LAS VEGAS, Nevada – In a push to serve its clients with an all-inclusive line of fabrics, Hunter Douglas Hospitality (HDH) has partnered with Evans & Brown to unveil its Ampersand Collection.

 “This collection has been many years in the making," said Karen Kops, vice president of sales & development for HDH. "Much of our business will now ride on its success because it’s our largest fabric collection ever and we’re confident it will provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ for interior designers looking to fuse art with fabric.”

The Ampersand Collection, which features fabric for everything from furniture to bedding to window and wall coverings, gets its name from Evans & Brown’s decision to put a stamp on the culmination of their collaborative efforts as artists for nearly three decades. Evans noted that the word 'ampersand' also speaks to “our joint venture with HDH in setting a trend that fuses boutique art with fabrics for interior designers.”

Kops anticipates that people will start noticing this new trend of commissioned art on fabric. “Digital printing is making it easier to do, so it’s definitely an up-and-coming trend,” said Kops. “People will see that the printing process was executed in a way that still retains the natural aesthetics of the art of Evans & Brown. The blemishes and imperfections in the fabric’s art are intended to give the upholstery an artistic sense. We didn’t want to print the designs without the ordinary imperfections one would see in a mural.” 

As a joint foray into printing on fabrics, Evans said that working with HDH was a great first experience for both sides. “The whole process from start to finish was always about the quality of the product,” said Evans. “HDH never focused on trying to ‘nickel-and-dime’ the creative process. Sometimes they suggested a different weave or template, but they ran with pretty much every pattern we submitted in its original design, so it was nice to see the retention of creativity throughout the process. It’s much more authentic in this respect. We created 30 patterns in one year – which is unprecedented – so they were exciting to work with because of the speed at which they operate coupled with the freedom they gave us to design.”

“We are pricing the collection affordably but marketing it with a high-end look,” said Kops. “We want it to be reasonably priced across the gamut and we’re hoping it allows us to explore many opportunities, and perhaps even take us outside the hospitality sector.”