Trimmings: What's Hot, What's Knot
August 2, 2000
Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. (USA) - Susan Brehm, vice president of design and development at Bomar Industries (Florida, U.S.A.) said that former First Lady Nancy Reagan's decorating whims helped make trimmings popular in America.
''She brought a real elegance to the White House that was missing,'' Brehm said. ''It's caught on now because there is a new affluence in this country and people are willing to spend money. They look at trim as added value.''
Nearly all of Bomar's $22 million turnover comes from the United States - especially sales to furniture manufacturers - but the company plans to sell overseas markets beginning with its first Decosit showing in September (Hall 7, F14).
Still, the company is wise to the wants of overseas markets by virtue of serving its stateside customers. ''We sell to furniture manufacturers here who sell to the Middle East, and what we make for them is very baroque. They love knotted bullions, rosettes and tassels. They love reds and golds, too - anything with gold is popular there.
She said the company's most successful product is fringe ''by far. This is because we are the No. 1 resource for furniture manufacturers. Fringe is something very basic that they all use. Fringe and cord are staples.
''We're seeing more demand for larger tassels. New houses are built with standard nine or 11-foot ceilings. We've seen a trend toward fuller, longer tassels and we're going to concentrate on that for Saudi Arabian countries,'' she said.
Wilgund Kurz, Gerster (Biberach an der Riß, Germany) export manager for North America and Great Britain has also noticed the trend in America towards larger trims. She said that when selling trim to America - Gerster's strongest market for trim - the bigger and fancier the better. ''Now we're selling double tassels,'' she said. ''In America, you need to buy a castle before you buy the tie-back.''
In the U.K., Gerster's second strongest market, Kurz said the trend is toward fancy hand-sewn pleats. She also said that the company's tie-backs, have strong U.K. sales. But despite the British hankering for a particular pleat and tie-back, you can't just sell a tassel to a Brit and call it a day. ''For this market, we need a wide range,'' Kurz said. ''The U.K. market wants to buy combinations for a whole room,'' Kurz said.
Meanwhile, Kurz said there is a general trend toward metallic tassels. ''We offer a metallic range with gold, silver, beige, rust - silver and rust are the most successful because there is a trend toward both earthy and metallic.''
Gerster began using metallics two years ago when it debuted a tie-back with a golden body. Its success encouraged the company to increase production of metallic trims.
Theresa Fitzgerald, brand manager of Rufflette (U.K.), said that her company is also expanding to accommodate a growing population of trim-metalheads. ''We have two or three different ones we're doing that use metal and leather.''
The 120-year-old company is the inventor of curtain tape, according to Fitzgerald. However, she said that the tape - Rufflette's core offering - isn't enough. ''We needed to diversify. We are trying to be window decorators and we're trying to give it volume.''
In general, more traditional trimmings are losing popularity, Fitzgerald said. The company's response to the new, diverse demand was to hire someone, Jill Eggleston, to act as creative and sourcing agent. ''It's allowed us to be more cutting edge,'' Fitzgerald said. ''Colorwise, we're going more towards tones: tones of blue and green particularly,'' she said. Rufflette hopes that Eggleston's creativity helps the company in its mission to gain footholds in new markets.
While Rufflette's sales are strongest in its home market, Fitzgerald said that its sales to the States have quadrupled in the last four months. ''A lot of decorators at Heimtextil said Americans want the European look,'' she said. ''That was promising.''
Rufflette may even find a niche for itself in the U.S. ''There is no readymade market in the States for curtains,'' Fitzgerald said.
She also said that Rufflette may attempt to get into the mail-order business.
Elsewhere, Rufflette has strong export sales to Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, and claims to have a 20 percent share of the Far East market for trimmings.
Art Reilly, vice president and general manager of the North Carolina, U.S.A.-based Van Lathem Inc. (the American subsidiary of ETS Van Lathem in France) said that the Middle East, Asia and Australia also account for a significant amount of Van Lathem's overall export. But its strongest markets are Europe and the U.S., respectively.
Like Rufflette, Van Lathem has found demand in the States for trimmings to be influenced by Euro-styles. ''We make products in the obvious colors that are acceptable to the U.S. palette, but have a touch of the European look to them,'' Reilly said.
According to Reilly, because trimmings in general are becoming more popular, demand is more diverse. ''We're seeing an opportunity in the marketplace to have looks that are not what you'd see when you're walking up the street. We want unusual looks. Some collections we've done in last year or so are what you'd call 'boutique collections' that won't appeal to every customer.
''The collections we do best with are usually ones with different fiber construction than is found in domestic goods.''
Van Lathem also offers the proverbial staples of trimming. ''Besides cord, which is everybody's No. 1 seller, we always do extremely well with tassel fringes. Across the board, it doesn't matter which collection, we make a very fine quality tassel fringe at a reasonable value in the marketplace.''
Reilly said that Van Lathem's products sell generally at upper to middle price points.
Mark Zaremski president of Sullivans (Chicago U.S.A.) said that his company also offers the meat and potatoes of trim, while spicing up collections with unique looks. ''Our strongest products are flange cord and brush trim, and we may have 50 accessory items to accompany those two.
''The other issue is that our products are not in the discount chains. We're offering a different look than you can find at Wal-Mart and Jo Anne Fabrics.''
Zaremski said, however, that Sullivans is price competitive against chain competition, as it offers low to high-priced lines.
Sullivans sales and distribution are based in Brisbane, Australia, and Zaremski said the company's sales are strongest in the Australasian basin.
Meanwhile, he said he expects Sullivans business in the States to grow. ''We've been placing a lot of sample cards. Once we have placed about 3,000 or 4,000 we will establish a viable business there.
''All trends we see developing are coming out of Europe and secondarily finding their way to the U.S. market. So we feel we're slightly ahead of the trend curve.''
''She brought a real elegance to the White House that was missing,'' Brehm said. ''It's caught on now because there is a new affluence in this country and people are willing to spend money. They look at trim as added value.''
Nearly all of Bomar's $22 million turnover comes from the United States - especially sales to furniture manufacturers - but the company plans to sell overseas markets beginning with its first Decosit showing in September (Hall 7, F14).
Still, the company is wise to the wants of overseas markets by virtue of serving its stateside customers. ''We sell to furniture manufacturers here who sell to the Middle East, and what we make for them is very baroque. They love knotted bullions, rosettes and tassels. They love reds and golds, too - anything with gold is popular there.
She said the company's most successful product is fringe ''by far. This is because we are the No. 1 resource for furniture manufacturers. Fringe is something very basic that they all use. Fringe and cord are staples.
''We're seeing more demand for larger tassels. New houses are built with standard nine or 11-foot ceilings. We've seen a trend toward fuller, longer tassels and we're going to concentrate on that for Saudi Arabian countries,'' she said.
Wilgund Kurz, Gerster (Biberach an der Riß, Germany) export manager for North America and Great Britain has also noticed the trend in America towards larger trims. She said that when selling trim to America - Gerster's strongest market for trim - the bigger and fancier the better. ''Now we're selling double tassels,'' she said. ''In America, you need to buy a castle before you buy the tie-back.''
In the U.K., Gerster's second strongest market, Kurz said the trend is toward fancy hand-sewn pleats. She also said that the company's tie-backs, have strong U.K. sales. But despite the British hankering for a particular pleat and tie-back, you can't just sell a tassel to a Brit and call it a day. ''For this market, we need a wide range,'' Kurz said. ''The U.K. market wants to buy combinations for a whole room,'' Kurz said.
Meanwhile, Kurz said there is a general trend toward metallic tassels. ''We offer a metallic range with gold, silver, beige, rust - silver and rust are the most successful because there is a trend toward both earthy and metallic.''
Gerster began using metallics two years ago when it debuted a tie-back with a golden body. Its success encouraged the company to increase production of metallic trims.
Theresa Fitzgerald, brand manager of Rufflette (U.K.), said that her company is also expanding to accommodate a growing population of trim-metalheads. ''We have two or three different ones we're doing that use metal and leather.''
The 120-year-old company is the inventor of curtain tape, according to Fitzgerald. However, she said that the tape - Rufflette's core offering - isn't enough. ''We needed to diversify. We are trying to be window decorators and we're trying to give it volume.''
In general, more traditional trimmings are losing popularity, Fitzgerald said. The company's response to the new, diverse demand was to hire someone, Jill Eggleston, to act as creative and sourcing agent. ''It's allowed us to be more cutting edge,'' Fitzgerald said. ''Colorwise, we're going more towards tones: tones of blue and green particularly,'' she said. Rufflette hopes that Eggleston's creativity helps the company in its mission to gain footholds in new markets.
While Rufflette's sales are strongest in its home market, Fitzgerald said that its sales to the States have quadrupled in the last four months. ''A lot of decorators at Heimtextil said Americans want the European look,'' she said. ''That was promising.''
Rufflette may even find a niche for itself in the U.S. ''There is no readymade market in the States for curtains,'' Fitzgerald said.
She also said that Rufflette may attempt to get into the mail-order business.
Elsewhere, Rufflette has strong export sales to Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, and claims to have a 20 percent share of the Far East market for trimmings.
Art Reilly, vice president and general manager of the North Carolina, U.S.A.-based Van Lathem Inc. (the American subsidiary of ETS Van Lathem in France) said that the Middle East, Asia and Australia also account for a significant amount of Van Lathem's overall export. But its strongest markets are Europe and the U.S., respectively.
Like Rufflette, Van Lathem has found demand in the States for trimmings to be influenced by Euro-styles. ''We make products in the obvious colors that are acceptable to the U.S. palette, but have a touch of the European look to them,'' Reilly said.
According to Reilly, because trimmings in general are becoming more popular, demand is more diverse. ''We're seeing an opportunity in the marketplace to have looks that are not what you'd see when you're walking up the street. We want unusual looks. Some collections we've done in last year or so are what you'd call 'boutique collections' that won't appeal to every customer.
''The collections we do best with are usually ones with different fiber construction than is found in domestic goods.''
Van Lathem also offers the proverbial staples of trimming. ''Besides cord, which is everybody's No. 1 seller, we always do extremely well with tassel fringes. Across the board, it doesn't matter which collection, we make a very fine quality tassel fringe at a reasonable value in the marketplace.''
Reilly said that Van Lathem's products sell generally at upper to middle price points.
Mark Zaremski president of Sullivans (Chicago U.S.A.) said that his company also offers the meat and potatoes of trim, while spicing up collections with unique looks. ''Our strongest products are flange cord and brush trim, and we may have 50 accessory items to accompany those two.
''The other issue is that our products are not in the discount chains. We're offering a different look than you can find at Wal-Mart and Jo Anne Fabrics.''
Zaremski said, however, that Sullivans is price competitive against chain competition, as it offers low to high-priced lines.
Sullivans sales and distribution are based in Brisbane, Australia, and Zaremski said the company's sales are strongest in the Australasian basin.
Meanwhile, he said he expects Sullivans business in the States to grow. ''We've been placing a lot of sample cards. Once we have placed about 3,000 or 4,000 we will establish a viable business there.
''All trends we see developing are coming out of Europe and secondarily finding their way to the U.S. market. So we feel we're slightly ahead of the trend curve.''
