Hospitality Design - November 2014 - 14

advertorial

Q&A

with

deborah herman
owner, fabric innovations

It's been a busy year for Fabric
Innovations. What has been the most
exciting so far?

It's been a banner year for us. We have expanded
several of our branded top-of-bed and drapery
programs including the Westin Heavenly Bed,
Sheraton, Four Points, and Aloft. We've put a
strong focus on our branding and marketing
efforts this year as well. We commissioned and
produced a commercial-scale photo shoot to
showcase our new products and digital printing
capabilities; refreshed our logo and visual identity
to better reflect our brand; and launched a series

of new designs, such as our ombre and menswear
drapery and pillows, that have been receiving a
lot of positive attention. We're also introducing
our first designer collection, which we're really
excited about.

What are some design trends you're
seeing in bedding?

Overall we continue to see a trend toward a
much cleaner look in bedding. Our customers
are finding their guests really want bedding
that's comfortable and clean above all else, so the
push toward white bedding has been ongoing.
We just completed an all-white bedding package
for the Virgin Hotel in Chicago: duvet insert,
matelassé cover, the full package. We've also seen
a tremendous increase in requests for box spring
covers. With elastic banding all around, they
create a more tailored look and make it easier
for housekeeping. Our customers simply select a
fabric and we create a custom design that's much
crisper than a traditional bed skirt.

Can you tell us more about the designer
collection?

designs to life. The new collection, which will be
unveiled among our other new products at BDNY,
is called Torn, and is Christina's take on finding
the beauty in destruction. There are some really
interesting patterns that emerge, and with our
unique digital printing technique, we're excited to
offer it across pillows, drapery, and bedding.

You're well known for your ongoing
commitment to mentorship, speciﬁcally
of young women in the industry. Can you
talk about that a bit?
This year is the second year of the NEWH
Fabric Innovations Legacy Scholarship, a
$10,000 scholarship opportunity open to students
pursuing a hospitality career at either Cornell
or NYU, which will again be presented at the
Platinum Circle Awards in New York City. It
was such a pleasure to meet and get to know last
year's winner. She was so poised; it was easy
to see why she was recruited on the spot from
several industry icons in the room. Truly looking
forward to meeting this year's winner. It's a
privilege to help the next generation of leaders,
and one I truly enjoy.

Sure, we collaborated with Christina Dent at
Alchemy Workshop, basically bringing her

Gray pinstriped drapery inspired by menswear.

Pillows from the Torn Collection by Alchemy Workshop.

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November 2014 hospitalitydesign.com

Digitally printed ombre bedding eliminates the need for a bedskirt.
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - November 2014

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