BITA celebrates its 10th Showcase in five years

SHOWCASE REVIEW
BITA celebrates its 10th
Showcase in five years
During the first half of September, the British Interior Textiles Association took its Showcase
roadshow to seven towns across the UK, starting in Bristol and finishing in Cumbernauld
A
lthough not all exhibitors showed at every venue, the
roadshow offered home furnishings retailers within
Showcase radius a good opportunity to see the latest
collections from over 30 brands, covering a wide choice of
fabrics, curtains, trimmings, blinds, curtain poles and window
accessories. The Showcase Home Décor attended, on
Sunday September 9 at Tewin Bury Farm, near Welwyn, was
held on one of the rare hot days of 2012. Coming at the end
of a miserable summer, nobody would have blamed retailers
and interior designers for staying at home to enjoy the sunny
weather on their day off, but the impressive attendance was
testament to the steadily growing popularity of the concept,
and to the sterling work of their organiser Diane Harding, BITA’s
vice chairman, over the past five years. Says Diane: “I hope we
will be celebrating our 20th travelling Showcase in another five
years!”
A standout feature
of this Showcase was
the increase in more
up-market collections
introduced by exhibitors
across the board, from
Swarovski crystalembellished trimmings
and sew-on buttons
to beautiful tiebacks,
elegant curtain poles
and luxurious-looking
and fashionable fabrics.
Impressively, most were
very reasonably-priced,
offering great value-formoney alternatives to the
products marketed by some of the more expensive brands.
Jones Interiors continues to add quality products to its
portfolio: the latest include a smart sparkling extension to
its range of 35mm pole finials – the new Strand finial with
Swarovski crystal trim comes in four gleaming colours and
follows on from its best-selling
crystal tiebacks and crystal
buttons. Picking up on fashion’s
modern elegance trend for
feminine lace and pearls are the
new pearlised finial and pearl
tiebacks in two sizes, perfect for
dressing up curtains. The elegant
new Enchantment collection
available from November
features two glass tiebacks,
Temptation and Tantalise, with
a matching range of fringe
trimmings in 12 colours.
On an extended Sunflex
stand, Integra showed its
opulent Masterpiece collection
of five new luxury finials for use
with its Wood Works Mix &
Match poles, plus accessories,
previewed in our August issue,
together with the brand-new
TOP: Available from November, Jones Interiors’ new Enchantment
collection includes two glass tiebacks, Temptation, pictured, and
Tantalise. ABOVE: Also available from November, Monte Carlo is a new
large rope tieback in 18 colours. LEFT: Strand finial with Swarvoski trim
is the latest addition to Jones Interiors’ 35mm pole collection.
New Integra collections from Sunflex include the 45mm Inspired by Integra Evora range, with two sleek contemporary finial designs, Ocula,
BELOW LEFT, and Zara, BELOW RIGHT, available in three finishes: burnished brass, brushed silver and chrome. OPPOSITE RIGHT: for use
with its Wood Works Mix & Match poles, Phoenix finials are from Integra’s opulent new Masterpiece collection of five luxury designs.
22
HD&F October/November 2012
SHOWCASE REVIEW
New launches from Hallis Hudson include LEFT: Neo
Premium, with finials in genuine lead crystal; and RIGHT:
the updated Museum collection includes the addition of two
elegant finials: Vienna, TOP, and Dune.
45mm Inspired by Integra Evora range. This features two elegant
contemporary finial designs, Zara and Ocula, available in three
finishes: burnished brass, brushed silver and chrome. All the
finials, poles, brackets and rings are for sale separately, and the
range is backed by point of sale material such as display cases,
shelf displays and wall samples.
More up-market styling
Hallis Hudson launched a number of new ranges, many of
them in more up-market styling, ideal for customers wanting
something a little different. Good examples are the additions
to the popular Neo range - Neo Premium, available in 28mm
and 35mm pole diameters to offer a more opulent choice while
keeping the minimal elegant style of the Neo brand.
Featuring solid genuine lead crystal finials, Neo Premium is
available in stainless steel, spun brass, chrome and black nickel
finishes, and both the clear and smoke grey finials come in ball,
faceted ball and teardrop shapes.
The new and updated Museum collection features two
additional elegant finial styles, Vienna and Dune, available
in 35mm, 45mm and 55mm sizes, plus seven new finishes
incorporating modern waxes to give a subtle lustre and hard-
ABOVE: The new Verona range of luxurious trimmings from Hallis
Hudson includes these semi-lustrous tiebacks.
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SHOWCASE REVIEW
wearing protection. Subtle lustre is also a feature of the new
Verona range of luxurious trimmings, available in nine colours,
and featuring beaded, picot-edged and organza-ribboned
styles, plus an impressive tieback with an elaborate ribbon and
gimp cord and full semi-lustrous skirt.
Hallis Hudson is also distributing Colorama, the new
Silent Gliss system 4905 roller blind. This retail market
quality blind targets the more usual domestic
window sizes, and is described as the ultimate
in customisation. All the fittings can be supplied
colour-matched to the best-selling shades of the
Colorama fabric, plus silver brackets, with 27
colour options offered in inherently flame-retardant
polyester CS Trevira.
Shimmering metallic effects
24
ABOVE: Hallis Hudson is distributing Colorama,
the new Silent Gliss system 4905 roller blind,
made to measure up to a width of 140cm, with 27
colour options. All the fittings, LEFT, can be supplied
colour-matched to the best-selling fabric shades.
Simpson Interiors showed the new Yorke Roma fabric
collection of fashionable floral and small-scale geometric
designs with shimmering metallic effects. It also includes vibrant
semi-plains, and comes in a range of bold colour combinations.
Kestrel-Lister also showed a choice of more up-market
collections of curtain poles, plus new fabrics and coordinating
tiebacks. Its new retail display stand to show larger fabric
samples has space on top to show a selection of poles. New
fabric collections from Rufflette included Blossom, patterned
with pretty roses, stripes, small allover florals, leaves and
checks, plus quilted effects and voiles, priced to retail from
around £15.00 a metre.
Clarke & Clarke, exhibiting at the BITA showcases in
Harrogate and Cumbernauld, also showed at Decorex for
the third year running, and launched a number of collections
highlighting fashionable and up-market looks at value-for-money
prices. For example, the new Festival fabric collection, inspired
by the 1951 Festival of Britain, capturing the style and colours
of this iconic design era, retails from £14.00 a metre. It includes
four striking printed cottons, a graphic embroidered linen and
coordinating plain linens in colours ranging from muted mineral
and grey to cheerful berry, aqua and yellow.
Inspired by recent catwalk collections, the new Floribunda
collection features dramatic patterns, sophisticated textures and
an interesting mix of scale, teamed with vibrant contemporary
colours. Graphic digital prints sit alongside glamorous cut
velvets, colourful satin stripes and elaborate weaves. Colours
range from monochromatic shades to bright orange, fuchsia
and citrus, and the collection retails from £25.00 a metre.
Complementing it is the new Floribunda wallcoverings
collection, which includes some dramatic digitally printed
designs, a luxurious flock-printed leopard skin effect to retail at
around £99.00 a roll, a historical scenic toile, Babylon, and a
semi-plain plastered wall effect, Alabaster.
Ashley Wilde launched a number of new fabric collections,
including Botinia contemporary designs with a shimmering
textured weave; and Eden, featuring large-scale florals and
trails, plus bold geometrics and an embroidered flower pattern.
Also on show were stylish additions to its Kai brand, such as
ABOVE: The new Yorke Roma collection distributed by Simpson
Interiors highlights fashionable floral and small-scale geometric
designs with shimmering metallic effects plus vibrant semiplains, and comes in a range of bold colour combinations.
ABOVE: Floribunda wallcoverings complement Clarke & Clarke’s
new collection of Floribunda fabrics. Designs include dramatic
digitally printed florals, a luxurious flock-printed leopard skin effect,
monochrome roses and elaborate lace, plus coordinating stripes.
HD&F October/November 2012
Ashley Wilde’s Eden collection includes woven fabrics,
contemporary prints and embroideries in fresh or cooler colours. Casson geometric and striped designs, and Adrienne, featuring
larger scale prints and embroidered velvets.
New fabric collections from Bill Beaumont included Amalie,
with five designs including an embroidered faux silk, small
flowered jacquard and classic damask jacquards. The company
has noticed a recent move to more traditional styles by its
customers and as part of its Made For You service it is now
offering to make up swags and tails using the Parkhill Royale
System. Another new collection launched at the show, Retreat,
highlights the retro trend with a mix of shabby chic styling,
vintage floral prints and 50’s inspired dots: retail prices start from
under £20.00 a metre.
Another trend reported by several exhibitors is the growing
popularity of wider width fabrics. Blackout and thermal linings
specialist Edmund Bell, a leading supplier to the contract
market where wider widths are the first choice, also offers
a comprehensive range for domestic use. At Showcase the
company was exhibiting its latest collection of coordinated
designs for this market, Ambiance, offering 60 options on
panama fabric, plus a similarly large range of coloured linings,
Chromax, in 66 colours, which can also be used for trimming
accessories.
Represented at Showcase by Norfolk House, Simta was
showing a new double-width range of prints, to retail from
£28.00 a metre. Veloma showed a new double width collection
of linen/cotton fabrics, and Silkland offered Splash, a beautiful
collection of shimmering metallic 70% silk, in 50 colours,
including gold, silver, fuchsia, deep blue, purple, orange and red,
to retail at £27.00 a metre. nCG
• The next BITA
Showcase for
spring will be held
from March 5 to
March 19 2013,
visiting South
Yorkshire, Essex,
Kent, Hampshire,
Devon, Manchester
and the West
Midlands. For more
details, contact:
01908 410598.
Ashley Wilde: 01707 635233
Bill Beaumont: 01257 263065
Clarke & Clarke: 01706 242010
Edmund Bell: 01706 717070
Hallis Hudson: 01772 202202
Jones Interiors: 0115 973 8708
Kestrel-Lister: 01274 360400
Norfolk House: 01908 410598
Rufflette: 0161 998 1811
Simpson Interiors: 0161 796 1919
Sunflex: 01543 271421