Portfolio Unveils Printed Sunbrella® Fabric Line
May 14, 2004
NEW YORK—Glen Raven Mills Inc. has licensed the Portfolio division of Kravet Fabrics Corp. to produce the first printed Sunbrella® solution dyed acrylic fabrics for outdoor/indoor use.
"Portfolio will unveil the first printed Sunbrella collection at Showtime in July," said Burt Kaplan, president of Portfolio, the converter division of Kravet.
"There are 20 major sku's in this collection, including half a dozen correlated or supporting patterns, all branded Sunbrella. Pricing is competitive to the decorative fabrics marketplace and point of purchase materials will be made available to the retailer."
Kaplan's division has the full support of Kravet, the parent company. Kravet president Cary Kravet said he was extremely excited about the new relationship with Sunbrella.
"We'll be the only company licensed worldwide to print Sunbrella fabrics for the decorative fabric business," he said. "Sunbrella is the leader in the outdoor/indoor fabrics market, the only brand to buy today."
Glen Raven will supply the base cloth, which will be wet printed by several Portfolio suppliers.
"We feel this is a strong category of product," Kravet said. "We'll also be tying it into wovens from Glen Raven and Sunbury – that will make for a nice package. We also expect to include some outdoor trims made by Bomar, which also feature Sunbrella."
Kaplan said the original designs will be printed on a canvas quality basecloth with a soft finish. However, the next collection of printed Sunbrella will feature a diverse range of base cloths, including jacquard designs.
"We're more decorative in our treatment of Sunbrella than any other supplier has ever been," Kaplan pointed out. "We were attracted to Sunbrella's performance characteristics – so important to the buyer today. We're finishing Sunbrella so it easily adapts to the inside as well as the outside environments."
''Casual gives the connotation of outdoors and indoors," said Rocco Simone, vice president of sales for Sunbury Mills. "With the increase of open spaces in home, skylights, patios, the effect of the sun becomes more important.''
''Originally, it was a must for outdoor furniture manufacturers. They went from buying cloth in green for $8 a yard to buying gorgeous jacquards for $15 per yard. Patio sets are now $8,000 to $15,000 at the upper end. We're even doing complimentary and coordinated umbrella fabrics," he said.
Simone said he believes Sunbrellas next target is the indoor market. "The fabric has gotten so decorative with a great hand. If we're going to compete in the marketplace, we're going to do it with performance. My grandkids can spill something on my $4500 sectional, I can clean it with bleach and we're all happy."
"Portfolio is completing the loop. Plains, stripes and basic jacquards from Glen Raven, decorative jacquards from Sunbury and now we have someone in Portfolio who knows the middle to upper end decorative print market. Now, the consumer will be able to do a beautiful room inside and out with both tropical prints and jacquards."
"Portfolio will unveil the first printed Sunbrella collection at Showtime in July," said Burt Kaplan, president of Portfolio, the converter division of Kravet.
"There are 20 major sku's in this collection, including half a dozen correlated or supporting patterns, all branded Sunbrella. Pricing is competitive to the decorative fabrics marketplace and point of purchase materials will be made available to the retailer."
Kaplan's division has the full support of Kravet, the parent company. Kravet president Cary Kravet said he was extremely excited about the new relationship with Sunbrella.
"We'll be the only company licensed worldwide to print Sunbrella fabrics for the decorative fabric business," he said. "Sunbrella is the leader in the outdoor/indoor fabrics market, the only brand to buy today."
Glen Raven will supply the base cloth, which will be wet printed by several Portfolio suppliers.
"We feel this is a strong category of product," Kravet said. "We'll also be tying it into wovens from Glen Raven and Sunbury – that will make for a nice package. We also expect to include some outdoor trims made by Bomar, which also feature Sunbrella."
Kaplan said the original designs will be printed on a canvas quality basecloth with a soft finish. However, the next collection of printed Sunbrella will feature a diverse range of base cloths, including jacquard designs.
"We're more decorative in our treatment of Sunbrella than any other supplier has ever been," Kaplan pointed out. "We were attracted to Sunbrella's performance characteristics – so important to the buyer today. We're finishing Sunbrella so it easily adapts to the inside as well as the outside environments."
''Casual gives the connotation of outdoors and indoors," said Rocco Simone, vice president of sales for Sunbury Mills. "With the increase of open spaces in home, skylights, patios, the effect of the sun becomes more important.''
''Originally, it was a must for outdoor furniture manufacturers. They went from buying cloth in green for $8 a yard to buying gorgeous jacquards for $15 per yard. Patio sets are now $8,000 to $15,000 at the upper end. We're even doing complimentary and coordinated umbrella fabrics," he said.
Simone said he believes Sunbrellas next target is the indoor market. "The fabric has gotten so decorative with a great hand. If we're going to compete in the marketplace, we're going to do it with performance. My grandkids can spill something on my $4500 sectional, I can clean it with bleach and we're all happy."
"Portfolio is completing the loop. Plains, stripes and basic jacquards from Glen Raven, decorative jacquards from Sunbury and now we have someone in Portfolio who knows the middle to upper end decorative print market. Now, the consumer will be able to do a beautiful room inside and out with both tropical prints and jacquards."
