NEW YORK, New York—Solarium is having a field day in terms of business growth with a seven figure business in outdoor fabric spurred by the comeback in prints, especially in throw pillows, considered a quick way for the consumer to refresh the home.

Hospitality and Outdoor are the two fastest growing categories at Richloom today with 2013 a record year for Solarium, says Charles Zaberto, Vice President of Solarium. Solarium was started at John Wolf which Richloom acquired about 12 years ago along with  Zaberto who was part of that original business. Solarium is growing faster than the five to ten percent for the category as a whole, Zaberto points out.  “It’s a perfect storm situation. We are also  catching a big wave in the print cycle. There is also a trend to bring the indoors outside. Fashion and design is being thrown out to the public like never before,” he feels. “Everyone has become an interior designer, principally in the U.S. market.”  Chuck Zaberto

Based on this boom, Richloom Fabrics Group has developed its Solarium division of outdoor fabrics to the point where beginning May 1, it will have its own website, www.Solarium.com. The new website will house the library of Solarium designs and will display our new logotype. Solarium has a dedicated three man design team in the outdoor fabrics category headed by Lori Shea but the trio can also draw on the complete Richloom design studio. Zaberto says.

Richloom is also an important supplier in the outdoor fabrics category to Target and Pier 1.  “Retailers can choose Richloom designs on an exclusive basis, Zaberto says, “or they can pick from our open line.” Zaberto notices that “retailers are regionalizing design and is therefore identifying more consumer market segments by design as a result. However, the bulk of Solarium business lies with the manufacturer.” 

Solarium fabrics are made from an assortment of fibers including spun and filament polyester in piece dye, solution dyed and printed varieties in up to 12-15 rotary screens “The customer base includes manufacturers and retailers of window curtains, replacement cushions and outdoor furniture,” Zaberto says. “We sell highly textured piece dyed fabrics for the motion furniture business,” he adds. One area not interesting to Richloom Solarium is the commodity awning and boat cover business, Zaberto points out.

“We are an outdoor fabric fashion house and not interested in commodity nor industrial applications of outdoor fabrics,” he explains. “We have no idea all the places where Solarium goes. We only know that we are seeing a domestic printing wave with Solarium fabrics and we also are printing in Taiwan and China. We weave our cloth with several different mills.”

Zaberto points to Showtime twice a year as Solarium’s best market. This past Showtime, Solarium introduced 105 sku’s including ‘Rave,’ a solid in 35 active colors for $8.95.