Venus embellishes product lineup

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 12/16/2002 12:00:00 AM

FOOT HILL RANCH, CA —

Like many of its competitors, bedding and bath supplier Venus Home Fashions is now adding embellishments to its line of offerings.

Though in the case of Venus, said Vivie von Walstrom, executive vp, "We aren't just slapping on some jacquard pieces to our goods and calling it embellishments."

Instead, the company is taking a more elegant approach in differentiating itself.

"Our embellished programs are different from anything else out there on market," von Walstrom told Home Textiles Today.

Venus first tested the new coordinated program, which is entirely made in India at Venus's factories there, at the October New York Home Textiles Market with hem inserts with Cluny lace, criss-cross ribbons, Moire ribbon and tassels.

The company is now expanding both the bath towels and sheets programs by more than two dozen designs and with more types of embellishments, including beading and hand embroidery.

"When I went to India, I saw all this beautiful handwork which normally goes into clothing and thought it would work beautifully with sheets and towels," von Walstrom said.

The bath towel collection, made of standard velour terry, is titled Embrace, and the sheet collection — comprising 280-count sets for the Venus open line as well as higher thread counts for private label programs — is called Beautiful.

The embellished collections target specialty stores, von Walstrom said.