Vendors bet on winning hand
Furniture Today
Posted: Jan 26 2014 By Thomas Lester
Las Vegas - Rug vendors feel they can play their new products into a winning hand here.
New designs, new constructionsand new collections arebeing dealt in the showroomshere as manufacturers do theirbest to hit the jackpot with theirWest Coast and Midwesternbuyers.
Kaleen Rugs is back in LasVegas after taking some timeaway from the market. MontyRathi, chief operating officer forthe Dalton, Ga.-based manufacturer,said Kaleen is glad toreturn to the market, as manyimportant customers are basedon this side of the country.
"It's going to be a goodmarket," Rathi said. "Customersare excited; they had a goodyear. We're projecting a remarkableyear. Most of our customerswho don't show up on theEast Coast show up on the WestCoast."
New introductions in Kaleen'sWorld Market CenterC-407 showroom include thehand-tufted Revolution andMatira collections.
Jaipur Rugs, fresh off of ayear in which it reported salesgrowth of 60%, is going heavyinto indoor/outdoor offeringsand a new licensed collectionfrom Luli Sanchez, whichdebuted in Atlanta. CandaceClarke, director of marketingfor Jaipur, said Atlanta was abusy show and she expects moreof the same here.
"We've pretty much gottenour calendar booked up,"Clarke said. "I think it's going tobe an even busier show."
Surya is launching a numberof new products, including acollection of hand-tufted woolrugs based on the designs ofArts & Crafts movement pioneerWilliam Morris. The brandwill also introduce colorful newpoufs, hand-tufted rugs and indoor/outdoor rugs from designer Kate Spain, natural fiber rugs from Jill Rosenwald, and pillows, poufs and indoor/outdoor rugs from designer Mike Farrell, among a host of other introductions.
President Satya Tiwari saidwhile many of Surya's LasVegas customers shop othershows, Vegas tends to be goodfor order placement.
"A lot of our West Coastcustomers do come to HighPoint but they're too busy shoppingfor upholstery and casegoods and the time they can getto accessories is minimal. I thinkVegas is going to be a goodmarket for that," Tiwari said.
Momeni has a number ofnew rug collections debuting,including the Art Deco MiamiBeach-inspired Collins collection;the Lace collection, whichtakes its cues from Indian blockprinting;the tufted Veronacollection of floral rugs and thelaser-printed Mineral collection.Feizy's January debutsinclude the power-loomedBrixton, Thatcher and Bleeckercollections, the ultra-soft Beckleycollection of shag rugs andthe new indoor/outdoor Hastingscollection. Feizy is also addingrugs to a number of popularcollections.
Capel Rugs will introducea pair of new lines, Upton andPanache, both of which arehand-tufted in India of 100%wool. The Troy, N.C.-basedmanufacturer also is introducingnew styles from Hable Construction.
Allen Robertson, vice presidentof sales, said Capel hasbeen growing steadily in thewestern U.S., so he anticipates astrong showing here.
"I'm expecting an attendanceincrease and a volumeincrease in dollars. A lot of theproducts are more contemporaryand transitional," Robertsonsaid. "I think it's going to bea great show. We've got someproduct that will make our linemore attractive to West Coastbuyers."
Hastings is the newest addition to Feizy’s indoor/ outdoor rug collections.
Revolution, a new collection of rugs from Kaleen, is made of 100% hand-tufted wool in India.
Loloi, which is celebrating10 years in business, has ninenew rug collections debutingas well as its first Las Vegasshowing of its pillows, whichwere introduced in October inHigh Point. Loloi will also hosta 10th anniversary party onMonday beginning at 4 p.m.
"We're expecting a strongmarket. We have many excitingnew product intros," said CyrusLoloi, a principal of the Dallasbasedmanufacturer.
Kas will continue its launchin the home décor arena with itsnew line of pillows and poufs.These accessory items willcomplement existing rug linesor support themes. The companyis bringing some 250 newwinter rug intros to the showas well.
Rizzy Home's new introductionsinclude the hand-tuftedNew Zealand wool GillespieAvenue and Bradberry Downscollections, the wool and viscosetufted Eden Harbor collectionand the heat-set, machine-madepolypropylene Chateau collectionthat features a velvet finishand exquisite details.
