Aussino Gives Nod To Tweeners

By Michele SanFilippo -- Home Textiles Today, 8/8/2005 12:00:00 AM

New York — —

New York — Aussino USA wanted to make a splash in tweener bedding at last week's Mini-Market, with 20 to 25 looks for boys and girls in its new Inspire collection.

The company spotlighted the tweener/juvenile area with three beds mid-showroom surrounded by other youthful designs as opposed to featuring juvenile in the rear, where it previously was housed. Six to eight new styles of embroidered towels and bath rugs also coordinate back to some of the tweener looks.

“We've had a lot of customers interested in this area — particularly tweener bedding — who've wanted to see what we have. This is why we are trying to draw more attention to our extensive product line from China and Australia,” said Stephen Lewis, president of Aussino USA. “We're growing our tweener business rather rapidly and will be placing more emphasis on it from this point forward.”

In other news, the company started showing coverlets in microfiber, cotton, faux silk and microsuede with cotton or poly fills that feature eight to 10 new looks in contemporary, hotel or traditional styles. About a dozen bedspreads in the same style groupings were also on display, some featuring scalloped edges. Aussino will also begin showing print comforters for spring that have a clean, sheet-inspired look. Six to eight are currently available, many of which may appeal to tweeners.

In blankets, Aussino has added new colors to existing styles and expanded the line with half a dozen new looks, such as an arrow weave and open mesh in bamboo, and an updated arrow, basketweave, checkerboard and multiple scale diamond weaves in all cotton.

There were also five new fiber-reactive beach towels in fun patterns with flip flops to coordinate in five colors. Two bath robes were added to the bath lineup: a waffleweave lined with terry and a plush coral fleece, both in five pale colors. Pavilion, a new solid color towel with terry and velour stripes and rayon dobby, was also added in a dozen colors.