Panache for the Bath Inc. goes soft with towel debut

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 4/30/2001 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK — After two years in the bath industry, Panache for the Bath Inc., high-end manufacturer of shower curtains, bath ensembles and bath furniture, is going soft.

In time for the fall market in October, Panache will add embellished and solid-color towels — 16 styles in total — to its collection, president Norman Harris said.

The construction for all the towels is 100 percent combed cotton, all loop. Bath towels will be 27" x 54". Also in the assortment will be hand and finger tip towels and wash cloths.

Most of the towel collections will coordinate with existing lines of shower curtains and accessories. Seven towels will be solid colored and will match with Panache's solid-color program; six towels will be embellished and will go with six existing patterned designs.

The last three towel sets will also be embellished and will coordinate with three new designs of bath ensembles that Panache plans to introduce in October.

"It makes a lot of sense at this point for us to include towels in our offering because people will buy the whole set," Harris explained. "This is just another step in our growth. We're moving ahead to be as much as we can."

All the towels are being produced in four factories in Asia — Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan.

"The production capacity of these factories allows for better capacity for us," Harris said.

While the official introduction of Panache's new towel line isn't scheduled until October, "some of our customers will get to see them before," said Harris, to allow for the possibility of exclusives.

Panache is targeting specialty and department stores, as well as catalogs.