Springs' sourcing weaves in details, new materials

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 9/22/2003 12:00:00 AM

AT THE NEW YORK MARKET —

Tapping its overseas sourcing arm in China to feed extra texture and detailing into its fashion bedding, Springs is also minding the basic bedding business and is debuting outer bedding extensions to coordinate back to several of its core solid color sheeting programs.

Among the spectrum of offerings is Bonita, a silky duvet with vermicelli scroll work, that works with the 400-count sateen line and will be available in three to five colors. Linen Comfort, a tailored linen construction, pairs with the 360-count twill palette and will be offered in five hues. Debut pieces together tonal velvet bands, playing matte against sheen, and coordinates back to the 500-count luxury sateen line.

Springs also is debuting a casual, apparel-inspired line of Wamsutta brand bedding, called Wamsutta Casual that will be sold as bed-in-a-bag at $120 retail, all sizes.

Dover Stripe features a woven stripe outer bed; Weekender patches together large blocks of variously shaded khaki; and Dover Stripe is a solid twill outer bed paired with an apparel-inspired plaid sheet.

The Wamsutta Casuals group falls into one of six thematic lifestyle-driven design groups that Springs is presenting in bed and bath. Each lifestyle crosses Springs brands such as Wamsutta and Burlington. Constructions run the gamut, from pieced, embellished jacquard comforter sets at $299 queen to print bed-in-bags at $99 all sizes to quilts.

It's an approach Springs debuted during the last market to reinforce its ability to bring lifestyle design to every price point in its book. This market's design directions include: Legacy, more upscale, feminine and European; Harmony, nature-inspired and a touch Asian; Gallery, urban and tending toward the geometric; Trade Route, exotic and global in design; Estate, manorly living (which includes the Wamsutta Casuals collection); and Expression, fashion-forward and novelty looks.

Bath has expanded material use in accessories, and this market will include resins, ceramics, glass and metal combos, ceramic and metal combos, slate, wire mesh, wood and galvanized tin.

"It's all about new materials," said Donna Hein, Wamsutta design team leader. "This represents the first time we have all six lifestyles represented in bath."