The London Fabric Show returns to the Chelsea FC stadium at Stamford Bridge in Fulham from 4-5th March, where it will present the trade with over 35 high-end fabric producers from the UK and Europe.
Organised and hosted by the BFM, the two-day show – taking place a little later than usual this year due to a fixture clash – gives manufacturers of upholstery, beds and soft furnishings an opportunity to see high-end fabrics from some of the best mills, weavers and suppliers in Europe.
Last year’s edition attracted a good number of visitors despite poor weather afflicting much of the UK. Those in attendance included Steinhoff’s Kai Winders, who described the event as “a great show”, and Alstons’ Matthew Cave, who stated: “Great exhibition, plenty to see, easy to visit and knowledgeable exhibitors.”
New exhibitors this year include Bill Beaumont Textiles, a leading brand in the soft furnishings industry that supplies curtain fabrics, made-to-measure soft furnishings and wallcoverings, and Ragolle, one of Belgium’s leading manufacturers of jacquard woven rugs and upholstery fabrics.
Well-regarded Flemish fabric and textile manufacturers from Belgium are among the many regular exhibitors. Beaulieu, Greenstreet and Muvantex are just some of the names from Belgium renowned for the quality of their textiles returning to the show this year – their fabrics include jacquards, linens, velvets and chenilles in traditional and modern designs.
Other returning European exhibitors include Arruma Trapos from Portugal, Eurotex from Germany, Imatex from Italy and Boyteks and Turman from Turkey. Between them, they will present a variety of natural fibre and mixed-texture fabrics in plains, stripes, florals and abstracts, in soft and vibrant colours.
Returning exhibitors from the UK include the Lancashire-based British Velvets. Producing velvets for over 80 years, the company is a leading UK velvet weaver, and produces over 750 luxury velvets for upholstery and soft furnishings. Art of the Loom is another Lancashire-based company which specialises in bright wools, linens and cottons.
Fabric treatments will be on display, too – Spain’s Inter Fabrics promises to have every kind of fabric treatment covered thanks to its well-known Aqua Clean brand, and produces its own extensive collections of fabrics for a variety of industries, including furniture.
Jackie Bazeley, joint MD of the BFM, comments: “The London Fabric Show is now a firm fixture in the diary for our upholstery and bed manufacturers. It is the perfect opportunity to see a varied and rich collection of fabrics from expert fabric producers in one hit, with the added bonus of a first-class venue.”
