St. Gallen, Switzerland – After opening a new showroom here last year, sales of the Swiss converter, Christian Fischbacher increased 12 percent in the surrounding area. The facility, which the company refers to as a concept showroom, displays its products in theme settings. It also functions as a venue for discussion for architects and interior designers.

''We want this to be a sensual as well as a visual show-room,'' Fischbacher said. In September, the theme of the showroom was love. Rose printed pillows and fabrics were featured prominently. Many couples considered September 9, 1999 a good date to get married, company spokesperson Camilla Fischbacher noted.

The showroom is one step in a $4 million renovation effort. Headquarters was completely redone and two floors were added to it. ''The company tries to reinvent itself with each generation,'' Fischbacher said.

Although the company does not sell directly to the end consumer, the public is welcome to visit the showroom. ''We try to entice them to use fabric, though,'' Fischbacher said. The products are organized in a way as to be user-friendly: Fabrics are grouped by both color and texture with full-piece collections in every colorway on display. ''Collections are taken apart,'' Fischbacher said, ''because customers don't always care which items are from our newest collection.'' There are also classical and experimental areas in the showroom.

The showroom displays, among others, Christian Fischbacher's Garden Party collection, designed by a local artist and adapted for fabric by in-house designers. ''This is what we've become known for,'' Fischbacher said. The company produces several other lines for interior fabrics, some of which are done on washable Trevira CS.

The most recent Fisch-bacher collection that uses Trevira is Ambienti IV. It is divided into color groups: natural tones of white, beige and sand, golden colors, soft blues, browns and a variety of cool colors.

Fischbacher also prints high end bedlinens on cotton and pure silk. It manufactures a wide variety of special sizes according to customers' needs. A broad spectrum of accessories, including ties and scarves are also available in the Fischbacher line. The company has licensing agreements for the scarves with Louis Féraud and Guy Laroche.

Fischbacher said that the company is trying to sell products that exude a young urban image. ''It's very marketing-oriented,'' Fischbacher said. ''We're selling a complete lifestyle, not just a fabric.''

The company's grey goods division trades in basic textile qualities, suitable for large scale industrial use. Typical customers are embroidery and printing plants.

Ninety percent of Fisch-bacher's turnover is exported. The largest markets for the company's products are Japan, Italy and Germany. Fischbacher also sells to U.S. converters.

Christian Fischbacher was founded in 1819. Headquar-ters have remained in St. Gallen for the duration. The Fischbacher group is divided into nine companies, which taken in its entirety, employs 666 people and whose turnover was around $80 million in 1998. Most of the companies in the group work in textiles. One produces optical lenses and components and two companies conduct aviatic operations.