CHF Unleashes Green Gorilla

At the New York Market — CHF Industries this week unveiled a new organic bedding line for kids and teens called Green Gorilla.

Vice president Joan Karron pointed to market data supporting the launch: retail sales of organic cotton products up 85% in 2007; and a survey in which two-thirds of Americans said they are willing to spend more for environmentally friendly products.

"Parents will give their children the very best," she added. "We believe there's a groundswell developing, and it starts with the kids."

Cotton used is 100% organic, certified by SKAL, and created with low-impact dyestuffs, she said. Designs feature animals, butterflies, sports, florals and '50s graphic themes.

Eco-friendly packaging has a smaller carbon footprint, and the insert is made from recycled materials.

The program targets mass and specialty stores.

"This has two big departures: offering all-cotton for kids and doing organic in patterns that will sell," said Karron.

In adult bedding, Dance Party is the new design direction CHF is backing, featuring "exuberant and outrageous floral designs," she said.

With a large section of the CHF showroom now devoted to design studio space as well as proprietary sectors for individual clients, CHF is showing three Dance Party beds to underscore where it sees trend heading.

"This is not a revival of anything," said Karron. "It's a whole new statement."

The florals are dramatic and colorful, ranging in tone from young to traditional. CHF is pairing it with coordinated velvet coverlets as well as animal skin printed sheets. Constructions are sateen, silk and poly.

"This collection is like a mannequin. We're using it to demonstrate a conviction about a point of view," she said.

In bath, CHF has merged its resources so it's using its fancy towel and accessories businesses to support one another. The emphasis is on showing coordinating concepts that would work well on endcaps in key design trends: southwest, animal, global, soft modern and traditional.

"We feel that endcap, textiles-driven fashion is the way to go with this," said Karron.

In window, the focus rests on innovative silhouettes, according to John Witkowski, executive vp. On the formal end (often under the Peri brand), faux silks, silks and velvets are strong, as are engineered looks and earth tones.

The company is also seeing a lot of traction in energy-efficient products: lined, inter-lined and black-out. "If you're paying electric bills and gas bills you know that's a big part of everybody's costs these days," he said.