Kaleen
  • Printer Friendly Version
  • Decrease Text SizeIncrease Text Size
  • PDF

09132019 Rug Execs Share Expectations for NY Home Fashions Market and Beyond

By Carol Tisch & Lisa Vincenti
9/13/2019
RUG EXECS SHARE EXPECTATIONS FOR NY HOME FASHIONS MARKET AND BEYOND

 


NEW YORK -- Despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of showrooms located in NYC's iconic 295 Fifth Ave.Textile Building, executives are looking forward to a strong fall New York Home Fashions Market, according to a RugNews.com survey of industry executives.

 


While the plans for the 550,000-square-foot building haven't been officially revealed, many of the rug company leaseholders are weighing their options. In the interim, Nourison has relocated to the fifth floor in suite 516 and Surya, which exhibited at the Prince George Ballroom earlier this year, took showroom 1602 for the current market.


Even with the building's future in limbo, the area rug executives interviewed by RugNews.com expect a strong fall and are upbeat that sales for 2019 will outpace 2018. 

They have been tailoring products to the mass merchant and e-commerce accounts and delivering fashion-driven value products designed to appeal to this category. All expect that the fall show will help them reach their 2019 goals.


Below, find out what the top leaders in the area rug business expect from the semi-annual show.

 


COURISTAN
230 Fifth Ave., Suite 1010

"We have seen an uptick in sales heading into the fall season." --Larry Mahurter, vice president

 

 

Couristan's Larry Mahurter, vice president of marketing and advertising, said the company sees the majority of its big box and e-commerce accounts at the NYC show, many of which are based along the East Coast. He expects sales to grow heading into the fall because of the company's evolving product roll outs. 


"Great programs and opportunities often come from meetings at this market as accounts finalize plans for the fall season and into the New Year," Mahurter told RugNews.com. "We have seen an uptick in sales heading into the fall season -- and with our new price points, looks, programs and innovations come optimism.


 

"Promotional price points have an impact on the market -- and color, color and more color seem to be very important: Lowering price points without compromising our brand is the key."



Couristan's Topiary from the Nirvana collection if face-to-face Wilton woven of polypropylene and shrink polyester for high/low texture.  


 

DYNAMIC RUGS

 

 

295 Fifth Ave., Suite 1018


"We are looking forward to another robust NY market. Things are moving quickly since we are in a fashion industry." -- Matthew Rouhanian, founder

 

Dynamic Rugs is looking ahead to a strong New York market with plenty of new fashion-driven collections and designs being introduced to market-goers, including the understated geometric designs of Silvia and the Million collection's assortment of brushstroke designs with gold and black accents.


 

"We are looking forward to another robust NY market," said Matthew Rouhanian, who founded the company 25 years ago this year. "As always, things are moving quickly since we are in a fashion industry. Buyers seem to be thinking five steps ahead, instead of just two. So having long-range foresight seems to be key in this industry.


 

"We are prepared for fall fashion trends by presenting qualities with warm colors (i.e. beiges and tans and ochres) complemented by black and gold accents (as seems to be the current trend). But we are also prepared to show our buyers colors that will interest them for next year too."


 

What's more, Dynamic Rugs is hearing from retailers that they are optimistic about the prospects for the final months of 2019. "We've heard that while some other industries may be getting affected by big internet resellers, our brick-and-mortar retailers feel safe in their home fashion divisions because this is still an industry where the consumer feels they need to touch, feel, and see their home textiles in-person."


 

 Dynamic Rugs, Million collection, 100 percent polypropylene, machine-made in Turkey.


 

FEIZY

 

 

230 Fifth Ave., Suite 204


"We have a more solid listing of appointments for NY market than usual and are really excited that the calendar is full." -- Cameron Feizy, principal

 

 

Coming off of its two biggest months of 2019, surprisingly in July and August, Feizy is introducing its trend-focused machine-made designs in New York this fall. 


 

"We have a more solid listing of appointments for next week's New York market than usual and are really excited that the calendar is full," Cameron Feizy, principal, told RugNews.com. 


 

"We have seen a quick jump in business, and July and August have actually been the two biggest months so far this year, which is an oddity but, we'll take it. While traffic was down in Vegas, the attendees were there to do business which partially helped our business tick up and gave us a solid indicator for the fall.  We started off the year with double-digit growth, backed down to single digits and now we're back over double-digit and feeling great for the fall season! Good things are coming with innovative product driving the bus!"


 

Feizy Rugs creates a New York Home Fashions Market vignette around the indoor-outdoor flatweave Beckett collection of 100 percent eco-friendly PET yarn.


 

HAROUNIAN RUGS INTERNATIONAL (HRI)

 

 

104 W. 29h St.


"We continue to diversify our product offering and are looking to a strong fall and 2019." -- Lee Harounian, president

 

 

Harounian Rugs International (HRI) will debut its first outdoor rugs to New York Home Fashions Market shoppers. The new Outdoor Heirlooms machine-made collection was expanded to 46 designs after introducing 26 styles earlier this summer. In addition at the NY show, the company is rolling out a whopping 15 additional machine-made collections, a category of growing importance for HRI.


 

"We anticipate a better New York market this fall and expect a stronger fall 2019 overall," said Lee Harounian.  "We are in a much stronger position now than we were at this time last year. We've continued to diversify our product offerings for the past three years and now we're presenting our first outdoor collections. Plus, for High Point, we will be announcing a special collaboration where we are a sole producer for a major brand. So we are looking to a strong fall and 2019."


 

HRI, Serna collection, made in Turkey, polyester and viscose


 

KALATY

 

 

295 Fifth Ave., Suite 508


"We're anticipating a successful New York show." -- Mike Kalaty, vice president


 

 

 

Kalaty, which officially debuted at 295 Fifth Ave. for the spring 2019 edition of NY Home Fashions Market, has continued to grow its more affordably priced area rugs from its K-Two series (read full story). "We are encouraged by what we're hearing from our customers regarding who will be attending the fall New York show. We're anticipating a successful New York show," said Mike Kalaty, vice president sales.


 

"Over the past two years our popular-priced K-Two series has grown to include 16 collections that are bringing in a variety of new customers at each market because K-Two offers pretty much something for everyone." Indeed, K-Two includes hand-knotted wool collections as well as polypropylene power-loomed lines.



Kalaty's Theory collection, power-loomed of 100 percent polypropylene


 

MOHAWK HOME

295 Fifth Ave., Suite 1412

"E-commerce is becoming more and more important, and a lot of big box retailers use it as a test-bed." --Neil Hegwood, Vice President

 

 

 

Mohawk continues to roll out plenty of new collections for both its e-commerce and brick-and-mortar NY shoppers. The company has had a busy year, adding several new constructions to its line including the well-received Cashmere, a 100 percent microfiber construction with  a buttery soft hand, velvety sheen and luxe look. At the company, like at many other players in the industry, its e-commerce division is experiencing strong growth.


 

"E-commerce is becoming more and more important, and a lot of big box retailers are using it as a test-bed -- whatever does really well online, they will be bringing it into their stores. So online is a good place for retailers to see if something is going to resonate or not," said Neil Hegwood, vice president design and product development Mohawk Home. "While you have the issue of the boldness resonating online - with brick-and-mortar stores boldness might be too much -- so you have to temper it."


 

 

To that point, the company offers a mix of both looks for retailers - mixing in punchier designs with more subtle ones traditionally preferred by big box brick-and-mortar for in-store.



Mohawk Home's lustrous cut pile Glacier collection, crafted of polyester


MOMENI

 

3 W. 30th St., 2nd floor


"We -- and rug buyers -- are consistently in search of the  newest in the industry." -- Reza Momeni, president


 

 

 

 

"Our clientele for New York market is heavy on larger retailers with an e-commerce focus, said Reza Momeni, president. "And our appointments continue to increase both in year-over-year and market-over-market analysis.


 

"We -- and rug buyers -- are consistently in search of the newest in the industry: constructions, patterns, and concepts that are innovative and on trend. These are the types of items we are bringing to market."


 

Top designs New York shoppers will get to browse include the latest looks from Momeni's collaboration with the Novogratz. That series is introducing a playful eye-catching range of kid-friendly fringed wild animal designs, including lion and giraffe rugs. In addition, the Novogratz also debut another bold range, perfect for online shoppers, called Jem, which is machine-made of 98 percent wool and 2 percent Lurex, and features colors such as pink, ivory and navy with gold accents.

 

 


Momeni showcases the Jem collection from Novogratz by Momeni, machine made of wool flecked with Lurex metallic yarn.


 

NOURISON

 

 

295 Fifth Ave., Suite 518


trans-ocean ad spot hri rugs