New York's spring Domestics Week touts hottest colors, fabrics and more.(Brief Article)

NEW YORK -- Business trends were every bit as evident as fashion trends at the latest Domestics Week, which swept through New York last month. Quilts were popular at the event and appeared at each of the major mills. Color pallets grew broader, but were more middle of the road, with extremely bright or saturated colors in little evidence at the major showrooms.

A wider variety of patterns also was available, but, overall, the looks were relatively conservative. In terms of fabric, metallic and otherwise eye-catching man-made fibers paired with comfortable natural fibers, and stretch was expanded. More was done in construction, with some upmarket jacquards, longer loops and related developments evident in towels.

Oh, and a word of warning: Paisley is creeping back into the market.

Much of what is new on the fashion side, however, is a reaction to trends on the business side. For instance, the broadening of color and pattern schemes was as much a reaction to retailer demands as it was to style considerations. With retailers creating …