Ingooigem, Belgium — Escolys has developed a new upper end upholstery brand of 40 designs called the Studio 51 Collection. Each design represents a different quality and taps into a higher price level for this mill than previously, according to Jean-Paul Depraetere, Principal. “It’s our attempt to grow the business,” he says of the family owned mill which has endured through several generations. “This is a reaction to requests form our customers for more decorative fabrics, especially from these customers outside of Europe in Southern markets, particularly in South America,” he says. He expects the new Studio 51 Collection to also appeal to higher end UK furniture producers. The brand features more novelty yarns in linen and viscose blends and more natural fancy yarns. The collection was designed by Helene Depraetere, Jean Paul’s daughter who has been with the company for two years. “This represents a team effort between Helene and our designers,” he says. The collection is priced eight to 12 Euros a meter and represents a trade up for the mill which was selling product in the six to seven Euro per meter range. The ‘51’ part of the name refers to the geographical latitude of Ingooigem according to Depraetere. “Our mill is located between Northern and Southern Belgium. We understand the taste level of the North in Holland, Germany and Scandinavia as well as the taste level in the Southern part of Europe—French, Italian and Spanish due to our location,” he says.