WINTER 2019
FEATURE
A NEW OUTLOOK FOR
LENOX
Sustaining status as an industry leader and innovator for more than a century is no easy feat. But Lenox, the U.S.-based tableware titan, continues to meet this challenge year after year.
After Walter Scott Lenox established the company in 1889, the brand quickly became a trusted household name synonymous with quality and artistry and known for continuous innovation. The iconic company began as an art studio that offered one-of-a-kind items that were as much art as craft and eventually grew in recognition so much that they won the favor of U.S. presidents as the first American-made china to grace the White House tables. A key ingredient in the company’s recipe for success is its ability to identify consumers’ needs and interests and quickly adapt to address them, all while maintaining the quality level set by century-old craft techniques. When people wanted more than just dishes, Lenox added hand-blown lead crystal (1966), followed by silver flatware (1991). Lenox was the first American company to offer a complete line for the table. Lenox also developed one of the first ceramic products, called Temperware, that could safely go from the freezer directly into the oven or microwave (1972). The company also utilizes a gold trim that can be put in the microwave (2002), something previously thought of as impossible. Now in its 130th year, Lenox is still the brand of choice and market leader for the highest quality pieces for the table, the home, all gift-giving occasions and a number one brand for bridal registries. The current Lenox portfolio includes core brands – Lenox, Reed & Barton, and Dansk – as well as several sub-brands that span the worlds of fashion, architecture and media: Brian Gluckstein by Lenox, Luca Andrisani by Lenox, Domino by Lenox, Marchesa by Lenox, Michael Wainwright, and Kate Spade. Today, Lenox uses CAD technology, functional gold metallics, skilled craftsmanship and many other innovative tools to create products that fit into the consumer’s life of dining, gifting, entertaining and decorating. An impressive 100% of the porcelain, stoneware and bone china products are dishwasher safe and tested to endure more than double the
count of cycles expected of an industry standard. Lenox also continues to make America’s only true bone china dinnerware. All Lenox collections are on display during weekdays at the company’s 12,669 square-foot, entire 24th floor, NYC showroom and headquarters at Forty One Madison, and will continue to be for many years to come. Having named a new CEO in October, the prestigious American company is poised for growth and reinvention. At the helm now is Mads Ryder, who has built and bred some of the world’s most iconic brands including Lego, Weight Watchers and Royal Copenhagen. In his new post, he’s ready to evolve Lenox’s heritage and brand identity to win with new generations. “A key piece to this puzzle is educating consumers on how to mix the old with the new,” said Ryder. “Because Lenox is a legacy brand, many homes today already have vintage pieces that were collected as heirlooms, and we need to empower and inspire consumers to dust off these wares and use them to breathe new life into the way consumers eat and entertain today.” With a fresh perspective and a robust foundation, Lenox is set to continue its rising momentum and build on its already impressive legacy.
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On the cover: Lenox
They say you can’t pick your family.
become the first manufac-
But brothers Olivier and Amaury
turer to produce product
Passot, ninth-generation descendants
from 100% reprocessed
of the husband-wife founders of
mineral materials.
REVOL, would not have chosen any
Around the world, a
other lineage. They proudly helm the
family-owned business
distinguished French manufacturer
more than 200 years old
of culinary porcelain that in 2018
qualifies for membership
celebrated its 250th anniversary.
in an exclusive organi-
Olivier is CEO and Amaury heads
zation – the Henokiens.
OEM business development.
REVOL enjoys that
The 1768 marriage of Pierre Revol
association and the
and Magdeleine Carrier sealed the
prestige it brings. But the
destiny of what would become a global
company also qualifies
enterprise renowned for its dinnerware, cookware, bakeware and serveware.
for the highest degree Olivier Passot
of reverence in the tabletop industry – not only because it has endured
The couple were potters who both came from a long line of earthen-
for two-and-half centuries and remained family-owned, but because it
ware makers, and they set up a workshop together to produce their
has pioneered historic breakthroughs in the manufacturing process. The
designs. In 1800, their son Joseph Marie Revol moved the company to
challenge it faces is remaining as vibrant and relevant in the future as it
Saint-Uze, in southeast France, and into a factory that the company still
has been in the past.
operates today. When Bertrand Passot handed the reins to his sons in 2007, he tasked
“My dream,” said Olivier, “would be that after 40 years running the company, one of my children takes over to continue this amazing story.”
them with continuing the family’s legacy by further expanding in the U.S. market. They did just that, opening a facility in Duluth, Georgia, and a showroom at Forty One Madison. The family isn’t slowing down anytime soon. REVOL is available in 85 countries and favored by top restaurants such as Jean Georges Steakhouse and Café Boulud. Its portfolio is bursting with 23 collections, and this year the brand launched a distinctive addition – “Caractere.” It was created by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, an award-winning French interior architect and designer who has developed collections for Baccarat, Hermès and Saint-Louis, to name a few. Furthermore, the company has also launched “Recyclay,” a groundbreaking innovation that saw REVOL
FORTY ONE MADISON 3
FAMILY TIES
REVOL
PARTY
Toast Town of the
It was only October, but Forty One Madison got a head start on the holidays at its annual Tabletop Market Cocktail Party, which fĂŞted Holiday House, the decorator showhouse benefitting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The nonprofit enlisted interior designers to fashion wreaths representing showrooms and their collections, and the holiday creations were the featured lobby display.
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Eric Rudin, co-chairman & president of Rudin Management, Iris Dankner, founder of Holiday House, and Kristi Forbes, senior vice president and director of Forty One Madison.
Peter Goldberger, former executive vice president of Noritake, Kristi Forbes, senior vice president and director of Forty One Madison, Eric Rudin, co-chairman & president of Rudin Management, and Lisa Knierim, president & CEO at Villeroy & Boch, toasted Forty One Madison at the annual party.
Daum-Haviland executives Theresa J. Thomas, Patrice Combes and Benjamin Brami.
Interior designer Jaime Walters joined Iris Dankner, founder of Holiday House, Shaina Kalin, events and production coordinator at Holiday House, Yasamin Bahadorzadeh, co-founder and CEO of Kiyasa Group and Kiana Bahadorzadeh, co-founder & owner of Kiyasa Group at the Forty One Madison annual party.
Kristi Forbes, Mepra’s Luca Prandelli managing partner and company president Eduardo Artidiello, and Kristin Wilsey, Annieglass.
Designer Michael Wainwright and Matthew Jones, president and CEO of Orrefors Kosta Boda.
In the spirit of Holiday House and Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Forty One Madison security team sported pink ties.
Walter Lowry is a former lawyer who’s not afraid of breaking the rules when it comes to tableware. The owner of Los Angeles’s TableArt merges quality customer service and experiential displays for a one-of-a-kind shopping experience that shoppers can’t get enough of. TableArt was born in 2004 after Lowry, who relocated from New York to Los Angeles in 1987, was unimpressed with the tableware offerings of local stores. An avid traveler, he set up the specialty shop to bring the unique pieces he eyed from travels around the world to the L.A. market. Today, TableArt’s arresting blue exterior sits pretty on Melrose Avenue, just one block west of its original space. The location was purposeful, as Lowry preferred West Hollywood over Beverly Hills for an easier shopping experience for his extensive celebrity clientele.
personal styles. Given the store’s wide variety of offerings, from casual dinnerware to mouthblown glass and luxe brands such as Hermès, Alessi and Christofle, there are enough options to satisfy a range of tastes and preferences. “Frequently, we’re surprised, the designer is surprised, all of us are surprised to see combinations and concoctions that none of us expected,“ Lowry said. “We become a collaborative lab, so we listen and can learn a lot from this approach.”
“Where we are is a bit more relaxed than Beverly Hills. Celebrities can come and go as they please without being bombarded by tourists and gawkers,” Lowry explained. Celebrity status aside, anyone who walks through the TableArt doors is in for a unique tabletop experience. Inspiring vignettes staged in a nontraditional, gallery-like setting are merchandised by an in-house creative team. Hands-on customer interaction is highly encouraged: they can experiment with mix-andmatching patterns, materials and colors for a tablescape reflective of their
And if a client isn’t shopping with a designer on hand, Lowry and his staff offer quality customer service via in-store assistance and house calls. It’s this hands-on attention to detail and each customer’s needs that sets TableArt apart from the pack. It’s the elevation of retailing to an unparalleled art form.
NEW YORK TABLETOP SHOW ® I APRIL 2 – 5, 2019 I OCTOBER 29 – NOVEMBER 1, 2019
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DISPLAY’S
Display’s the Thing
SHOWROOM S
The Forty One Scene For the showroom opening of her eponymous brand Darbie Angell, the designer created a welcoming entrance.
R Squared/Zrike president David Zrike welcomed Amy Sveda, divisional merchandise manager of Anthropologie, and Sarah Willett, founder of online retailer Patina Vie, to his new showroom.
Emily Levin of Alessi showed the brand’s latest designs to Jaclyn Turner, associate editor at HFN Magazine.
Brian Gowen, Lenox COO, and Forty One Madison’s Kristi Forbes, amid a new and colorful collection.
The Dillard’s team met with rep Rich Ryan, owner of Ryan Associates, and Lisa Zambrano, director of sales at Portmeirion Group.
Natalie Bottitta, regional sales manager at Hermès, showed the latest crystal styles from Saint-Louis to design writer Elaine Markoutsas.
Margaret Nagle and Tanya Cox of Bealls Outlet chat before meeting with the Ten Strawberry Street team.
Tina Schneider of Libbey met with West Elm buyer Eleanor Vernon to discuss the latest collection launch.
Lynn Lin of Karim Rashid Designs is guided through the Nambé showroom by Debbie Vogel-Brown of Nambé to view the showroom’s latest offerings.
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At Arc International, Tena Hall worked with Ashley Neiswender of Amazon.
SHOWROOMS
The Denby team – Don Gaber and Nicole Ramos (far right) – got down to business with Sunshine Vasseur and Leslie Blake from Replacements, Ltd.
April Durham of Rosenthal Sambonet USA discussed new designs with Jill Brooke, host of Flower Power with Jill.
Erin Rolo, director of marketing at Orrefors Kosta Boda, showed the latest glass sculpture releases to Corning Museum of Glass buyer Meghan Bunnell and Jonathan Cohen, sales supervisor for Richard Cohen.
At VIETRI, Hali Vradelis showed the collection to Caroline Kennedy, owner and publisher of PRESENT Magazine.
Matthew Boland, interior designer at MMB Studio, and Jennifer Davis, showroom manager at Main Dish, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based tabletop shop and showroom, admired a floral Richard Ginori vase.
Annieglass founder Annie Morhauser and vice president of sales Kristin Wilsey hosted a showroom opening reception; among the guests from Bloomingdale’s were Lisa Wang and Nicole Vellucci.
Dick Kunkle and Tania Dinis of Lenox present the latest products to Lyz Ayres of Hudson’s Bay.
NIKKO president Kenji Anzai and CEO Akiko Mitani greeted Bill Rudin, CEO of Rudin Management Company, at the brand’s 50-year anniversary celebration of being in the United States.
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NEW YORK TABLETOP MARKET® April 2 – 5, 2019 October 29 – November 1, 2019 (dates subject to change)
41 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010-2202 212-686 -1203 www.41madison.com A RUDIN BUILDING
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/company/forty-one-madison /fortyonemadison @41madison #tabletopny #41madison
A Note From Kristi: The energy and excitement felt at the October Market was electrifying and set the perfect tone to kick off the holiday season. New partners and impressive milestones called for celebrations all around. As we start the new year, fresh ideas and inspiration from the showrooms have us feeling reinvigorated and singing spring for the April 2-5 Tabletop Show. And also, thank you for making my first year at Forty One Madison so memorable. Cheers to an even bigger and better 2019.
Kristi Forbes