KARASTAN KICKS OFF 'DESIGN CONCEPTS' PROGRAM AT LAS VEGAS MARKET, TARGETS INTERIOR DESIGNERS
The new Karastan Design Concepts program formally premieres in Las Vegas with 10 collections in a comprehensive choice of fibers, price points and sizes, with custom options and more.
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LAS VEGAS -- Karastan formally opens its showroom doors to interior designers for the first time in company history with the official launch of its comprehensive Karastan Design Concepts program at Las Vegas Market, July 29 - Aug. 2.
In an exclusive interview with RugNews.com in Atlanta, Erika Banks, director of product, Karastan and e-commerce, said the company developed the customer-friendly program to attract interior designers. "Karastan Design Concepts is a group of 10 collections that will range all the way from our high-end Karaloc [woven] wool down through to SmartStrand woven constructions, with price points that range from $20 a foot all the way down to $6.75 a square foot," Banks explained.
"Our goal is to cater to designers, and open the door for the design trade to come in to our showrooms. The new program will offer 40 stocking sizes and custom sizes. We are attempting to create product that allows some customization for one-off design.
"We also have a way that we can sell directly to designers in our showroom that we are launching in Las Vegas and will continue to bring to High Point and all of our showrooms. So our hope is to build an appetite for designers to come to us for American made, the brand, the quality, the legacy we've got, and now the ease of service that will encourage them to keep coming back, and eventually open accounts and get some better pricing."
The Simpatico collection in Karastan's Design Concepts program is woven in the company's Van de Wiele construction of SmartStrand Silk yarn and fully worsted New Zealand wool.
The soft launch began in High Point in April 2018 with a couple of collections - Simpatico and Mockado - both made from blended wool and SmartStrand Silk yarn. At the Vegas show, the extended Design Concepts program will include four Karaloc woven wool constructions and four SmartStrand Silk collections, encompassing high to low price points for designers and retailers.
"We will actually sell Design Concepts to furniture stores, too: it gives them a great custom program, and we are offering the same square foot price for stocking sizes as well as custom. Regardless of what you are doing it's the same price. That will help designers, retailers and the people in their stores to sell it and merchandise it."
The Mockado collection by Karastan is offered as a solid color foundation for interior design projects. Crafted with Karaloc weaving technology for a low profile texture, it blends New Zealand wool and SmartStrand Silk in 40 sizes.