Vibrant colors and themes from Germany
By Carole Sloan -- Kids Today, 3/1/2008
Designs for kids' home textiles went beyond the typical licensed character offerings at Heimtextil in Frankfurt, Germany, in January.
Whimsy and flights of fancy were evident, but the key ingredient was quality in terms of the fabrics used for the bedding, towels and rugs, as well as the construction of the bedding.
As for the licensed product, unlike the American market where one licensee has the market, at Heimtextil one can see a wide range of interpretations of familiar characters because of the global reach of the show. It's fascinating to see Pooh and all the others in regionalized, yet authorized interpretations.
Perky bug characters enliven the new Kas Kids bed dominated by a strong pink palette at Kas of Australia, www.kasaustralia.com.au.
Artist Rosina Wachtmeister translates her work to textiles for Kleinmann, www.hk-kleinmann.de. The line includes towels, pillows and bath accessories; Wachtmeister's other licenses include plush, stationary, gifts, porcelain and more.
Esta of Germany takes a step back in time with its knights in shining armor theme. The characters from times gone by joust across a bed that is accented with sophisticated stripes, stars and lions.
Matryoshka, the traditional nesting dolls of Russian culture, are featured on Baboushka, a novelty printed fabric from Voyage Decorationof Great Britain, www.voyagedecoration.com.
Portuguese company Bovibrings a sophisticated, yet whimsical look to infant bedding with its neutral beige palette. The color scheme and friendly frogs make it suitable for girls or boys.
