Taste of ocean in bedding

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 3/22/2004 12:00:00 AM

OCEAN, N.J. —

It was probably just a matter of time, but spa therapy has finally come to bedding.

German bedding and table linen manufacturer Curt Bauer GmbH will make its first major push into the U.S. market with a seaweed-infused construction that purports to help rejuvenate skin.

The collection includes sheets, pillowcases and top of bed made with SeaCell, a Lyocell fiber process combining cellulose and seaweed. The trademarked SeaCell fiber, produced by German fiber maker Alceru Schwarza GmbH, imparts vitamin E and carotinoides to skin that rests against the fabric.

Products in Curt Bauer's new line, part of its Wellness Balance Collection, are made of an Egyptian cotton/Lyocell with SeaCell blend. Cotton makes up 75 percent of the construction.

"It's definitely aimed at upscale women who like to pamper themselves and look for opportunities to surround themselves with luxury," said Dick Silvia, president of RWS Marketing and Sales. The Ocean, N.J.-based firm represents Curt Bauer in the U.S. market.

"The SeaCell retains itself in the fiber," he added. "It helps preserve the smoothness and firmness of the skin."

The collection will debut in the United States next week at the New York Home Textiles Show at the Jacob Javits Center. Curt Bauer will show printed duvets, woven duvets, sheets and pillowcases.

All prints are 209-count sateen. Wovens are 257-count and 548-count. The SeaCell products target luxury department stores and independent retailers. Wholesale pricing ranges from roughly $55 to $75 twin to king on most products, Silvia said. Goods will be ready to ship by mid-summer, he added.