The demand for high quality, luxurious fabrics is growing and interior designers are increasingly looking to combine visual and tactile beauty with exceptional performance. In meeting this market trend, Hainsworth works with key players in the interior design market and manufactures the ultimate in desirable fabrics suitable for walling, curtains and light upholstery.
In recent years, Hainsworth has noted an increase in interest coming directly from interior designers and specifiers. As a result, the business has concentrated on developing fabrics with great aesthetic appeal, while offering high performance standards to meet the demand of the contract interior market.
Hainsworth introduced its Broadcloth fabric to the interior market last year following the company re-brand marking its 225th anniversary and met with an enthusiastic response from traditional furniture restorers and interior designers alike. Wool’s global renaissance and many natural attributes, including sound absorption and flame retardant characteristics, make it the perfect choice for interiors.
The Broadcloth benefits from a unique wide width of 220cm, making it suitable for curtains, walling and table coverings. With a slightly heavier weight compared to other Hainsworth interior fabrics, it also offers a beautiful drape and a lustrous face finish. Reaching over 50,000 on the Martindale test, the cloth is also a very durable woven fabric, suitable even for contract upholstery.
Available in a wide spectrum of shades, the Broadcloth complements both classic and contemporary colour schemes and is well coordinated with the group’s range of John Atkinson blankets and throws. This Spring sees the re-launch of this market leading range, featuring the finest Merino wool and Cashmere and already gracing beds in royal palaces and homes throughout Europe and the Middle East.
While maintaining the traditional market, the new campaign is also targeting a younger audience and featuring traditional colourways, a soft tone selection and a new palette of vibrant, contemporary shades. Customers are offered a choice of traditionally satin bound edges, or the more contemporary whipped edging. And, in line with wool’s uniquely sustainable qualities, it is intended to create a year-round, rather than seasonal demand. Impactful photography and graphics feature in the high quality packaging and point of sale supporting the launch.
From raw wool to finished cloth, all Hainsworth interior fabrics, blankets and throws are manufactured at the Hainsworth’s Spring Valley Mills in West Yorkshire, ensuring complete quality control at every stage of the manufacturing process. This stamp of quality ensures continued custom from leading retailers, including Harrods.
Overseas, the company’s continuing links with the Hudson Bay Trading Company, via the famous Point Blankets, woven in Pudsey, guaranteed a passing Hainsworth presence at this year’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver, where the trading company was a major sponsor.
As a supplier of interior fabrics to Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, Hainsworth has been awarded the Royal Warrant by Her Majesty The Queen. A sure sign that the seventh generation of this family company and dedicated staff continue to maintain the highest quality standards guided by four key values:
• Quality without compromise
• Proven expertise
• Passion and dedication
• Innovation
Tudor Times
In Tudor England, wool was an important commodity signifying power and influence. So much so that Queen Elizabeth I insisted nobility took their oath of loyalty kneeling on a woollen sack. Today, the Woolsack remains at the centre of Britain’s democracy and is now the seat of the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords the Upper House of Parliament. Unsurprisingly, a specialist company and unrivalled market leader for over 225 years – Hainsworth produces the cloth that covers the Woolsack.
Meanwhile, Hainsworth ceremonial cloth has engendered national pride across the world since before the Battle of Waterloo and continues to do so at events including The Trooping of the Colour and the forthcoming Swedish royal wedding. Top range school uniforms also use Hainsworth textiles and there’s a steady demand for uniform cloths from a wide range of comb at re-enactment groups such as The Sealed Knot.
And, in more genuinely tense situations, the company’s protective fabrics safeguard emergency services in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America and clothe the Red Arrows aeronautics’ team.
On cue – Hainsworth snooker and pool cloth is undeniably the best in the world, dealing with leading promoters such as Barry Hearn. Sales of sporting table cloths to China are growing and the European market remains buoyant.
These and other world class products are underpinned by the company’s award-winning innovationtion centre – an internationally recognised authority in the design and development of woven textiles. Here, new product ideas are researched, tested and, if viable, brought to market from a permanently topped-up pipeline.
Such a development saw last year’s highly successful launch of Hainsworth’s Natural Legacy range of coffins to a surge of media interest. Highlighting wool’s Quality Assured “green” credentials, they combine the highest environmental standards with pure, aesthetic appeal.
The Wool Project
Enthusiastic supporters of the project, Hainsworth attended the campaign launch at the National Trust’s Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire in strength. Key speaker HRH The Prince of Wales took a keen interest in Hainsworth operations, including a sample from the Natural Legacy range, strategically positioned by Adam Hainsworth.
Rachel Hainsworth comments: “This was a truly inspirational event for the wool industry and of particular interest to us as British Wool is at the forefront of our continuing success. We are passionate about quality and use three special fine Down type fleeces per coffin. We hope that this increased demand will filter down to stronger prices being paid to the farmer.”
