The Products of the Pandemic

By Kim D. Shaver

In a world of chaos and uncertainty, consumers crave comfort, seek to create healthy environments and are making outdoor spaces a focal point for gathering and exploration.

These dynamics ushered in by the global pandemic have caused a rise in popularity for fabrics with visual and physical texture and for performance fabrics with a sustainability and cleanability story, including outdoor performance fabrics. Colorways on the rise include warm neutrals and greens that create emotional comfort and are inspired by nature.

Often, the plusher the texture, the better, say executives who participated in ITA’s Showtime Magazine Textile Industry Outlook survey recently. “Our biggest hit this season is a pattern called ‘Revival,’ a chunky boucle texture,” says Katie Atwater Williams, creative director at De Leo Textiles. “During the last year, our homes have become our safe haven, so textures that are extra cozy and plush make comforting additions to our surroundings. We are adding several new colors to Revival for May’s Showtime,” she says.

Culp saw the green color palette emerge a few seasons ago, but it has gained traction during the pandemic due to an interest in exploring the outdoors and making a connection with nature and the freedom nature offers to roam in wide-open spaces, the company said.

“There’s been an increased focus on health and well-being since the pandemic’s inception,” says Jennifer Harmon, director of business development for Milliken & Co’s Textile Division. “We’ve also seen greater emphasis and awareness of our industry’s environmental impact. These two areas of focus resulted in natural and recycled materials performing well in 2020.” Culp’s LiveSmart line of performance fabrics have benefitted from consumer concerns about environmental stewardship and their desire for healthy home environments, says Iv Culp, chief executive officer. The eco-friendly LiveSmart line includes Evolve, which is made with at least 30% or more of a polyester yarn by Unifi from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles.

LiveSmart’s latest addition, the “Ultra” line, taps into the desire to keep homes clean and protect upholstery fabrics from the growth of mold, mildew and odor-causing bacteria. LiveSmart Ultra offers stain-fighting protection by blocking both water and oil-based stains from penetrating through the fabrics into cushions, and has the addition of permanentlybonded silver ion-based antimicrobial technology that works to resist mold and mildew and bacteria that causes odors, says Tammy Buckner, senior vice president of marketing and design for Culp.

Natural fiber fabrics also are popular, according to textile executives. “Our textured styles, such as Bohemian, are popular with consumers who are craving comfort,” says Milliken’s Harmon. Textile source Libeco, a chief-value linen line known for its linen content as well as for wool, silk and cotton content, has benefitted from the rising popularity of natural fibers, says Kathryn Richardson, vice president of sales.

Stain and fade resistant performance fabrics are a must for both interior and exterior spaces, as consumers turn to small outdoor gatherings and outdoor living décor to create a “staycation” feeling at home. Outdoor spaces have became “safe spaces” for entertaining and spending time with family, a trend most expect to far outlive the pandemic. As outdoor fire pits and other heating appliances make outdoor living more of a yearround hang-out zone, many observers believe outdoor performance fabric sales are far from hitting peak.

In the last year up to the present, neutral colorways continue to be important but have shifted to the warm side with browns, taupes and gold hues. “Warm tones are a hug for you,” says Richardson.

For accents, tropical colors and greens of every hue have gained importance. “Green emerged a few seasons ago but has really gained traction,” says Culp’s Buckner. “With the pandemic, there’s been a renewed interest in exploring the outdoors, and green gives us this connection with nature and with freedom that we desire. From soft candy hues to rich Kelly shades, green is the perfect color for sunny days to come,” she says.

Environmentally-friendly performance fabrics with yarns made of recycled materials have been in demand at Milliken.

Another popular style with visual and physical texture from De Leo is Duson, a pattern packed with texture using caterpillar chenille and boucle, in neutral combinations.

Demand for cozy and plush textures like De Leo Textile’s chunky boucle “Revival” has been on the rise.

Culp Inc has seen robust demand for its LiveSmart brand of stain-resistant performance fabrics, including LiveSmart Evolve, featuring at least 30% of its yarns in a high-quality polyester made by Unifi from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles. This sofa is covered in a Culp fabric that contains 450 water bottles.

Neutral textures with surface interest including chunkiness and slubs, are high in demand for Libeco customers.

Libeco’s new stonewash fabric in an orange hue is attracting attention for its relaxed look and deep saturated color. The layered fabric on top is a new sheer inspired by 70s’ raw-silk looks.

As consumer crave comfort, Natural fibers and colorways have surged in popularity for Milliken, especially with textured Bohemian looks.