FABRIC FORECAST: WHAT IS COMING

After hitting ITMA Showtime, the annual invitation-only textile show in High Point, I learned a thing or two about the business of fabric sourcing, and got a peek behind the curtain on what trends are coming soon to a fabric showroom near you.  Along with a great group of like-minded bloggers, I was invited to explore the textile array. I had heard the show, the largest of its kind in the US, was a complete 360 from High Point Furniture Market as far as scale, that everything was done appointment only, and that fabric houses from around the world show up to source from it. It was indeed a much more intimate and manageable scale, with the entire show occurring in one building, Market Square. If you have been to furniture market, then you know, it requires laser like focus, a thorough knowledge of what is where and what has relocated, a pre-arranged appointment schedule, comfortable shoes, and a fresh pair of eyes each day. Since this show was solely textiles, it was refreshingly focused. I went eager to see what ideas were bubbling up. Fabric companies source for their collections here. Since houses can't work with every mill, it makes sense to visit them when they are all in one place. They can fill in gaps for weaves or prints they have been searching for. The trick seems to be getting exclusives on those pieces they feel are really directional, so they can tell a specific design story.   Otherwise, they run the risk of a fabric being available in a few places, perhaps diluting its special-ness.
So, what print, pattern, texture and colors were eye-catching this market?  Some examples-- prints are taking their cue from fashion (at a much slower cadence) and old-school classics are being re-interpreted,  ethnic inspiration is very much still present, embroidery and quilting is getting even more elaborate and varied, lodge-inspired motifs that evoke a bucolic country life are ramping up in popularity especially in Southern markets, and artistic individuality is being asserted more.
Read on to find out the direction textiles will be moving in.

 Leather hides as far as the eye can see from Moore and Giles. Candy colors, including pastels and Skittles hues make leather an option in any interior-matching shade.

The lavender was beautiful

 A procession of courtly figures wearing bright old timey clothing makes for a fun historically-inspired novelty 

print.

  A playful triangular patterned woven with gradient fluorescent colors

A fruity colored mix of citrus hues in a great looking graphic geometric woven pattern

The artistic vibe is still very much at play, here the paint splatter look is interpreted in a lush silk weave.

Velvet embroidered with S-Curve squiggles has a unique take. I say, the brighter the better.

A large scale Greek Key stripe in a pale green 

Well, because its fun. What looks like a pixelated circular digital print with a reinterpreted quilt feel

Expect to see more tribal geo's in the market soon, like the version above, and even more colorful

A linear Kuba cloth pattern with oversized lattice is toned-down tribal

 A chic oversized black and white cut velvet geometric lattice from a mill in Spain

Interesting wovens include African-inspired weaves

Muted earthy hues and subtle geometric patterns are hallmarks of this new rustic "Lodge Style" stripe

The casual style of a flax colored woven stripe has French overtones

TRIMS

This is also the place where many American fabric houses go to find trims. 

Caning is a traditional preppy mainstay, so the world will be better off with this new tape trim in navy, hot pink and leaf green

I love the mix of materials and embroidery I saw. This radiating circle pattern on sophisticated colored grounds was wonderful

A two-sided fringe with delicate applique down the center ribbon has charm and endless uses