8 May, 2009
KOTHEA were recently asked if any fabric companies still made linen velvet.
Yes. We do. Ours has a 100% linen pile and a Martindale of 20,000 making it suitable for upholstery and curtains.
We sell other velvets including; mohair velvet; silk velvet; cashmere silk velvet; cotton velvet and linen velvet.
8 May, 2009
KOTHEA was asked “what is the difference between cotton velvet and mohair velvet upholstery fabric”.
More of an explanation about velvet is given here – essentially ‘velvet’ is the finish arrived at by a specific production process. That process can be applied to many fibres. Mohair usually refers to a silk-like fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat and cotton is a natural fibre that grows from the cotton plant.
1 May, 2009
KOTHEA Release New Fabric For Interiors
LONDON, England. 04-MAY-2009 11.30 AM: KOTHEA today announced it has expanded its product range by the addition of KOTWIG. KOTWIG has an off-the-wall textured design. It has a high Martindale score which is unusually achieved without incorporating polyester. It is highly suitable for a wide range of uses including heavy upholstery and wall treatments in either domestic or contract installations.
Flickr Image Of KOTWIG
Full information can be found <here>.
KOTWIG
Reference: 14-002-436
Colour Shown: Brown – Light Brown
Other colourways: 20
Width: 145cm
Repeat: None
Composition: 43% Linen, 36% Viscose, 21% Cotton.
Martindale: 40,000 ‘rubs’
Primary Usage: General upholstery or wall treatments, contract & domestic.
Type of fabric: Textured Weave
About KOTHEA.
KOTHEA are a top-market fabric house based in London serving customers throughout all of Europe and The Middle East. Founded in 1999 they have since continued to develop and sell an extensive range of timeless fabrics to the top architects, interior- and yacht-designers for projects ranging from mega-yachts to boutique hotels and from luxury spas to penthouses.
KOTHEA operate on a trade-only basis and their fabrics are available to the public through interior designers and specialist interior design shops such as Gotham, Interiors Bis and Fiona Campbell. KOTHEA also supply beautiful hand-woven linen fabrics and finished goods – throws and table linen.
KOTHEA’s trade customers would perceive their signature fabrics to include several ranges of velvet including the exclusive ‘cashmere silk velvet’, silks, linens, double-width sheers, faux leather and interesting weaves for upholstery often with high Martindale ‘rub tests’ making them highly suited to both contract and residential projects.
Founder and Executive Director, Lisa Parsons started KOTHEA more than 10 years ago after 11 highly successful years with Nobilis Fontan in Chelsea and Donghia in Chelsea Harbour. She says, “At KOTHEA we like to think we bring something a little different to the market. Our difference will be reflected in our customers’ eyes by unusual fabrics that complement our core fabric ranges; all augmented by our excellent levels of customers service, market knowledge and attention to detail.”
30 January, 2009
How to maintain and clean mohair velvets.
Mohair velvet can be notoriously difficult to clean. If you are in any doubt please contact a professional cleaner. You will probably get that recommendation from most fabric companies. The following information is provided as a guide and is not a formal recommendation by KOTHEA.
As with many fabrics, prevention is the best cure. A regularly cleaned velvet will last longer and cleaning should consist of brushing with a hard clothes’ brush and regular vacuuming. As part of a cleaning routine we would suggest expert cleaning approximately every 5 years.
Removing Stains
You should never attempt to remove more serious stains. That should always be undertaken by a professional.
It is possible to remove minor stains but always test any cleaning method on a small area that is not normally visible.
For stains that have not dried try using an absorbant and dampened, lint-free cloth. Do not use a coloured material as the colour may rub off into the velvet. Should water fail to work you could instead try a diluted upholstery shampoo/cleaner carefully following the manufacturer’s instructions. Rub very gently on the fabric, finishing in the direction of the nap. Afterwards ensure that all chemical residues are removed.
Make sure the fabric is not used again until thoroughly dry.
Dealing with wear and tear
As indicated earlier, a regular cleaning regime is requried for velvets. If no such regime is followed the fabric can become prematurely worn most noticeably, for example, on the regularly used parts of sofas or chairs. Frequent movement by a person on the velvet pile will cause the pile to be pushed in all directions; sometimes, eventually, resulting in matting. Once the pile has been moved in different directions the shade of the fabric can appear to have changed. This is a natural property of the fabric and is exacerbated by excesses of heat or humidity.
Fortunately, mohair velvets usually take and keep colour well and usually also have high rub tests.
Only on clean fabric try the following; apply a thoroughly clean and dampened cloth for 10 hours and then dry naturally for 10 hours in a well ventilated room. Only dampen the cloth slightly with pure/distilled water. Never ‘wet’ or soak the cloth or the fabric when cleaning.
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Source: KOTHEA and Spearson Textiles
15 January, 2009
Mohair velvet is a fabric much sought after by interior designers. It is sold in a wide range of qualities and is sometimes used as a generic term for velvets when, in fact, there are very many differing and sometimes superior compositions available than just those made with ‘mohair’.
Velvet is a type of tufted fabric woven with a warp pile. It has a short dense pile of 3mm or less (‘plush’ has a pile longer than 3mm) and a distinctive feel. During production wires lift the yarn creating small loops which are either cut or left depending on the desired finish. Velvets tend to take colour very well and also tend to be hard-wearing with a high degree of suitability for varied uses; they were typically hard to clean but that problem is mostly solved with modern dry-cleaning.
What’s in a velvet?
Kashmir was probably the birth-place of velvet in the early 1300s but by the 16th Century Bruges had become the leading source of what at the time was a definitive luxury item. Luxury velvets are still made in Europe as well as in Asia.
The original velvets were typically silk velvet. With the passing of time and increasing technical sophistication it has become easily possible to make velvets from many natural and synthetic yarns. At KOTHEA we have velvets at the top end of the quality range made from fine yarns including Linen Velvet, Cashmere-Silk Velvet, Linen Velvet, Cotton Velvet, Wool Velvet and of course Mohair Velvet. Other velvets available in the market have compositions that include polyester, nylon, viscose, acetate or mixtures. Sometimes small amounts of lycra are included to give the fabric stretch.
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5 January, 2009
Well, despite the market slowdown the luxury 50 storey Pan Peninsula tower in London Docklands is fully sold. Alongside amazing apartments are a signature restaurant, private cinema and a Six Senses Spa.
The penthouses have amazing views and KOTHEA have supplied some of our very best mohair velvets for this development.
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BS7176 BS5852 Crib 5
11 May, 2009
Cotton Velvet Rub Test
Posted by KOTHEA - Passionate About Fabrics For Top Designers under Product Comments | Tags: contract fabrics, cotton velvet, velvet, velvets |Leave a Comment
We were asked for the Rub Test of cotton velvet. This would depend on the specific quality of cotton and the type of velvet.
KOTHEA’s cotton velvet has a rub test of approximately 50,000. Making it suitable for contract.