Craft Focus - August/September 2020 (Issue 80)

34 A century of fabric Lloyd Sternberg, managing director of Sternberg Textiles Ltd talks to Craft Focus about how this successful, family-run fabric and textile company has succeeded through the generations Tell us a little bit about the history behind B Sternberg & Sons. Who started the company and when? The original company was started by my grandfather, Henry Sternberg, more than 110 years ago from a basement in city centre Manchester when horse and carts were still being used, the business was then taken over by my father and then my brother, who retired two years ago and sold the business to me. How has the company evolved over the last 100 years? The business has changed dramatically over the years, from selling remnants bought from manufacturers and UK factories, to the present day, where we buy from all over the world, a multitude of fabrics for dress, furnishings, weddings, events and so much more. What challenges have you overcome during this time? We see every day as a challenge, always on the lookout for new products as the textiles and fashions change so quickly, but as one of the largest clearance roll stockists in the country, we always seem to have something for all our customers. We see every day as a challenge and constantly update our fabric selection. Talk us through your current collections. As we’re now coming out of lockdown and shops and markets finally re-open, we currently have our largest stock of fabric for many years. We have huge stocks of printed viscose, linens, chiffons, georgettes, velvets, taffeta and new ranges in PVC, lightweight and heavy weight leathers, these are just a small amount of the many lines we stock. For market traders, our warehouse is an Aladdin’s cave of fabric. What’s your bestselling line? Currently, we have so many outstanding best sellers, so a quick email to me, and I’ll phone any customer back, and have a chat about the lines that are selling well. What fabrics never go out of fashion. Some fabrics are just going to be here forever, including our satins, dupions, printed pvc, crushed velvets, wool mixtures, taffeta and sequins. Just one trip to our warehouse will have you hooked.