Ex-Cell Home Buttons Up

New York — Ex-Cell Home Fashions has introduced for the first time a line of window shades, in a unique hybrid form. Called Artisan Shades, this program includes roll-up, button-up shades that do just that: roll up and then can be buttoned-up with tabs at various heights.

Artisan Shades come in a cotton and wood reed woven construction in two patterns; each is available in two colors. Using the same fabrication, Ex-Cell is also showing under a new tier-and-valance set available in two colors and three sizes: 24-inch, 30-inch and 36-inch.

To its table-linens category, the company has added four new patterns to its licensed program with dinnerware brand Sango. This is in addition to the single pattern that Ex-Cell showed for Sango in October.

The four new patterns, all of which tie back to Sango dinnerware collections, are: Texture, Striae, Horizon and Axis. Ex-Cell showed its first collection under its recent licensing partnership with PTS America dinnerware company, which is also new for table linens,.

Ex-Cell is providing newness in tween- and teen-directed window treatments on both the feminine and masculine sides this year. Jerry Pittman, vp merchandising for window curtains and draperies, said the market has responded warmly to alternatives to “lime and lilac, lime and lilac” as the usual colors for juniors' room décor.

Ex-Cell's latest line for girls' curtains features a range of houndstooth patterns in a broader spectrum of bright colors, and plays off handbag fashion with “tote-top” straps to hang the panels. Colors extend to coordinated grommets, made with a powdered pigment application.

For boys and athletic-minded girls comes a line of athletic apparel-inspired mesh curtain panels dubbed Sports Stripe. White stripes on the light polyester fabrication set off bold sports colors not identified as specific teams but recognized as professional and college team-favorite hues.