Robert Allen Program Provides Ready-Made Bedding, Ship To Shore II is Sea-Ready
March 15, 2007
NEW YORK, New York – First introduced at last year's HD Expo in Las Vegas and set to show again this year as fully developed, "Room Service," is one of the latest endeavors for Robert Allen Contract.
Since its debut showing last year, teams have been working to make Room Service an offering that can facilitate the involved process of sourcing for hospitality. "We want to make it easy for them (our customers)," said Karen Keating, operating vice president for fabric design at the Robert Allen Group. "Room Service was developed as a way to offer top of bed items and anything special or above and beyond typical bedding items. We want to make it as clean a transition from development to final product as possible."
The baseline for Room Service includes nine white fabrics – eight patterns and one solid – that currently are stocked and sold by the piece. All nine fabrics are 100 percent polyester and withstood rigorous laundering and testing before being marketed to consumers. "The basic line appeals to the trend of the clean, white bed, but it's not limited to white, that's just the base of what we offer," said Keating. The solid white fabric in the line, called Lance, is being dyed and stocked now, and they are piece dying the other fabrics to test what works. Room Service encourages a three-step process where customers select the item, the fabric and the style and then the Robert Allen Contract staff "makes it happen."
"Room Service is about customizing to meet the customer's needs and special tailoring to meet their needs," said Keating. "It allows us to weave and fabricate and attack a product in all sorts of ways. Usually customers come to us with an idea of what they want already and we work with them to find, 'how do we meet what they want?' It's a challenge, but I think we've become pretty good at it."
Although Robert Allen Contract is known for its work as hospitality suppliers, Room Service is new because, as Jolie Cross Cohen, operating vice president of public relations said, the company has not typically sold finished product.
"We're taking designs and recreating them within contract specifications," said Keating. "Some places might need the fabric to be machine washable; others dry-cleaned; some need flame retardant fabrics. We can derive a design from something that exists in our line or we can make it from scratch. We're giving them a lot of tools and then developing on their project need basis."
The Robert Allen Contract Room Service catalog outlines the line, giving customers the capability to flip through and see top of bed items like duvets, bedspreads and comforters, but Keating says the catalog is just a "kick-start for the customer."
"We have a full design studio with CAD and board artists who paint, so our customers are encouraged to come in and design-develop with us," said Keating.
As for pricing, Keating says Room Service is in tune with where the market needs to be for big jobs. "It's designed to appeal to any hospitality market – be it hotels, spas, model homes – because it's very well-priced and customizable," she said.
Along with Room Service having reached full development this year, Robert Allen Contract will also soon be ready to launch its second version of the Ship to Shore collection; Ship to Shore II. Aimed specifically at customers designing for maritime hospitality, this entire line is made solely of Trevira CS fabric and all the fabrics adhere to guidelines set by the Association for Contract Textiles.
Trevira CS is an Italian-woven, flame-retardant fabric that passes all International Maritime Organization standards. Because the entire Ship to Shore II line is extremely durable, lightfast and launderable, it will appeal to the hospitality industry as a whole. But because it is made from Trevira CS and incorporates maritime themes and nautical colors into its aesthetic appeal, the Robert Allen Contract team thinks customers with an interest in designing for cruise ships and yachts will be particularly excited.
"They're classic designs (leaves, squares, diamonds – very handsome), but they have a little more of a modern and contemporary feel," said Keating.
Since its debut showing last year, teams have been working to make Room Service an offering that can facilitate the involved process of sourcing for hospitality. "We want to make it easy for them (our customers)," said Karen Keating, operating vice president for fabric design at the Robert Allen Group. "Room Service was developed as a way to offer top of bed items and anything special or above and beyond typical bedding items. We want to make it as clean a transition from development to final product as possible."
The baseline for Room Service includes nine white fabrics – eight patterns and one solid – that currently are stocked and sold by the piece. All nine fabrics are 100 percent polyester and withstood rigorous laundering and testing before being marketed to consumers. "The basic line appeals to the trend of the clean, white bed, but it's not limited to white, that's just the base of what we offer," said Keating. The solid white fabric in the line, called Lance, is being dyed and stocked now, and they are piece dying the other fabrics to test what works. Room Service encourages a three-step process where customers select the item, the fabric and the style and then the Robert Allen Contract staff "makes it happen."
"Room Service is about customizing to meet the customer's needs and special tailoring to meet their needs," said Keating. "It allows us to weave and fabricate and attack a product in all sorts of ways. Usually customers come to us with an idea of what they want already and we work with them to find, 'how do we meet what they want?' It's a challenge, but I think we've become pretty good at it."
Although Robert Allen Contract is known for its work as hospitality suppliers, Room Service is new because, as Jolie Cross Cohen, operating vice president of public relations said, the company has not typically sold finished product.
"We're taking designs and recreating them within contract specifications," said Keating. "Some places might need the fabric to be machine washable; others dry-cleaned; some need flame retardant fabrics. We can derive a design from something that exists in our line or we can make it from scratch. We're giving them a lot of tools and then developing on their project need basis."
The Robert Allen Contract Room Service catalog outlines the line, giving customers the capability to flip through and see top of bed items like duvets, bedspreads and comforters, but Keating says the catalog is just a "kick-start for the customer."
"We have a full design studio with CAD and board artists who paint, so our customers are encouraged to come in and design-develop with us," said Keating.
As for pricing, Keating says Room Service is in tune with where the market needs to be for big jobs. "It's designed to appeal to any hospitality market – be it hotels, spas, model homes – because it's very well-priced and customizable," she said.
Along with Room Service having reached full development this year, Robert Allen Contract will also soon be ready to launch its second version of the Ship to Shore collection; Ship to Shore II. Aimed specifically at customers designing for maritime hospitality, this entire line is made solely of Trevira CS fabric and all the fabrics adhere to guidelines set by the Association for Contract Textiles.
Trevira CS is an Italian-woven, flame-retardant fabric that passes all International Maritime Organization standards. Because the entire Ship to Shore II line is extremely durable, lightfast and launderable, it will appeal to the hospitality industry as a whole. But because it is made from Trevira CS and incorporates maritime themes and nautical colors into its aesthetic appeal, the Robert Allen Contract team thinks customers with an interest in designing for cruise ships and yachts will be particularly excited.
"They're classic designs (leaves, squares, diamonds – very handsome), but they have a little more of a modern and contemporary feel," said Keating.
