OCR Text |
Show Sunday,April 23, 2000 gf sf ir The Salt Lake Tribune. UTAH LIVING Furniture Makers Bank On Famous Monikers BY CHARLYNE VARKONI SCHAUB KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE HIGH POINT, N.C. — Would you be en- ticed to buy an ornate metal bed if it came from the new Hemingway Paris Collec- tion? Would youfeel as if you could create amore homeyretreatif author and HGTV personality Chris Casson Madden had her name on a furniture collection? Have you been waiting for the relaxed lifestyle of Tommy Bahama clothing to be translated into island-style home furnishings? American furniture manufacturers are betting you'll answer yes to these questions and won't mind paying more to have a famous nameorbrandattached to your home furnishings. Licensing, a deal where a manufacturer agrees to pay a person, place or company 2 percent to 12 percent of wholesale shipments to piggyback on their well-known fame, is transforming the home- furnishings industry into a clone of the brand-happy clothing industry. Thelicensee can veto the designs the company creates, but industry sources say this rarely happens. When doneright, this combination of furniture ant accessory licenses creates a “lifestyle” the consumer thinks he can achieve by buying the furniture and accessories. During the past four years, licensing has gone from a novelty to a competitive strategy. Retail sales oflicensed furniture are $4.7 billion. But there's still room to grow — that's only about 10 percent of furniture sales compared to a 25 percent share in the apparel industry. A variety of famous brandsentered the competition at the International Home Furnishings Market, which ended recently. This eventattracts 70,000 buyers, manturers, sales representatives and inte- r designers in the spring and fall. The lucts they order determine what you see in the stores six monthslater, although manufacturers are reducing the \gad time on somecollections. ¢ Manufacturers are hoping they can repeat the success of Thomasville’s Heming- way Collection, a blockbusterlicense with Ernest Hemingway'schildren thatis exted to generate $100 million in retail sales in its first year. This figure is unlented in the company’s 96-year history, according to Jim Adams, Thomasle’s chief marketing officer and senior ice president. } “The reasonlicensingis so hotis thatit fers a way to extend one’s brand and to ferentiate your product from the pack,” said Bob Skotnicki, president of Global Licensing in Hickory, N.C., who spokeat a press breakfast panel. Skotnicki said consumers are already predisposed to buying clothing brands they recognize, such as Nautica and Ralph Lauren Polo. (Lauren was oneofthefirst té enter home-furnishing licensing with upscale manufacturer Henredon. Lexington carries the Nautica line.) The success of the Hemingway venture lias encouraged Thomasville to follow last ear’s four “Papa” themes — Key West, Kenya, Ketchum and Havana —with Paris this market. “The collection has been an enormous shiccess,” said Mitch Scott, vice president of customer services and corporate comtaunications at Thomasville. In its first year, he says Hemingwaywill outsell the pst year of the company’s top-selling colIgction, Collector’s Cherry. “Ernest Hemingway was and continues t® be a legend,” Scott said. “We have captared something rare in our industry, the ability to combine romance and emotion ig home furnishings.” @ Hemingway's Paris. Thomasville is over. Many of the legs that are showing describing the Hemingway French theme as “sophisticated Parisian.” The 36-piece collection of case goods and upholstery is an eclectic combination that was inspired by antiques and French modernism of the 1920s and 1930s. Hallmarks include Art Deco inspiration, hand-painted finishes and silver accents. The designers have created pieces tied to some association with the author’slife and lifestyle in Paris. None of them is a reproduction or adaptation of what Hemingway and his then-wife, Hadley Richardson Hemingway, owned.But,if Scott is right, consumers don’t want accuracy, they want romance. And Thomasville has romanced the brand by sprinkling references to famous friends of Hemingway such as Man Ray, Ezra Pound, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein andAlice B. Toklas. Paris trips all the triggers with some of the most innovative and exciting designs we saw at this conservative market. The Le Mondecocktail table (suggested retail $3,000) features a globe in the middle of a roundtable and is adapted from a photo- graph of a 1920s apartment. The Odeon corner book stack ($770) with rattan peel detail allows eight shelves of book storage in a small corner space. The Tatie metal bed ($2,600 queen and $3,000 king) is named after Hadley’s nickname for Ernest. The four-poster bed is gracefully ornamented with French motifs and metal scrollwork in an aged bronze finish: And,of course, there are bars. The 84inch tall L’Etoille bar features a painted Paris street scene and opensto reveal six drawers and three shelves for displaying glasses and bar ware ($4,300). The very French Bertain bar cart ($1,800) is a fourtier cart with two drawers anda tinyribbonlike brass gallery rail andis the epitomeofelegance. \ @ Chris MaddenCollection. Bassett has teamed with Chris Madden, who has earned a reputation as an accessible author, editor and television host. Her comfortable collection is inspired by her new book, Getaways (ClarksonPotter, $35). The book andthe collection continue the Madden philosophythat weall need to find our special place that offers us a sense of sanctuary. The “getaways lifestyle” takes ideas from Madden’s homes, as well as the experience she gained designing furniture and creating escapes for her celebrity clients, including Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric and Toni Morrison. Bassett describes the collection as “reflective of the relaxed European traditional style with subtle Asian influences.” “T wanted to show how a getawaycan be in a second homeora sanctuary in your own home,” Maddensaid. “A getaway is really what feeds your soul.” The collection of upholstery and case goods has three getaway personalities — Village, West Indies Cottage and Manor House. But no matter what the theme, Madden emphasized practicality. The map table, with side drawers, was created in three sizes. The ottoman was inspired by a kilim-covered version she found at the Salvation Army,butthis one has a flip-up top for storage and casters so it can be moved easily. i Although someof the pieces look like muchelse youwill see in the marketplace, there are a few thatstand out. The Bassett customerprofile is a woman ages 25-54 with a household income of $62,000 who lives in a $100,000 home,andthe collection promises to give her a higher-end look for alowerprice. Someofthe mostinteresting pieces in the collection include the chinosiere Cathay secretary inspired by one Maddensawin France ($1,499), the Colette writing desk ($500) that is based on an antique in her home and a matching chair feature sexy curves. Photos by Knight-Ridder News Service unveiled at hot, from solids to pinstripes. Bouclé is showing upin upholstery, and organdyis starting to appear in bedding. chenille is more popular than ever. The neutral ($250). The Elysse chair ($699-$999) and ottoman ($349-$499) offer a great look for the price. The Chris Madden Collection was test marketed in Greensboro, N.C., and will be in stores before the endof April. @ Tommy Bahama. The licensing mania doesn't have to be based on a real person. It can also be what the industry calls co-branding, putting two brands together to create a more powerful entity. That’s what Lexington has done with its new Tommy Bahama Collection,a 57-piece collection priced at the upper end of the company’s lime. TommyBahama,a sophisticated casual apparel line worn bygolfers Peter Jacobsen, Russ Cochran and Gary McCord, is known for comfy clothing such as deck shorts, double-pleated plantation pants and vintage-inspired island-print shirts. Theproduct line is sold in specialty stores throughout the country and four national department stores. One oftworetail-only stores is in Fort Lauderdale. The company also operates four restaurants/retail stores. Lexington obviously wants to tap into Tommy’s customer base — well-heeled menand womenages 25-60 who embrace a relaxed islandlifestyle. Bob Emfield, Lucio Dalla Gasperina and Tony Margolis created Tommy’s mythical characterafter they spent getawaytime in Bonita on Florida’s GulfCoast. “We wouldlook at each other and say, ‘Let’s forget about going back,’” Margolis said. “We invented Tommy because he never had to go back.If he ran gut of money, he would go into his closet, sell an old shirt and buy some more beer.” This “life is one long weekend”philosophyeasily translated into a tropically inspired furniture line that features vintage-inspired designs that are softened with louvers, cane, rattan and leather wrappings. “Tt has got to have the look, style and finish attributed to what we have accomplished in our stores and restaurants,” Emfield said, noting they only asked Lexington to change a few finishes. Like Tommy, the colors are soft, laidback and relaxed. Fabrics feature interesting motifs, such as the dragonfly design used on dining chairs and stylized palm trees, The most interesting pieces are a metal and rattan bed with palm-tree finials ($1,200), a 7-foot-tall wardrobe with a louvered front that mimics plantation shutters ($2,500) and the Beachcombercocktail table made from woven lampakanai with leather and brass accents ($1,150). Don’t expect all this licensing mania to end soon. Furniture Today, an industry trade publication, reports six more brands will debutin the fall market. @ Floating ‘Island: Bigger homes, where furniture mayfloat in the center of backs of wood pieces, such as bookcases, chests and beds. Sofa backs also contain interesting dressmakerdetails, including High Point Highlights Include Modern ‘Rosie’ Sofa @ Continued from F-1 cherry, while Coastal Neighbors is washed pine. The pieces are not reproductions, but @Pit Stop: Remember sectionals? Those modular seating groups we used to call pits are starting to show up more in collections. But this time they're more comfortable and have chaise-length sections as well. Another style features a series of chairs hooked together. Don't worry if they aren'tgood for conversation; these are aimed at family TV watching. Zen Watch: The Asian style is reflected more in accessories than major pieces. Chinoiserie, an ornate style based on Chinese motifs, is showing up again on tables and chests. Wicker and rattan are big because manufacturers are using the cheaperlabor of Asia to makefurniture. cabinet wouldbe perfect for a bedroom or apartment — or any other spot that won't accommodate a mega-armoire. @ Thomasville Furniture of Thomasville introduced a mission-style collection called Mission Arts and added toits hugely successful Ernest Hemingway Collection. Hemingway sales have totaled more than $100 million since the collection debuted in October 1998. The new group adds 36 pieces, both casegoods and upholstery. Introductions range from a_ sleek leather sofa to an ornately carved and painted French armoire. The pieces aren’t interpretations, “Wetakeitandputitona Trayandhisiatwife,Hadley,Dutare ae Leonel on the couple’s life in Paris in the style,” tana _ no Vanguard Furnitureof Hickory, gj Bob Mackie, the fashion designer to aie expanded Ck 7 x or thy luding Stetson, bg as call Ireland. The KathyIreland Home collec- the stars whois building a growing presence at High Point, lent his nameto a line oF jamps for Murray Feiss, a New York tion, introduced at the October market, lighting and accessory company. Mackie’s pieces. It feels more complete, with an eclectic, collected look. “Yes, it is more brian bronze highlighted with gold guard’s vice president for merchandising. “We brought out 100:pieces {in October]. Then, after that market, we were able to hy lighting , wall console tables. La-Z-Boy and WebTV Networks Inc, especially benefited from the addition of mature,” said Shelby Pulino-Pigot, Vansay,‘Where are the holes?’ ” —«Cjassico”collection is available in two Later this year, the lamps will be followed a subsidiary of Corp., intro- There'sstill lots of washed tapestry up- duced a chair to make surfing the Web with an Italian flair, two new sofas, and a new barn-red “cedar” finish for select children’s pieces. An iron settee from the last show proved so popular it’s now offered as a day bed. A small television andholds a Sony infrared keyboard. Cost whenit comes out this summer,including a Webreceiver thatsits beneath your TV set; $1,049 to $1,299.(Yes,it also has a cup holder.) holstery, but colorsarea bitmore vibrant. New pieces include handpainted chests more comfy. The Explorer is outfitted with a tray table thatfolds out of the left arm 278-4414 1-800-456-5192 WILDLIFE AT YOUR BACK DOOR! iy (Snvows SchuodyoKod br lusary ‘wodilionat sgh. agha geaaulg fearon gba| eeeence WettkSerecmch ‘ he manne! ‘quail ~ MOME2YSKLAREAS, Yor as fee an. 10) Srila aca bond om wove cmmgm aie ‘Andibrson ga den LS ee near UPPER Ov Dag | Ose | 641-3883 ese ToLpa, ‘REDUCED! Oatten Teh osc) Bece 5 BUNGALOW! jen Centid of & garage. ono GROEN Soronwogo cove: Korres Lonel vombier ah ree Tin eo 8 insien wn Giscde:Nowfinapant | BETTERTHAN on igen onScieBa mae SionReon Ffii J Commercial and Residential Mortgages an : spree WEST JORDAN $150,000 Newer multi level, vaulted ceilings and big kitchen. MURRAY MOBILE HOME 278-1089 — 1 (800) 771-2181 719 eae oly Ca tl sh ‘580-8824 7’ FINANCIAL CENTER of uch RATESBUBIBCTTOCHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE caropome ekGass ae romtaamoem | MeeWp,ae BaticSoot fenyCononeics 205-7019 agar” eoa-czes Caings be ten turoce. Sg ‘Mit = ei) eee 873-1212 p |