Design: Sandridge
A striped linen-look available in 22 different styles

Design: Geneva Chocolate
A chain-stitch embroidered linen-look

Design: San Juan Chocolate Zenga
A jute scroll linen-look & texture

Design: Strathcona
A towel-embroidered slub linen-look
(Strathcona Stripe available in August 2010)

Design: San Juan Chocolate Zenga
A jute scroll linen-look & texture
(Available August 2010)

Design: Tangier Cream
A jute trim linen-look

Design: Zegna
A linen texture

If you’d like more information on any of these designs, or have any questions or feedback, visit: http://www.softlineonline.com.

It’s summertime and we thought it would only be appropriate to do an entry on *cue drum roll* linen curtains.

Linen curtains, as you would expect, are a popular option for many homes in countries where it’s bright and sunny for most of the year. Because of its cool and crisp look, linen fabric reflects the same characteristics in any room. Plus, linen fabric is noted as the fabric of luxury and it symbolizes comfort and elegance.

Here’s some great benefits of having linen curtains in your home:

• Doesn’t cause irritation or allergies when used in furnishings, curtains and clothing
• Provides protection against UV radiation
• Antibacterial and anti-fungal
• Highly durable
• Can keep your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer
• Absorbs moisture but never gives a wet impression
• After each wash, linen fabric curtains get stronger and enhances in texture
• It’s made from flax and uses fewer chemical fertilizers and pesticides than cotton

1. This may seem like a no-brainer, but search for eco-friendly materials when decorating with fabrics!  Like our Evidence of Evolution collection – upholstery, pillows and drapes are now being made with eco-friendly technologies, such as the use of RePET recycled materials and the Ecoya dyeing process.
2. Purchase vintage or antique furniture.  This prevents pieces from ending up in a landfill and avoids new furniture manufacturing.  If you do opt for new furniture, make sure you look for FSC certification, low VOC’s and furniture made from recycled materials.
3. Looking for a natural pillow alternative? ApartmentTherapy.com suggests going with these 10 choices to stay green without sacrificing your sleep:- Horse Hair
   - Green tea and silver infused
   - Buckwheat
   - Millet
   - Hemp
   - Natural Latex Rubber
   - Wool
   - Kapok
   - Natural Shredded Rubber
   - Duck Down
4. Go green, literally!  Decorate your spaces with plants and clay pots.  Plants not only add texture, design and aesthetics, but they clean the air inside of your home.
5. Instead of replacing curtains for a new look, consider using non-toxic dyes to change your current curtain colors. For ways on making natural dyes from plants, click here.

And for more ways to go green today, check out this article by MSNBC that provides you with 18 painless ways to go greener: “Easy Ways To Go Green For Earth Day.”

On April 17, Softline Home Fashions, the leading importer and distributor of decorative fabrics and ready made curtains and pillows, will take part at High Point Market, the largest furnishings industry trade show in the world, boasting the world’s most comprehensive product selection.

Set against the beautiful landscape of High Point, N.C, Softline will be revealing an entirely new line called The Element Collection, as well as a luminous new design called Sandridge Collection, a striped poly-cotton blend available in 22 different styles. Softline will also offer a vast array of decorative pillows.

High Point Market, the world’s home for home furnishings, exposes the newest home trends and business best practices with leading researchers and industry experts. The event plays host to more than 160 leading buyers, representing more than seventy of the industry’s leading companies, of which Softline is at the very fabric and furnishing forefront.

In an increasingly competitive market, particularly under the constraints of the current economy, the industry may be reinventing itself. Softline is no stranger to change; they have consistently molded their products to an evolving world to meet the fierce, uncompromising demands of a growing, discerning clientele.

Visit Softline’s showroom, April 17- 22, 2010, at Suites at Market Square (Space #G-1042). For more information, visit www.softlineonline.com.

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Media Contact:
Eileen Koch
Eileen Koch & Company INC.
310.441.1000
eileen@eileenkoch.com
www.eileenkoch.com

New for Spring 2010:
Sandridge
A collection of striped, linen-look, cotton-poly curtain fabrics
(22 varieties, available by the bolt or as ready-made curtains)

Using new media tools wisely

Plan your strategy to make social media marketing your interactive advantage.

By Linda Kaun

You might be tempted to jump right into social media marketing, sign up for Facebook and Twitter, start a blog, and add a few videos to your website. However, you’ll quickly realize it’s not the shiny new tools that lead to success—it’s how you use those tools.

A strategy and plan of action provide a strong foundation for reaping long-term benefits from social media. A “look and listen before you leap” policy will help inform your strategy and goals and make your online efforts much more effective.

What is social media?

Understanding social media is to understand the profound shift in thinking that is revolutionizing the way we conduct business, both as consumers and as business owners. …

Increasing marketing effectiveness

In terms of customer-related benefits, McKinsey Quarterly’s 2009 “Global Survey”1 found blogs were the most useful tool for 51 percent of responding companies. Video sharing and social networking rated 48 percent each. In addition, 52 percent said that the tools increased marketing effectiveness, 43 percent found higher customer satisfaction, and 38 percent reduced their marketing costs.

Jason and Rodney Carr, co-founders and CEOs of Softline Home Fashions Inc., Gardena, Calif., leading distributors of drapery and decorative fabrics, actively started using social media tools in 2009. They find that “Facebook and Twitter have a different audience than our already existing customer base, which served as an opportunity to grow our brand. The feedback we’ve received reveal that customers feel like they are more informed about what we have to offer and are more knowledgeable about our products. This is encouraging for us because we have many repeat customers.”

Besides identifying new markets, new products and garnering free market research through customer feedback, social media can increase your website traffic, generate qualified leads, build brand authority and promote your products and services.

While these online tools are often free, updating the various accounts, writing blog posts and other content does take time—and talent. Be sure to factor that into your plans. According to the Carrs, another potential downside is that “not only are your customers following you, but your competitors as well. They can easily see what your next move in business will be, so it’s essential to be strategic in your approach.”

(read more…)

How a Southern California company thrives in an economic downturn
March 10, 2010
By Don Simkovich

Rodney and Jason Carr Softline Home Fashions in Gardena, south of Los Angeles, is getting new sales every day despite the nationwide economic downturn.

Founders, and brothers, Jason Carr and Rodney Carr, launched their company shortly after the tragedy of 9/11 in 2001. In less than five years, they reached $50 million dollars in annual revenue.

Today, they sell high quality polyester fabrics to independent retail stores and mass merchandisers in the United States and Canada. The fabrics are used for quality draperies and accessories such as pillows. Here is a summary of how they’ve positioned their company for growth and profitability. Scroll below the table for a slideshow on Softline’s operations, products, and presentation of fabrics. (read more…)

Design: Delano Scroll
Style: Elegant flocked scroll faux silk
Color: Chocolate/Pink

Design: Metropolitan
Style: Circle flocked taffeta
Color: Merlot/Black

Design: Monaco
Color: Rose Dust

Design: Monaco
Color: Sangria

Design: Organza
Style: Two-tone organza with texturized yarn

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. and LAS VEGAS, NEV. – Softline Home Fashions, the country’s leading importer and distributor of decorative fabrics, ready-made curtains and pillows, will soon eclipse the bright lights of Vegas at the upcoming Las Vegas Market tradeshow, where the company will showcase its wares to tens of thousands of people from more than 100 countries.

Trends and innovation are everything in the constantly evolving world of home decor. In its fifth and most promising year, the Las Vegas Market comprises more than 1,500 industry heavies who will gather to examine the “fabric” of what’s in and what’s out. The prestigious tradeshow features a veritable cornucopia of high-end products from around the world – the perfect environment for Softline to impart their industry insights upon their discerning peers.

One of the many distinguishing characteristics of Softline as a business is its commitment to environmental consciousness. The company recently unveiled a line of eco-friendly products, called Evidence of Evolution. Made exclusively from recycled, “green” materials and using specialized dyeing processes, the collection pairs a reduced carbon footprint with the chic luxury for which Softline is known.

As the pride of co-founders and brothers Jason and Rodney Carr, Softline has earned a reputation for delivering an unparalleled selection of world-class fabrics and home fashions to its clientele. The Las Vegas Market is just another step toward Softline Home Fashions’ inevitable domination of a growing and increasingly discriminating global market.

Visit Softline Home Fashions at the Las Vegas Market at Booth# B270-47. For more information, visit www.softlineonline.com.

About Softline Home Fashions Inc.
Softline Home Fashions Inc. is the leading importer and distributor of home decorating fabrics, ready made curtains and decorative pillows. The company provides an unlimited selection of the finest quality fabrics gathered from all corners of the globe, as well as an exclusive and innovative eco-friendly green line called Evidence of Evolution. Headquarters are in Gardena, Calif. and have expanded to Montreal, Canada. For more information, visit www.softlineonline.com.

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Be sure to catch their interview as they discuss Softline and offer business advice & strategies!

To view the interview, visit:
http://www.myfoxny.com//subindex/good_day_ny/good_day_live_online

Rodney & Jason Carr