The London Fabric Show is a firm fixture for upholstery, bed and soft furnishing manufacturers. Organised by the BFM (British Furniture Manufacturers association), and open to both members and non-members, the event is an opportunity to source high-end fabrics from UK and international producers and suppliers …
Held in the executive boxes and suites of Chelsea FC’s Fulham stadium at Stamford Bridge – which has recently undergone a £1.5m facelift – the two-day show has grown in popularity, attracting a record number of visitors in 2018.
Exhibitors include renowned Belgian fabric producers whose expertise in producing quality fabrics dates back hundreds of years across textiles including wool, linen and cotton. Returning Belgian exhibitors include Beaulieu Fabrics, Greenstreet, Van Neder Weverij and Tavelmo. Now combining modern technology with long-established hand-weaving techniques, the jacquards, cottons, wools, velvets and linens they produce are exclusive, high-end textiles.
Also returning in 2019 are exhibitors from Portugal, Italy, Spain, Germany, Turkey and the UK. Portugal’s Arruma Trapos produces a variety of fabrics made from natural fibres, while Italy’s Imatex is a leading producer of jacquards and has a fully-integrated production process, with every aspect of the fabrication of its hundreds of designs taking place in-house.
Spain’s Aqua Clean, meanwhile, supplies fabrics to over 60 countries, and its unique stain-resistant technology and easy-clean fabric treatments make it a highly regarded market leader and a household name. Then there is Yakar, one of the largest producers of woven upholstery fabrics in Turkey, which will be joined by other returning Turkish producers including Turman, Marsteks and Luks Velvet. Between them they will show a variety of natural and mixed texture fabrics in patterns and plains.
Expert fabric producers from the UK showing their latest designs include Lancashire-based British Velvets, which has a history dating back over 80 years and currently produces over 750 luxury velvets for upholstery and soft furnishings. Another Lancashire exhibitor is Art of the Loom, which supplies wools, velvets, jacquards, and polyesters in bright colours and eye-catching designs. Joining these UK exhibitors will be Warwick Fabrics and Clarkson Textiles, among others.
The show takes place from 4-5th March, 2019 at the West Stand, Chelsea FC, Stamford Bridge, London. Entrance is free, and registration for the 2019 event is now open.
