OmnAvia, a Winston Salem, N.C.-based distributor of fine leathers and woven fabrics for aircraft interiors, recently introduced its Alcantara aviation collection.

According to OmnAvia, Alcantara is “a material that is impossible to pigeonhole.” The Italian-made product, developed as an artificial substitute for suede, is a combination of polyester and polyurethane that offers the look and feel of suede.

The introduction by OmnAvia comes in timely fashion, as Italian industry organizers designated 2013 as the “Anna della Cultura Italiana,” a year when “a spotlight will focus on our industry and quality artisanship as an expression of the Italian style…and what it means to the American public.”