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

I'M HOOKED: WOVEN TEXTILES TELL THE STORY IN ST. FRANK'S ARTISAN ART

Smart,  eye-opening  quotes like this that resonate with the brand's philosophy can be read on the St. Frank Saintly Truth Pinterest page.

Photos courtesy of St. Frank

Blue Tenango, featuring a Mexican Otomi

Founder and CEO Christina Bryant (center) with her team

Textiles,  depending on how you use them, can really  make a statement. Try them framed on your wall, not only will they add a unique look, you will  start to see them in an entirely new way. St. Frank, a new digitally-savvy company, features framed artisan-woven textiles as wall decor. The founder, San Francisco-based Christina Bryant named her company after her home base and the Italian St. Francis of Assisi, patron Saint of animals and the environment, who provided for the poor and was the son of a wealthy silk merchant. With full passports and wanderlust, they seek out beautiful textiles around the globe and further transform them into art. Calling on a select group of boutique artisan workshops and textile partners in developing countries, their collective approach benefits artisan workshops.  St. Frank's two pronged social mission includes eventual economic empowerment for the weavers, and elevates their craft by bringing it to an entirely new audience as a celebrated art form.  Every textile, tagged with a small gold plate denoting the St. Frank name, be it one of a kind, limited edition, or print, is framed to best-suit the subject, with black or white wood, silver, maple or shadowbox options. One of the best parts of the St. Frank  approach, aside from the easy peasy process and  free shipping, is the story each  heritage textile tells. Each fabric's origin and meaning is explained in-depth, adding inspiration and allure to the piece. 

I think you will become hooked on St. Frank too.

Organic Indigo with Japanese and French influences features a wavy wash of blue indigo and white from West Africa. If a piece is one of a kind, it comes framed as is, and if it is available as a multiple, you can choose from their tailored options.

Biddew Noir, a Senegalese textile with a graphic geo punch

The Rose Pomegranate Suzani in a beautiful setting

Crowned Tree of Life Suzani from Uzbekistan

What a statement the black ground makes in this vintage silk Tree of Life Suzani

Spring Pomegranate Suzani, a vintage piece

 Ikat Floral Suzani from Uzbekistan

Vintage Lakai Suzani with silk embroidery

IT'S SHOWTIME: LINENS LEATHERS AND MORE AT THE INTERNATIONAL TEXTILES MARKET ASSOCIATION SHOW

 Photo courtesy of Pantone

Pantone has just declared Radiant Orchid their color of the year for 2014.  When they make this statement, you will see companies follow suit, clamoring to launch their own designs including this hot color. Industry watchers jump on this intelligence, and love to rally around it.

When it comes to picking up on trends and creating a focus, trade shows are sometimes the best was to get a sense of what is coming next. At the International Textiles Market Association Showtime Show, there will not be a shortage of textiles, and I am hoping to get more insights to other dominant color stories for 2014. As the largest US-based home textiles show, the bi annual High Point-based event attracts fabric buyers of all kinds, from retailers to interior designers, furniture companies, designers of hotels, planes, yachts and more. I have been invited to cover the show, and I thank the ITMA for including me.  I will see prints, wovens, leathers and all sorts of intriguing new designs from the likes of Robert Allen, Duralee, P Kaufman, Moore and Giles, Glen Raven/Sunbrella, Libeco and more.  As you know, I love attending markets to discover new and exciting design. I am eager to explore  a new market that occurs at the same location as the furniture market. Plus, I get to visit with fellow bloggers the Madcap Cottage duo Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke, Nest by Tamara's Tamara Matthews-Stephenson, Rhonda Carman of All the Best, and Traci Zeller.

Here is what I am hoping to find at the show:

- The next big pattern style for prints. Ikats and chevrons? Yes, we know, they are everywhere. What's coming next? 

- Big bold florals  are still on the rise in popularity for their undeniable happy factor. What adaptations will there be to this beloved motif?

- What textural treatment will be hot? Viscose has been a great addition to cotton for added softness, what blend will be really interesting in the future?

- What color combinations will have a newness to them?

- The artist's hand is ever-present at the luxury end of textiles, with brushstroke prints, watercolor washes and Shibori influences. Will it be prevalent across a variety of companies designs?

- Art Deco is coming back. Is now the time?

- I have been seeing beautiful metallics done in attractive ways, will they be adapted into wovens too?

- Embroidery is being created in an array of interesting styles in China and India,  from finely woven details to thicker threads. Is innovation still occurring in this medium?

Here are some interesting examples of textiles from companies I will be visiting with on the trip:

Photo courtesy of Duralee

Aquadisiac, from the Enchanted Collection

Photo courtesy of Duralee

Shay in Saffron by John Robshaw for Duralee

Laura Kirar's Iowa in Onyx

Winstead in Green

Photo courtesy of Robert Allen

Busy Stripes a woven by Robert Allen

Sophia Range, a woven from Robert Allen

Carmane embroidered fabric from Robert Allen mixes graphic pattern and large scale embroidery

 Photo courtesy of Moore and Giles

Teal is now a mainstream color, and in leather it is striking, Moore and Giles has this beautiful, clear shade in leather.

BOSTON! JOIN ME FOR MY TREND TALK "THE LOOK" AT THE BOSTON DESIGN CENTER THIS THURSDAY OCTOBER 3rd

Photos courtesy of The Boston Design Center

Trends are constantly evolving, helping inform the look of the design world we live in. Want to find out what trends and design influences are on the horizon for 2014? Join me this Thursday, 10AM at The Boston Design Center, as I share key key trends to look out for, and how you can apply them in your interiors.  

I look forward to seeing you there. Boston is such a great design town, so livable-- full of charm, history and classic architecture. I can't wait.

Please RSVP: HERE.

BRAMALTA FABRICS: NEW PATTERNED PRINTS WITH COLOR AND CHARACTER

I love when people start their own companies based on that which they are most passionate about. Bramalta, a new Italian-inspired printed fabric collection out of Pennsylvania started by John Donis, came from years of working in and loving the fabric industry.  It is so exciting seeing boutique fabric companies get started, and see their creative point of view emerge. Starting Bramalta, Donis was able to re-connect with the creative process.  He used to create custom fabrics for clients while working at Scalamandre, which is where we met way back when.  After many years there, he learned the art and process of the weaving mills and appreciated their vast, treasured historical archives. Venturing out on his own, he had total creative flexibility to bring something new to market with a nod to the past and his Italian roots.

When describing the leap he took, he explained, "textiles and making things, practical things which have personal meaning are important to me. I had the Bramalta designs in mind, and I do all the drawing and coloring myself.  I kept searching until I found the best people to work with. Then, I had to teach myself how to design a textile and just be an editor." A love of textiles and historical archives stemmed from Donis's Italian heritage, travels and inspirational grandmother. As a child, he would join her on fabric and lace buying trips in the Puglia region, famous for its wool, where his appreciation for the textile arts began. The creative process takes time, having created over 10,000 sketches and ideas for designs, he acknowledges the execution of a pattern is complex and varied.
What appeals to me are his vivid color combinations and playful patterns like the flamestitch, for their updated historical reference points. You can find the prints at Travis and Co in Atlanta, and if you are interested in carrying the Bramalta Collection, reach out to them here.

Zig Zag in Aqua is inspired by a classic Egg and Dart motif

Zig Zag in Fuschia

Zig Zag in Orange 

Zig Zag in Red

Zig Zag in Yellow

Zig Zag in Blue

Rosette and Fret in Green

Rosette and Fret in Red

Arts and Crafts in Blue

Arts and Crafts in Red

Boccanera in Aqua and Green

Kerman in Blues

Fiamma in Green

Fiamma in Blue