Five Best New Product Awards Presented at Summer 2011 New York Home Textiles Market Week

Press Release

Five companies participating in Home Textiles Market Week® in New York were presented with Best New Product Awards today, with Aalamwaar Textiles receiving the “Best of Market” award for its Mandela Pillow from the Tranquility Collection. All of the winners and finalists are exhibitors in At Home featuring Home Textiles, which runs through Thursday, August 18, at the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®).

In addition to the overall “Best of Market” distinction, Best New Product Awards are presented semi-annually in four categories: Bed, Bath, Dining and Home Accessories. A panel of trade and consumer editors select winners and finalists based on criteria including innovation in design, creative use of materials/construction and new fiber, material or technology.

The summer 2011 winners and finalists, selected from nearly 100 products, are:

BEST OF MARKET

Aalamwaar Textiles (Tarpon Springs, FL) for Mandela Pillow from the Tranquility Collection, a silk pillow woven, brushed and block printed by hand and featuring the peaceful teachings of Buddha.

Winner: SFERRA (Edison, NJ) for Utopia Down Collection, featuring ivory German silk jacquard filled with Icelandic Eider down, offered in light, medium and heavy weights.

Finalist: Cuddledown (Portland, ME) for North American Exclusive 1000 Fill Power Comforter

Finalist: LIBECO™ HOME (New York, NY) for Georgetown Quilted Coverlet

BATH CATEGORY

Winner: Scents & Feel (Miami, FL) for Fouta & Guest Towel Hemingbone with stripes, a natural cotton set produced in two colors for appeal to both women and men.

Finalist: MATTEO (Los Angeles, CA) for Vintage Stripes Collection

Finalist: Qi Cashmere (New York, NY) for Lansing Robe

DINING CATEGORY

Winner: Blissliving® Home (Rockville, MD) for Mendoza Slate Placemats, featuring gold sequins and embroidery that shimmers across the rectangular linen.

Finalist: PEHUÉN (West New York, NJ) for Raw Silk Placemat

Finalist: SFERRA (Edison, NJ) for Festival 101 Colors

HOME ACCESSORIES CATEGORY

Winner: Alicia Adams Alpaca™ (Stanfordville, NY) for Links Wrap, hand-looped with baby alpaca, and available in ivory, taupe, light gray and charcoal colors.

Finalist: LIBECO™ HOME (New York, NY) for Flagstaff Blanket and Pillows

Finalist: V Rugs & Home (Miami, FL) for Cotton Straw Pillow

“Common among these winners and finalists are superlative levels of creativity, quality and design,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president. “The judges found these products rose above the expected.”

The panel of judges included: David Gill, Senior Editor, HFN; Jenny Heinzen York, Editor-in-Chief, Home Accents Today; Jennifer Marks, Editor-in-Chief, Home Textiles Today; Wanda Jankowski, Editor-in-Chief, LDB; and Catherine Davis, Senior Style Editor, Veranda.

New York Home Textiles Market Week offers buyers access to nearly 600 better bed, bath, linen and home products vendors at the New York International Gift Fair (located at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Piers 92 and 94), 230 Fifth Avenue, and 7 West 34th Street. Products represented at each of these venues include bed and bath fashions, table linens, kitchen textiles, towels, decorative accessories, area rugs, window treatments and decorative fabrics.

The winter 2012 edition of Home Textiles Market Week will take place Friday, January 27, through Thursday, February 2, 2012, at locations throughout New York City. At Home featuring Home Textiles will run January 28-February 2, 2012, at the Javits Center as part of the New York International Gift Fair. Additional information is available online at www.nyigf.com.