New Products - Textile

A passion for traditional textile techniques prompted Stockbridge, Massachusetts—based weaver Sam Kasten to team with likeminded Chicago interior designer Suzanne Lovell at Twill Textiles. Their goal—to replicate the look and feel of handwoven fabrics in industrially produced goods—is effortlessly realized in six of Kasten's latest patterns.

Uneven Herringbone adds fresh color to the apparel staple in linen and cotton, jacquard-woven in France. It comes in 56-inch-wide rolls and six colors: Ink, Pomegranate, Natural, Straw, Dark-Red, and Jet. Adapted from a handwoven twill sampler, the jacquard-woven Facet in wool-ramie uses the manufacturer's eco-friendly Climatex Lifecycle Home process, developed in Switzerland by Rohner Textil and certified Cradle to Cradle Gold by MBDC. Pick Pearl or Black & White for the 53-inch-wide design. The thick and opulent Mohair Dream, woven on a dobby loom in France from mohair, silk, and polyamide, comes in Pearl at 60 inches wide. Lattice, inspired by gauze-like leno weaves, is produced on a jacquard loom in Belgium by arranging warp yarns in pairs and twisting them in alternating directions. It is available in Natural or Pearl, and is 55 inches wide. Hailing from Italy, jacquard-woven Lana pairs wool and linen in 54-inch-wide fabrics. Choose Pearl, Natural, Parchment, Straw, or Bittersweet. Back to France, the dobby-woven linen Crossroads utilizes a two-color warp and variegated weft size that sparks textural interest in the 54-inch-wide pattern, offered in Natural, Ginger, Lake, and Jet. 312-828-0088; twilltextiles.com. circle 410

They may mingle well at parties. But can designers of furniture, graphics, and fabrics get along in the studio?

Such was the challenge faced by TZ Design principal Mark Goetz, visual communications-design consultant May Liu, and the Momentum Textiles team as they collaborated on Reflect upholstery. Liu previously created TZ Design's Web site, so a working relationship had been established. She and Goetz now seized on the energy of spatial relationships to come up with three textile patterns.

Momentum translated them into spun versions of its Eco-Intelligent polyester, which boasts Cradle to Cradle Gold certification. Shapes like abstracted chessmen seem to dance their way across Gesture, produced at 55 inches wide in eight colorways. The two 57-inch patterns are X-Factor, marking the spot in six colorways, and Matter, boasting chains of open ovals in five colorways.

To show the fabrics off, Goetz promptly returned to his furniture forte by designing a lounge chair, a bench, and an ottoman for Geiger International. Frames are powder-coated, laser-cut steel, with the bench adding walnut veneer to the mix. 800-366-6839; memosamples.com. circle 408 800-444-8812; hmgeiger.com. circle 409

Even modernists can learn from the past, a lesson not lost on Eve Blossom, who founded South Carolina-based Lulan Artisans to merge a contemporary aesthetic with ancient weaving techniques. The architect and designer collaborates with California designers Laura Guido-Clark and Michael Koch on the former and relies on more than 650 artisans across five Asian countries to supply the latter.

The resulting hand-woven, hand-dyed silks are sold as yardage for everything from upholstery to lampshades, also appearing as Lulan's own pillow casings, table runners, and other home textiles. Among those introduced this season is Diamond Fields, with a raised diamond brocade set against sheer organza in five neutral colorways. Passages modernizes ancient ikat methods with a resist-dyed diamond pattern in three colors. Brocade shimmers above the soft tonal background of Dots and Dashes, in six colorways. Stepping Stones, a pattern in six colors that's also available in finished goods, fashions a plaid from raised beaded strips and colorful stripes. All are available in 42-inch widths. 843-722-0118; lulan.com. circle 423

Don't call Cynthia Nugent Degenhardt a pessimist—after all, only one of her new collections is half-full. Challenged by Rodolph to envision a fabric with more negative space than positive, the design director fashioned laser-cut circles of intersecting polyester to create the two-prong, faux-suede Engaging series. Consider a space-dividing application with the double-sided Engaging II, in Nightlife/Smoke, Seaside/Sky, Maritime/Taupe, and Island Spice/Tan. Or, choose the single-sided version for window treatments or to add dimensional interest to a wall, in Driftwood, Pecan, Walnut, Pewter, and Chamois. Both are 45½ inches wide. But since some projects simply crave solidity, Degenhardt is equally adept at filling in the blanks. Enter Regalia—a viscose-acetate-cotton-silk blend, scattered with chenille geometrics that dance like jewels against a lustrous satin ground. The 54-inch-wide pattern is available in two of-the-earth colorways, Copper Lamé and Aquamarine. 707-935-0316; rodolph.com. circle 399

Yes, we can! The Optique collection draws inspiration from optimism, and it shows. The resulting graphic patterns have a childlike, whimsical spirit that brings a smile to any face. Made of cotton and wool, the fabrics measure 54 inches wide. 415-252-7125; lunatextiles.com. circle 400

With Piscine 1, Astrid de Saint Anthost riffs on the swimming pool paintings of British artist David Hockney. To replicate the water's shimmering patterns, she created a stencil and painted the pattern onto white organza with black and silver lacquer. The result is perfect for draperies because as the sun filters through the sheer organza, the painted areas cast watery shadows. Also available in linen. Both materials measure 58 inches wide. 718-267-8907; lestudioanthost.com. circle 404

While awaiting fabric impresario Marcie Bronkar's forthcoming contract line, Luca Textiles, thrill to the delicate pattern of her Sublime Lace. The 40-inch-wide, hand-embroidered fabric, offered in Angel and Ebony, was inspired by French lace of the 1930's. After extensive work in France's textile archives—Bronkar has consulted to the Louvre—she knows what she's talking about. Ooh-la-la! 877-313-0313; clothandpaper.net. circle 414

This reseller of European fabrics has snared a winner in Cenon, from Germany. The polyester sheer measures 118 inches high, and features a weighted hem to keep it from billowing away. A prominent vertical stripe adds interest, while the sheen soothes the eye. It comes in 22 colors, from pastels to brights. 386-446-5050; finefabric.com. circle 418

Suzanne Tick for KnollTextiles

Design: Air Rights.

Standout: Part of the State of Matter collection, this polyester sheer looks delicate, but its strong geometrics and eight color selections transform any setting. 866-565-5858; knoll.com. circle 434

The Toronto-based design firm is rolling out Picnic, bringing its stable to 21 fabrics, three leathers, and three faux leathers. The 54-inch-wide polyester-rayon weave comes in a dazzling 30 colors. 800-272-2058; powellandbonnell.com. circle 415

Susan Lyons for Herman Miller

Design: Balance

Standout: This polyester knit, in 13 colors, has made the popular Embody chair an even bigger hit, thanks to micro pillars that allow the fabric to respond to the sitter's body more naturally. 616-654-3000; hermanmiller.com. circle 429

The popular Creation Baumann collection gets a versatile addition in Ola, a bold, large-scale ogee pattern. It is reversible, comes in 14 colors, and does double duty as drapery or upholstery. Like the rest of the line, 59-inch-wide Ola is in Trevira CS, making her flame retardant and luxurious. 800-727-6770; carnegiefabrics.com. circle 387

The Painted Desert collection brings you the outdoors, without the risk of snakebites. Its four patterns grew out of photos of the surreal colors and sensual textures of the California desert. Each measures 56 inches wide and can withstand 50,000 double rubs. Offered in a total of 34 colors. 212-255-7978; placetextiles.com. circle 422

The Cogent Group offers four seating upholsteries and two panel fabrics made of antimony-free polyester: Connect, Geode Vertical, Geode Seating, Tides, Traxx, and Wink. The line is the first PET fabric collection to comply with the new Cradle-to-Cradle V2 requirements, which prohibit heavy metals. Available from 54 to 60 inches, each is rub-tested to 60,000 double rubs. 800-333-9939; steelcase.com. circle 717

The Solar System inspired Big Dots and Eco-Pile, two patterns in the Earthy Greens line. Functionally, though, the collection "thinks globally," using recycled content. Big Dots incorporates Crypton Green technology and is woven from post-consumer recycled polyester. Eco-Pile's chenille surface blends biodegradable viscose and post-consumer recycled cotton fibers. The two feature earthy colorways—six for the dot-and-multi-stripe Big Dots pattern and seven for Eco Pile. They measure 54 inches wide; Big Dots is rub-tested to 82,000 double rubs and Eco-Pile to 100,000. 212-366-1146; sinapearson.com. circle 724

Clodagh for Perennials

Design: Amazed

Standout: Africa tribal shields are transformed into a solution-dyed acrylic jacquard that pulses with energy and is suitable for outdoor use, too. 888-322-4773; perennials.com. circle 437

Taking a cue from its namesake, Coco is keeping it simple and elegant. The cotton-linen-rayon blend comes in 10 colorways in a classic, small-weave texture, serving as the ideal canvas for the rest of the manufacturer's patterns. It measures 55 inches wide, and is perfect for light upholstery and drapery. 212-431-4794; yoma.com. circle 419

Campion Platt for HBF Textiles

Design: Rock Ledge

Standout: This designer's namesake collection includes a pattern that translates rugged natural forms into a refined polyester woven in staggered lines, offered in six colorways. 828-328-2064; hbftextiles.com. circle 442

Go east of Eden. This linen floral whispers of the casbah, and no wonder. It is inspired by Turkish, Arabian, and Islamic historical references. Designer Nomi Franklin looked not only at textiles, but architecture and the decorative arts. It measures 54 inches wide, with a 27-inch horizontal repeat and 21-inch vertical repeat. 831-728-4335; nomiinc.com. circle 417

Join the Global Tribe. The robust collection of five high performance polyester blends takes its cues from ancient civilizations across the earth. Intriguingly, tribes from Africa to the northeastern United States and Australia have artistic commonalities. The patterns include the geometric Tuareg; Iriquois, a series of radiating lines; Eora, a field of scattered checkmarks; and Innu Stripe. This group's palettes mix vivid reds and oranges with chartreuse, charcoal, and browns. 866-523-4437; looptextiles.com. circle 385