by ROCKFORD, Alabama – The RW Collective, a one-stop, vertically integrated to-the-trade resource for retailers and designers, continues to strengthen the capabilities of RW Classics, its domestic upholstery division, with the hire of Ashley Strahan Barnett as director of merchandising.
As part of her new role, Barnett will serve as merchandising liaison for the Saltillo, Mississippi-upholstered furniture factory RW acquired in 2025 to bring more of its manufacturing back to the United States.
With more than 20 years of experience in fashion and lifestyle industries, Barnett held a series of management roles at leading upholstered furniture manufacturer HM Richards (the majority owned subsidiary of Rooms to Go). Most recently, she served as its director of merchandising. Earlier in her tenure she was a fabric and upholstery merchandise manager and design assistant.
According to Rebekah Osborn, chief operating officer for The RW Collective, Barnett will be charged with expanding the Saltillo product offerings. She will also focus on reducing lead times and increasing customization capabilities for RW’s retail and design customers, as well as its fast-growing private label/OEM business.
“Ashley is well-known for her fabric-to-frame expertise and her ability to push the envelope and elevate a look while importantly hitting strategic price points,” Osborn said. “She’s very strong on the fabric side and has great relationships with the mills, as well as extensive experience with custom fabric work.”
Osborn added that besides being passionate about delivering innovative upholstery solutions, Barnett is accustomed to working on projects with multiple brands simultaneously, “making her an ideal fit for our business model.”
“RW’s multiple lines and special private-label projects with leading retailers really appeal to me creatively,” Barnett said. “It is an incredible opportunity to interact and cross-merchandise with their retail chains — Jes & Gray and Stock & Trade — as well as to flex my creative muscles with the upholstery factory’s multiple OEM accounts. A lot more hands-on in the factory in terms of R&D and production, it’s opening up a whole new world for me creatively and professionally.”
Barnett also plans to expand RW Classics’ performance fabric and machine-washable offerings to help consumers maintain the light and neutral color palates popular today. She is also working to offer more fabrics with softer hands including warmer gray browns.
“It is tough to get my customer away from gray, but brown is trending at the high-end, and I think we will be able to meet in the middle this spring,” said Barnett.
