PHI continues bedding evolution
By Michele SanFilippo -- Home Textiles Today, 4/26/2004
SAN FRANCISCO — The past few months have marked another phase in the evolution of PHI from traditional quilt house to provider of master bedroom and contemporary bedding looks.
The company's quilt-to-comforter ratio has reversed so that now most of the beds displayed in its showroom are comforters and some have coordinated quilts.
Along these same lines, PHI launched 400-count Egyptian cotton sateen sheeting with pintucking as part of a solid-color program called the Tuxedo collection, which has a 10-color palette of mostly midtones and two deep tones. The idea is to do print patterns for top-of-bed based on these solid colors, but this is the first step toward a totally coordinated solid-color sheeting program.
Queen sheet sets will retail for $89.99 and $99.99 for king sets.
Three stylized floral patterns have been revealed, printed on 230-count Egyptian cotton sateen with a brushed finish for top-of-bed. They are: Jardin, a tone-on-tone overprinted floral on deep brick; Enchanted Evening, with taupe and mauve rose bouquets on a black ground; and Poppies, with overscale red poppies and leaves on a cream ground.
"We have started telling merchandising stories based on groups of products as opposed to showing individual items," said Mark Grand, chief operating officer of PHI. The company began offering bedding collections last year with SilkAllure and Microsuede and now with Tuxedo. "We are working to differentiate ourselves by fabrication and to become more trend driven."
In windows, the company is doing much more with velvet, launching 18 new panels. PHI has built a core program with five valance options ranging from beaded or embroidered looks to swags and looks mixing velvet with SilkAllure, now in six new colors: moss, burgundy, black, Sedona, amethyst and storm blue.
In juvenile bedding, PHI's focus is on using different fabrications from adult bedding as well as unusual techniques. There are 14 new patterns in such fabrics as velvets and sheers, some with direct embroidery.
