by HIGH POINT — At this week’s Interwoven textile fair, held in High Point by the International Textile Alliance, performance fabric continued to be a draw, and many companies appealed to buyers weary of tariff instability.
Mills with domestic capability such as Kings Mountain, North Carolina-based STI, which produces Revolution Performance Fabrics and Brentwood Textiles, have seen an uptick in business from buyers looking for alternatives to imports.
“We didn’t pass on any price increases, and we didn’t drop any fabrics — we want to be the stable textile supplier in the market,” said Anderson Gibbons, chief revenue officer, STI Fabrics and vice president of marketing, Revolution Performance Fabrics.
Part of that stability has come from rethinking their approach to focus on value and availability.
“Traditionally we’ve been a special-order mill with six- to eight-week lead times,” Gibbons said. “Building off of what we’ve done with our Revolution brand, we said, ‘Let’s take products we know are timeless bestsellers and keep them in stock. Let’s hold inventory and deliver people the best product we possibly can with a performance story made in the U.S.A., bleach cleanable, at $6.95 (per yard) and below.’”
Valdese Weavers also has positioned itself as a domestic alternative for furniture makers looking to avoid tariff increases. The company introduced its first certified Belgian flax linen woven in its Valdese, North Carolina-based mill.
“It has great color consistency because it’s yarn-dyed, and it has Ease Eco Performance on it, too, so it’s more durable than a normal linen,” said Jill Harrell, director of marketing and brand communications, Valdese Weavers. “We’ll have it in around 10-15 colors, and we’re really excited about it.”
Valdese Weavers also introduced its Floraison theme, which permeated all of the company’s lines from its recycled Sustain to outdoor Inside Out to luxury Circa 1801, taking a maximalist approach to pattern and color.
“It has much more saturation of color, and it really allows you to layer with small-scale and large-scale patterns,” Harrell said. “It has a traditional touch with a contemporary approach to make it more modern.”
That layering approach inspired much of Sunbrella’s new collections, including its recently introduced Sunbrella Interiors line.
“We’re definitely leaning into layering, and that could come from layering texture, stripes, different kinds of patterns,” said Amy Gillam, design manager, Sunbrella. “It definitely works when you are looking for some excitement, some joy — not everything has to be neutral.”
The Sunbrella team said that they’ve positioned themselves to be a stable partner both from a pricing and availability standpoint not just for outdoor fabrics, but for indoor upholstery as well with the Sunbrella Interiors launch. And Tom Notaro, senior general manager of furnishings for Sunbrella, said that the October launch was just the beginning.
“Our flag in the middle of High Point Market was certainly a statement, but what Kelsie (Coltrane, senior customer marketing manager, Sunbrella) and the sales and design team did with all of the activations with our trade partners to promote it was huge, as well,” he said. “Come spring, we’ll be at it again — we’re not just a one and done. We believe in this for the long haul.”
Z-Wovens also introduced a new range of performance fabrics designed for interiors, called SDP. The collection uses a finer polyester warp that allows for more subtle, intricate pattern designs and plush textures. The line also boasts stain resistance and bleach cleanability at competitive pricing.
“It has very soft boucle warps, and it has been a home run,” said Chip Finneran, vice president of sales, Z-Wovens.
Finneran said that opening its Vietnam facility has given Z-Wovens versatility to be able to better react to ongoing tariff changes.
“We have a plant in Vietnam and one in China, and the tariffs keep moving, so we’re moving around,” he said. “But we’ve had one of the best placement seasons ever with our key customers, and this show was well-attended for us.”
Ultraleather, which has gained a lot of traction in the casual furnishings category, displayed the versatility of its materials with sophisticated seating from Hickory Chair upholstered in its leather alternative. Ultraleather Residential Sales Manager Jeff Smith said the company has expanded its reach in both outdoor and interiors by offering performance and style with an easy-to-use program.
“All of our products are performance-driven, easy to clean, come in lots of good colors, and we’re always in stock,” he said. “We’re in an stock position where we sell by the roll of cut-yardage. So we try to make it easier for the customer to find us and buy from us.”
Ultraleather previewed new colors coming in 2026, along with looks from its indoor/outdoor offerings Brisa Forecast, Brisa Frontier, Coast, Pumice and Summit. Additional collections are set to debut next year, and Smith said the company’s production facilities in Japan (where the company is headquartered) and Mexico have given it a bit more leeway with tariffs. “Eventually you have to adjust your pricing to match where the rest of the world is at, and we’ve done a great job of not giving anyone sticker shock,” Smith said. “We do have an option where you can buy from North America, so we’re trying to do everything we can to help the customer.”
