Durable, stylish, classic. These words can be used to describe an exceptional floor, but they also describe an excellent suit. The marriage of menswear and flooring design makes perfect sense, which might explain why flooring patterns that draw their inspiration from menswear are so popular. Green Operations spoke to a number of companies that are designing and selling patterns that fit in this category and found that menswear-inspired designs are an exciting area of sale.
According to Rob Cushman, vice president of marketing at Beaulieu Commercial, also known as B¯olyü, this trend has taken hold because it is rooted in good, traditional design. “These designs are timeless and can be done at differing scales, formats and color combinations,” adding that he believes menswear fashion works in several forms of flooring that are currently in the market, such as carpet, B¯olyü’s Level product line and even several styles of luxury vinyl tile (LVT). These designs, he said, draw from refined suit fabric looks, sweaters, linens and even some fun, colorful stripes. “It seems to work in so many interior finishes: flooring, wall covering, furniture fabrics and window treatments… classic menswear designs with a fresh twist are almost always successful.”
B¯olyü offers a number of products that are part of this trend. Its Suit & Tie collection, which launched in early August, is heavily influenced by menswear. In addition, B¯olyü is launching another product in its Level category called Monogram, and the company has several styles of LVT that utilize linen and woven patterns.
Mohawk Group also designs products that reflect the heritage of menswear, which is continuing to influence the fashion runway as well, according to Mollie Surratt, senior director of public relations and content. “From tailored stripes, checks and tweeds to houndstooth and plaids, design elements inspired by menswear are overflowing into home décor.”
Mohawk’s collections include Simply Tailored, a Karastan Contract broadloom woven collection that features an array of patterns from pin-dot tweeds to sophisticated line forms. Pieces in the Simply Tailored collection are inspired by tailored, one-ofa- kind business attire; the patterns are clean, classic and modern. “The collection is a beautiful example of the integration of traditional, age-old craftsmanship and modern industrial production techniques,” Surratt added.
Tandus Centiva has been working with renowned menswear designer and textilist Jhane Barnes since 1995. “Jhane’s unique style is based on her mastery of mathematical logarithms and color mixing,” said Terry Mowers, vice president, design, North American commercial products. “Jhane’s signature random shirt patterns have been successfully transferred to our soft surface floor coverings for years and have been among our highest volume styles.” Barnes’ coordinating styles, Awry and Haywire, were transferred directly from her menswear twill shirting designs.
Tandus Centiva also works with textile designer Suzanne Tick, who produces balanced, geometric looks. Her work includes textured woven broadlooms, Pebble Mesh and Elevator Grid, which are takes on gingham checks.
At Oriental Weavers, CEO Mike Riley touts its Roger Thomas Custom Tailored Collection. Roger Thomas is the executive vice president of design for Wynn Design and Development; he created the interiors of Wynn Las Vegas and Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. He has more than 20 years of experience designing interiors for Atlandia Design, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mirage Resorts Inc., and he brings that experience to his collection with Oriental Weavers. Custom Tailored is the first collection from this collaboration, and according to the company is “inspired by the sophisticated and engagingly classic appeal of fine menswear. While celebrating the time-honored style of highend men’s fashion, it takes that foundation to the next level by incorporating provocative elements with dramatic scale and color, thus creating classic carpets with a modern twist.”
One might think designs that emulate menswear would only have a market in the corporate space, but it seems they have a broader appeal. At Tandus Centiva, Mowers said the success of Barnes’ work is due to it transcending one specific market; her designs are in demand in various settings from healthcare to corporate to education. As for the designs by Tick, those are primarily corporatefocused, he noted.
B¯olyü’s Cushman agreed that while he does see menswear patterns most often in corporate settings, the appeal certainly isn’t limited to one segment. “Hospitality, education, senior living and transit segments all have products that are successful that find their roots in classic menswear design,” he said.
Mohawk’s Surratt expressed a similar sentiment. “While it does perform beautifully in formal corporate settings, we have also seen menswear-patterned flooring extend into mainstream commercial spaces as well.” As an example, she cites Aladdin Commercial, which launched multiple products tied to this trend, including Stylish Effects, a collection of four solution- dyed nylon broadloom offerings. Surratt also pointed to Karastan’s Woolston Plaid collection, which is a modern take on the traditional plaid. “It has timeless appeal that entices all design styles and showcases a masculine color palette of browns, grays, black and white. For the person looking for something with a hint of color, Woolston Plaid also comes in dark, rich colors like navy and burgundy, as well as trendy pale blues and grays.”
While this trend isn’t new — “I’ve seen it many times over the years,” Cushman stated — it’s certainly flourishing. There is no doubt the market for menswear-inspired products is strong in the corporate space and beyond.
