The ITA Showtime Market is in storied High Point, North Carolina – the center of American furniture manufacturing. Created and organized by the International Textile Alliance (ITA), it’s where furniture manufacturers go to get energized by the latest offerings from Moore & Giles, Kravet, Nassimi, and other high-quality upholstery brands. This spring’s Market did not disappoint. We spent a fast-paced day, going from showroom to showroom, ordering swatch books, talking about the latest fabric technologies and reconnecting with our peers.
We started our day at Barbarossa Leathers, the premier embossed leather company. We have a love affair with their crocodile embossed leather – we recently made a pillow top ottoman out of Giant Crocodile-embossed leather.
David from Barbarossa also showed us a new finish on his leather, with a crackle effect which would look stunning on a bed or ottoman!
36x36x18 Pillowtop ottoman in Barbarossa Giant Crocodile Brown embossed leather
Ever since Moore & Giles, our largest leather partner, released their olive tanned leather “Madrid” we have been obsessed.
These Spanish hides are treated with “wet-green® tanned leather” that utilizes olives leaves in the tanning process instead of chromium, leaving a smaller carbon footprint. The colorway, hand, and pull-up of Madrid are dreamy. It begins rather waxy and then blends into a lovely soft leather – the most eco-friendly we know of. We think olive-tanned leather is likely the future.
Next up was checking with our partners at Kravet. Kravet’s fabric options are almost as extensive as our seemingly endless style and upholstery combinations. We especially love all the patterns and textures they offer for anyone wanting a little oomph. If you want it, Kravet has it, including tons of performance upholstery materials. We ogled the latest fabric trends of brocade florals. Gina may have lost her mind for a bit when ordering fabric samples – so many good choices! We offer swatches for Kravet fabrics and these materials are available to view in our showrooms.
We had time for a quick pop-in at Cortina Leather. Their newest performance leather called “Country” has a Crypton finish yet still has a surprisingly soft hand. Keep an eye out for a new blog post on “Country.”
Our last stop was Valdese Weavers, our designer’s favorite showroom with its sleek, expansive white interior and airy open feel. It is a beauty to behold. The fabric vignettes are so well organized, each nook has a seating area showcasing a color story and range fabric types. Our designers hand-select fabrics that we know our customers are looking for. It goes beyond color trends; they look for fabrics that have a great texture, upholster well and compliment the styles of furniture we offer.
Taking part in Showtime Market keeps our designers connected and inspired by the beauty on display each season. We are excited to share that inspiration and knowledge to help you create your next piece of upholstered furniture.
