Showrooms: Mills and Converters

Many firms have permanent showrooms in New York, Dalla, Atlanta, or Los Angeles

Fabrics may be purchased directly from fabric mills that actually produce the goods or converters that purchase and change the product through dyeing, printing, and finished. Many mills and converters have permanent showrooms in the large fashion centers of New York, Atlanta, Dallas, and Los Angeles. In New York, many are located on Avenue of the Americas near 40th Street. In addition, mills hold fashion shows for apparel and home furnishings producers and participate in the major fabric trade shows.

Purchasing directly from mills and converters usually requires large orders. Generally only the largest sewn products firms work directly with mills, while the smaller firms work with regional sales offices or distributors. Two examples of fabric mills are Burlington Industries and Milliken, whose corporate Internet sites describe available products and refer buyers to regional sales offices or distributors.

• www.burlington.com
• www.milliken.com