What's new in fall market; bed & bath selections take a leaf from men's tastes, Mills drop frills for bold, brilliant geometrics - HomeMarket Trends supplement

Discount Store News, Oct 1, 1990

What's New in Fall Market

Bed & Bath selections take a leaf from men's tastes, Mills drop frills for bold, brilliant geometrics

It's a man's, man's world, major mills seemed to say as they geared up for fall market. J.P. Stevens, in particular, has turned its attention to the men's market in a major way, and other mills have also paid close attention to masculine taste. But there's plenty for the ladies as well.

Other trends worth noting: Blue is making a major comeback, particularly in smoke and cobalt shades and peach continues its popularity; green and coral are doing well; the juvenile market is heating up, stimulated by Bibb's Ninja Turtles and Batman licenses; the coordination movement continues to expand; the number of patterns within ensembles is rising, along with use of different scales within ensembles; and advances in printing have resulted in more complex finishes and painterly effects, effects formerly found only in very up-market products.

Embellishment, in terms of insignias, emblems and so on, seems to be on the decline even as it picks up steam at the retail level, but the addition of lace, ruffles and other embellishing effects is stronger than ever. Suppliers are now routinely dressing up their collections with everything from double lace hems to jumbo silk piping to ruffled hems. Fabric by the yard is a rising force, with Pacific adding it for the first time and other mills expanding their selections. The same holds true of wallpaper borders.

Also, the range of decorative coordinating pillows has widened considerably, with breakfast and floor pillows breaking into more mass market lines. Pacific, in particular, sees this as a growth area, and has introduced floor pillows with virtually every new pattern, as well as a stand-alone selection of Mickey and Minnie Mouse floor pillows that coordinate, loosely, with the company's new Minnie Mouse bedroom ensemble, Friends Forever.

Stylistically, this market seems to have become a bit more conservative overall. Last year, splashes of Indian, Bohemian, African and other influences were common. This year, those influences are still present, but avant-garde design has been concentrated into fewer ensembles.

The Southwestern look is, to all intents and purposes, dead. Patterns are still being produced, but the look is no longer on the rise, and most 1990 Southwestern patterns have other elements (like folk art) added to make them more saleable.

Also, it appears that the riches of the past two markets have resulted in a pared-down selection at most vendors. Some vendors said that previous introductions had enough legs to keep their mills working overtime, and others worried that a glut of niche designs might be confusing the ultimate consumer.

This is not to imply that the mills have suddenly backed off the market, but with the country in what could arguably be called a recession, buyers will quite naturally be more selective. The mills, rationally, are trying to self-censor their offerings. At least two will "probably" show non-production designs that will be added if sufficient interest develops. "We'd really like to get this into the line," one marketing executive said of one design, "but it's fairly similar to something else we're offering and we don't want to take away from the stronger one."

Design trends, as noted, have become slightly more conservative, but the opposite is true in price points. The rollout of 200 count products in mass market lines continues unabated. According to vendors, the mass market customer is now fully aware of the difference, and is willing to pay more for 200 count products. Further, most mills are concentrating on mid- and upper-level products, and cutting back on entry price point goods.

One significant development is the possible entry into the United States of the management of Heimtex, the world's largest home textiles show, which is held each January in Frankfurt, Germany. According to industry rumors, Heimtex is investigating the possibility of sponsoring a similar show in the United States. And if such a show materializes, it will almost definitely not be held in New York, sources said.

The following is a non-inclusive look at some of the major mills and their fall '90 debuts.

J.P. Stevens

The design trend at Stevens is clear and unmuddled. The company is headed straight for upmarket, contemporary markets, and is attempting to appeal to a more masculine audience. According to design director Barbara Ruzga, "in the past, we were about 70% florals; now we're about 60/40 and rapidly headed to 50/50."

The standouts in the fall presentation are two ultra-contemporary patterns, Perspective and Composition, which are part of the company's new Graphix collection (see cover). Black plays a major role in all three patterns (Synergy is the third), along with strong dimensional design, engineered feel and bright, vivid teals, magenta, hot pink and red.

"The operative word here is impact," said Stevens' Bob Gehm. "It's not about subtlety." All Graphix designs are available in waterbed versions, and all are fully accessorized.