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Statement-making draping is reshaping client expectations for events. As event planners use this technique more intentionally to define celebratory spaces, the bar for both design and execution is rising, particularly in tented events.
“We’ve seen a huge shift in draping demand the past couple of years,” says Shawn Soares, creative director for Drapeworks, which offers full-service, premier pipe and drape rentals. Based in Davie, Fla., Soares started the company more than 15 years ago with a focus on traditional pipe and drape. “Now it’s all about dramatic styling across ceilings and walls to create more texture and flair.”
Element Event Solutions in Toronto, Ont., Canada, is experiencing the same surge. “Draping used to be a way to cover something unsightly or add a decorative accent to weddings and baby showers. Now it’s a focal point for design,” says Katie Reeves, sales integration manager.
This shift is reflected in everything from fabric color and style to draping placement. Dark shades of velvet and satin are popular for creating heavier, moodier vibes. “Velvet is the hottest fabric right now,” Soares notes. “It’s costly and hard to maintain, but it is stunning, and clients love it.”
Rather than covering an entire tent’s interior, many planners are selectively applying draping as a backdrop for stages, podiums, bars and photo areas to maximize its effect. “For university and corporate events, it’s a great way to incorporate custom colors without putting them on table linens or centerpieces,” Reeves says.
Choosing the right fabric
When done well, dramatic draping appears effortless—an effect achieved through deliberate fabric choices that influence how it hangs, performs and endures.
Timeless sheer and voile fabrics are still in demand and increasingly elevated with lighting or textured layers to create more visual interest. While white remains popular, many event planners are choosing softer tones such as champagne and ivory for a warmer feel.
When it comes to outdoor tent environments, inherently flame-resistant (IFR) polyesters are the most reliable, says Amanda Gray, vice president of sales and marketing at Georgia Expo Manufacturing Corp., which manufactures pipe and drape as well as other event equipment in Suwanee, Ga. “They hold pleats well, resist moisture better than natural fibers and meet fire code requirements without requiring chemical re-treatment.”
For higher-end designs, Gray recommends IFR velvet stretch and poly-knit satin-style fabrics. “They perform beautifully and provide a shiny, dramatic visual impact when properly specified for outdoor use.”
Regardless of budget, medium-weight fabrics are also increasingly favored for outdoor events due to an unsightly and recurring challenge: bugs. “It’s not fun to talk about, but it’s a reality,” says Crystal McAlpin, senior account executive at Georgia Expo. “They’re attracted to the lights and much harder to conceal with sheer or lightweight fabrics.”
Factoring in flexibility
However, fabric selection factors in more than aesthetics. For Dayana Gallo, owner of Romero Gallo Rentals LLC, in Oswego, Ill., voile remains the most practical choice. As half of a two-person team, Gallo completes most installations with only her husband, making heavier fabrics such as velvet unrealistic for now.
“A lot of people don’t understand the physical demands of draping or the amount of time and planning it takes,” Gallo says. For her first installation, a friend hosting a 100-guest party asked Gallo to re-create a scene she had seen online. “It took us almost 20 hours,” Gallo recalls. “Every time since has gotten easier, but it’s still time-consuming. And draping is not something that should be rushed.”
Another common miscalculation is how a fabric’s composition affects its behavior. “All fabrics hang differently. Sometimes, planners will see a picture of sheer draping with heavy bunches and texture and ask for it to be re-created in velvet. But it’s not possible because velvet behaves differently than sheer,” Reeves adds.
Securing draping in any fabric is a balance of strength and precision. Every pinch, fold and attachment has to be precise. “Draping is not very forgiving. If it’s off by an inch or two, you can really tell,” Gallo says. “We take a lot of measurements to plan for everything.”
Gallo and Reeves rely on heavy-duty yet lightweight materials such as rings, tension rods and zip ties—with plenty to spare if they need to adapt on the fly.
“A planner might request an ethereal, flowy design with very few pinch points. But if we have 50 kph (31 mph) winds on the day of setup, we have to alter the design and anchor from top to bottom,” Reeves says. “Same with a ceiling. If the design is meant to be more swagged and lower hanging, we’re going to pinch the drapes up tighter and tuck them in. That’s just a result of adapting to the environment, which you can’t control.”
To ease the burden of installation, Georgia Expo recently launched CascadeTM ceiling swags. These premade, tiered ceiling swag panels feature a cascading layered design and are available in three sizes. “Most of the innovation in this space is focused on efficiency and flexibility. These take out a lot of guesswork and labor, which is often undercharged,” Gray says.
Preserving every panel
Proper handling behind the scenes makes all the difference in preserving the fabric’s appearance.
“For velvet, I always recommend having a reliable dry cleaner,” Soares says. “And for any fabric, darker colors can usually be reused without a full cleaning since stains are less noticeable than on white or ivory.”
Transporting the drapes in bags to and from the site also helps defend against dirt and disturbances. To avoid wrinkles and debris when storing drapes, Soares has found the most success with lidded hampers and recommends ones with wheels for easy transport. Gray also notes the benefits of stretch fabrics when it comes to wrinkle prevention. “Fabrics without any stretch tend to be much harder to manage. When folded, they wrinkle easily and require more time and labor to maintain,” she says. “While there are storage solutions that allow panels to be hung preinstalled, the industry is increasingly moving toward stretch fabrics because they significantly reduce labor related to storage and maintenance.”
Investing in inventory
Consistent care standards make it easier to build and maintain a drape inventory that maximizes both flexibility and investment.
“It’s true that draping requires extra storage space and labor, and it’s not always the most popular item for crews to install. But it’s extremely profitable. In many cases, drape inventory can pay for itself in just one or two installs,” Gray says. “Think in terms of add-ons. If you’re already renting a tent, a dramatic ceiling drape design can be offered at a premium.”
For anyone getting started, Gray and Soares recommend sheers and polyesters for cost-effectiveness and durability. They also suggest starting with two or three colors that are most in demand and easy to match with multiple client requests: white, ivory and black.
And as with any fabric, safety must never be compromised for cost, McAlpin cautions. “Flame-retardant fabric might have a cheaper price point, but it has a much shorter lifespan when you’re abiding by fire codes. Choose IFR fabric, which has flame retardancy woven in so it will maintain that quality no matter how many times you wash it.”
As dramatic draping takes a stronger hold, the possibilities for experimenting with new styles, colors and techniques are just beginning to unfold.
“Many of the draping requests I get are based on videos and images from overseas, where they’re exploring complex designs,” Gallo says. “We’re still just getting started here in the States, and it’s a fun challenge to learn and improve in this space, all while helping people connect and create lasting memories.”
Holly Eamon is a business writer and editor based in Minneapolis, Minn.