Avanti Linens will be recognised for more than five decades of business heritage and continued growth across the home furnishings sector.
Avanti Linens will receive the 2026 Home Excellence Award for a home furnishings supplier at the September market gala co-presented by the HFPA Foundation and HTT.
The award recognises Avanti’s more than five decades of continuous operation and its growth through a changing retail landscape. The company has evolved from a specialist in embellished towels into a full-line developer of bath, bedding, table and kitchen textiles. Its licensing portfolio includes the Izod and Nicole Miller brands.
Avanti Linens was founded in 1969 by Arthur Tauber, who managed sales and business operations, and his wife Sandra, who led the company’s design activities.
“They get all the credit,” said Michael Tauber, second-generation executive of the family-owned company. As President and owner, he runs Avanti in partnership with Jeff Kaufmann, CEO.
“Nothing makes me happier than to share this wonderful news with my father on Sunday at his 90th birthday celebration,” he added.
The September cocktail gala, co-presented by the HFPA Foundation and HTT, will present five honours as part of the annual HFPA Foundation scholarship fundraising event.
The other announced honourees include Bruce McKee, Sr. Director for Domestics at Sam’s Club, who will receive the 2026 Home Excellence Award for an Individual Merchant; JLA Home, which will receive the 2026 Home Excellence Award for operational scale and capacity building; and Earthbound Brands, which will receive the 2026 “Behind the Seams Award” for creative brand strategies. The final honouree will be announced soon.
The event will take place at the Harvard Club of New York on September 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Ticket availability is limited.
Early Bird tickets for non-HFPA members are priced at $250 and will increase to $275 from September 1. Tickets for HFPA members and Foundation donors are priced at $200.
The two-hour gala will feature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, an introduction to students from the scholarship beneficiary institutes and the presentation of the 2026 Home Excellence Awards to five honourees from the retail and supplier sectors.
Established in 1996, the HFPA Foundation has awarded scholarships to more than 250 students. It currently supports students studying surface design or home product marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and Thomas Jefferson University.
Fuze is the headline sponsor of the HFPA fundraiser. Supima is the Platinum sponsor of the Home Excellence Awards, while Cottonworks by Cotton Incorporated is the Gold sponsor. Lichtenberg is the Pearl sponsor for the scholarship fund, with Loftex and Welspun serving as Gold sponsors.
All ticket proceeds will benefit the HFPA Foundation’s scholarship fund.
