving textiles from these fibres. We will see what happens next. Incidentally, the cotton comes from a plantation which Cleopatra is said to have used to source the cotton for the sails of the Egyptian navy. It has been certified with the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) for 20 years already. The soil is pollution-free, and they have been working without pesticides for centuries. Question: How many designs are you offering for the curtain fabrics from the OceanSafe brand? Schweizer: We are starting with the basics, so that is single-colour fabrics. In both collections – cotton and synthetics – we are offering each of the three designs in six colours, so that is a total of 18 items, twice over. The range includes opaque, transparent and semitransparent fabrics and there is even a heavy satin derived from petrochemicals, which hangs very nicely. Soon we are expecting to also add printed fabrics, fabrics with
appliqué and embroidered textiles. Our aim is to provide the customer with the entirety of the current range offered by the home textiles sector as ecological products, without limitation. Question: With your products so far you have appealed to manufacturers and wholesalers, not retail trade directly. What does the future look like for OceanSafe? Schweizer: OceanSafe is a brand that we want to see become wellknown beyond our customer base. But for sales, we are continuing to approach manufacturers and wholesalers exclusively, not retail trade directly.
BOX Cradle to Cradle gold standard: what does that mean exactly? Cradle to Cradle denotes a product concept in which the word ‘waste’ never appears. Instead, Cradle to Cradle views everything as a raw material or nutrient from which something new can be created. Old glass becomes new bottles and containers, whilst old technical devices supply the components for new ones. The concept was devised by the German process engineer, chemist and former Greenpeace activist, Michael Braungart. At the same time, Cradle to Cradle is a quality seal, awarded by the independent Products Innovation Institute. In the process, the certifiers monitor five categories: material health, recyclability, renewable energy, water quality and social responsibility. In every category, five levels can be achieved: basic, bronze, silver, gold and platinum. The strict overall rating of a product is based on the lowest level achieved in one of the categories.
BOX Manuel Schweizer – personal background
Textile specialist Manuel Schweizer has been working with textiles since 1988. Born in Switzerland, Schweizer formerly worked as an interior decorator and textile designer, and at the age of 50 he completed a Master’s course at the Swiss Textile University (Schweizer Textilfachhochschule). Before switching over to Deco Design Fürus, the 52-year-old was Category Manager at Pfister Vorhang Service AG, a subsidiary company of the Pfister furniture retailer with headquarters in Suhr (Switzerland). DDF founder Ulrich Fürus became acquainted with Schweizer back in 1992. Schweizer quickly became the desired candidate to succeed Fürus at his company. Manuel Schweizer has been the Managing Director of DDF since January 2018.
New business area: custom shower curtains Custom solutions are currently being sought in the commercial sector. With the production of shower curtains in customs sizes, Deco Design Fürus has opened up a lucrative market niche. The Krefeld-based company make the curtains in cooperation with a workshop for vocational integration – for cruise ships, caravans, tiny houses or hotels. The new business area has given the company access to a completely new customer group: industry. DDF dates + facts Deco Design Fürus GmbH Adolf-Dembach-Straße 5 47829 Krefeld Tel.: +49 (0)2151 / 49 35-0 info@deco-design-fuerus.de: www.deco-design-fuerus.de Managing Director: Manuel Schweizer Commercial Director: Jochen Noell Sales: Rolf Thies Exports: Johannes Heinzel Design: Said Shorhreh