At this week’s Interwoven textile fair, held in High Point by the International Textile Alliance, performance fabric continued to be a draw, and many companies appealed to buyers weary of tariff instability.
Mills with domestic capability such as Kings Mountain, North Carolina-based STI, which produces Revolution Performance Fabrics, have seen an uptick in business from buyers looking for alternatives to imports.
“We’re trying to be the reliable outdoor supplier,” said Anderson Gibbons, chief revenue officer, STI Fabrics and vice president of marketing, Revolution Performance Fabrics. “We didn’t pass on any price increases, and we didn’t drop any fabrics — we want to be the stable textile supplier in the market.”
Gibbons said the company launched a new collection over the summer focused on delivering reliable value, and at Interwoven, Revolution debuted a range of new designs in on-trend colors such as warm neutrals, indigo blues and rich greens.
“With outdoor, we are trying to be performance and value for all, outdoor texture at a value,” Gibbons said. “In August we introduced the Five-Five collection, which is five fabrics in five colors at $5.50 per yard, in stock with one-week delivery. That was a tremendous program, and we gained a lot of market share.”
Valdese Weavers, makers of Inside Out performance fabrics, also has seen a boost in business from companies looking to diversify their suppliers. And Jill Harrell, the company’s director of marketing and brand communications, said the company’s Valdese, North Carolina, facility has allowed them to meet that demand.
“We’ve been happy to be that solution for a lot of people, and we have the capacity to take that on,” she said. “We are running three shifts, five days a week, and we’re leaning into innovation and bringing new product to the market.”
That new product included two new yarns for the Inside Out line — Virtuoso, a UV tapestry warp inspired by European tapestries, and Muse, a recycled UV polyester boucle crafted with a proprietary fiber and featuring a soft heathered look. Along with a range of new colors and patterns, Inside Out also introduced its first printed collection.
“It’s a digital print on a polypropylene base cloth,” Harrell said. “We’re really excited to be able to introduce that.”
On the heels of the introduction of their new interiors division last month, Sunbrella brought new collections from their outdoor performance line, as well as fresh designs from the company’s collaboration with Sien + Co.
“Alex Gibson is the founder, and we’ve been working with her since 2016,” said Amy Gillam, design manager, Sunbrella. “She has partnered with artisan weavers in South America to create handwoven textiles, and she came to us and said, ‘I have this assortment, but I need performance.’”
The result of that partnership reflected Gibson’s global artisanal aesthetic in nature-inspired colors and patterns that emulate that handwoven look.
Suzie Roberts, vice president and general manager of the furnishings business unit at Sunbrella parent company Glen Raven, said that the company also has seen increased interest from those looking for alternatives because of tariffs.
“Everyone’s craving some sort of stability so you can plan for your business,” she said. “Our constant message right now is that we’re going to be wherever our customers need us with our global footprint. And with our biggest manufacturing facility here in the U.S., we’ve had a lot of people giving us a call.”
Z-Wovens, makers of Sunbelievable outdoor fabrics, doesn’t manufacture domestically, but Vice President of Sales Chip Finneran said that opening its Vietnam facility has given them versatility to be able to better react to ongoing tariff changes.
“We have a plant in Vietnam and one in China, and the tariffs keep moving, so we’re moving around,” he said. “But we’ve had one of the best placement seasons ever with our key customers, and this show was well-attended for us.”
The company had plenty for buyers to see this market, with a wide range of introductions in on-trend colors and patterns.
Ultraleather, which recently rebranded from Ultrafabrics, also has seen major growth in outdoor this year, with its upholstery showing up on furnishings in showrooms all over at the summer and fall Casual Market Atlanta.
“We were happy to not only be at Casual Market, but also exhibiting as a company, showing our dedication to that market,” said Jeff Smith, sales manager, residential, Ultraleather. “We’re not dabbling — we’re committed to outdoor. Outdoor customers are great, their products are fun and we’re going to continue to go that route.”
Ultraleather previewed new colors coming in 2026, along with looks from its indoor/outdoor offerings Brisa Forecast, Brisa Frontier, Coast, Pumice and Summit. Additional collections are set to debut next year, and Smith said the company’s production facilities in Japan (where the company is headquartered) and Mexico have given it a bit more leeway with tariffs.
“Eventually you have to adjust your pricing to match where the rest of the world is at, and we’ve done a great job of not giving anyone sticker shock,” Smith said. “We do have an option where you can buy from North America, so we’re trying to do everything we can to help the customer.”
