SHOWTIME® WELCOME
from the ITA President The connecting thread that weaves through our industry is in the language we speak and the ties that bind us. Think of how often we use textile phrases to speak about everything we do in our daily lives and realize how intrinsically important our industry is: we ‘weave in and out of traffic;’ we have ‘threads of conversation’ and ‘threads’ in social media; we ‘shuttle’ our kids back and forth to activities. We are communicating our lives through textile “speak.”
The ITA is a non-profit business association founded in 1990 to advance the textile industries through the promotion of its members and facilitation of education, networking and collaboration year-round.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT Kathryn Richardson, Libeco VICE PRESIDENT David Lappert, Kravet TREASURER Mendy Kearns, Hamilton Fabric Sales, Inc. Nathan Copeland, Highland House Elise Gabrielson, Crypton Carmen Herndon Barbee, Ballard Designs Andy Pacuk, Ultrafabrics Patrick Shelton, Valdese Weavers
STAFF
MANAGING DIRECTOR Carrie Dillon 336-885-6842, carrie@internationaltextilealliance.org 305 West High Avenue, High Point, NC 27260 InternationalTextileAlliance.org
KATHRYN RICHARDSON
Textiles are critically important in our lives as a result—from the designs on toilet paper to the materials that cocoon us in bed, to the fabrics and leathers on our sofas, desk chairs, in our cars, and what we wear. Textiles are how we express ourselves, communicate our values, and connect with others. We at the ITA recognize the meaning textiles have in our lives and renew our commitment to how we communicate and connect our industry. We recommit to our mantra “Connections Happen Here” and invite you to join us. Our committees, initiatives, Educational Foundation, events, and our volunteer Board of Directors are all opportunities for you to join us and help make our industry stronger, more interwoven. Our combined efforts allow us to reach more and more interested buyers, potential employees, end consumers and educators. The ITA has been focused on new ways of speaking to our industry. We will be announcing major changes and initiatives in the spring of 2022 in how we are communicating and connecting the stakeholders in the textile, leather and trimmings worlds. We have already started with new programs like our Member Showcase each quarter, our more robust educational programming, our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative through the Educational Foundation, and a renewed investment in our fiscal strategy, media outreach, operational systems, an overhauled website and marketing opportunities to come. Our organization and industry have gone through immense turmoil, and will still see challenges in the years to come. But we are inspired by the booming interest in the home furnishings market, and in the passion for home textile, leather and trimmings design, stories and new technology. Please come see me at Showtime market in the Libeco showroom, MST 382, and let me know how we can serve our industry, and your company, better. Let’s connect. Connections Happen Here.
Kathryn Richardson ITA president
The largest tradeshow in the U.S. dedicated to textiles, leathers and trimmings, Showtime Market brings together the industry’s leading manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, and retailers. Produced bi-annually by and for the members of ITA, Showtime is the “can’t-miss” market for textile professionals. Registration and market information: InternationalTextileAlliance.org/Showtime Showtime magazine is a publication of the International Textile Alliance and is managed by Stallard Studio DBA Showtime Media & Marketing. PUBLISHER Crystal Staley 336.514.2026, crystal@showtime-magazine.com EDITOR Jennifer Bringle 919.649.5368, editor@showtime-magazine.com CONTRIBUTING WRITER Kim Shaver kim.shaver@aol.com DESIGNER Mara Wedekind 443.695.2865, art@showtime-magazine.com SALES DIRECTOR Emily Thiel 336.689.0802, sales@showtime-magazine.com COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Los Muertos Crew, PEXELS Tell us what you would like to see in future issues of Showtime magazine. Send story ideas and style influencer suggestions via email for consideration. Reproduction or use, without permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited.
A key focus of ITA, its Educational Foundation is dedicated to ensuring the future of the textile industries through the nurturing and promotion of education, scholarship, and career development initiatives.
EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION CHAIR Kathryn Richardson, Libeco
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Jack Eger, Crypton John Kearns, Hamilton Fabric Sales Katherine Shoaf, Radiate Textiles Katie Smarr, Crypton Katie Williams, De Leo Textiles Terrell Gary, P. Kaufmann Wesley Mancini, Wesley Mancini, Ltd.
