Tableware International

TableWare www.tablewareinternational.com

INTERNATIONAL

Month: September/October 2015

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Issue: 4

134

Volume: 137

AUTUMN/WINTER 2015

trade.lsa-international.com

Tableware Team

TableWare

EDITOR KATE BIRCH kate@lemapublishing.co.uk

ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER PAUL YEOMANS pyeomans@lemapublishing.co.uk

PUBLISHER MARK NAISH mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

MANAGING DIRECTOR MALCOLM NAISH malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR PAUL NAISH paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

DESIGNER MARIAN MCNAMARA marian@lemapublishing.co.uk

To subscibe to the magazine email: ROBERT THOMAS robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Published by Lema Publishing Ltd. 1 Churchgates, The Wilderness Berkhamsted Herts HP4 2UB PUBLISHING

At the heart Tel: 00 44 (0) 1442 289930 of retail Fax: 00 44 (0) 1442 289950 Front cover illustration supplied by Vista Alegre. For more information see the website www.vistaalegre.com

TableWare www.tablewareinternational.com

INTERNATIONAL

Month: September/October 2015

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Issue: 4

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Volume: 137

INTERNATIONAL

T

he most important address in Tabletop has reached a major milestone. The home of tableware, Forty One Madison in New York, celebrates 41 years this year – that’s 41 years at 41 Madison.

And while those 41 years has seen some considerable ups and downs, changes and challenges, departures and arrivals, it has remained in tact, in full swing – buoyant even – navigating the turbulent economic and industry challenges, ultimately proving the tableware industry is here to stay.

“Noritake is proud of its 41 years of support for Forty One Madison having been the very first tabletop company to sign a lease prior to the building’s launch in 1974,” says Peter Goldberger, executive vice president, tabletop division, Noritake.

Nikko has had a showroom in the building for 38 years; Villeroy & Boch for 39 years; and Nambe for 20 years – and on page 66, many of these brands, and more, pay tribute to the building that has brought them such exposure and success.

Isabelle von Boch also pays homage to Forty One Madison on page 30, explaining what the building means to her both professionally and personally; while senior vice president of Forty One Madison, Laurie Burns, discusses industry challenges and the building’s benefits on page 68.

Also, find out about all the new changes and happenings at the building’s New York Tabletop Show in October (page 66) and discover what exciting products will be unveiled (page 70), including the muchanticipated collaboration between Nambe and British designer Robin Levien Collaborations take centrestage this month, in fact – we recognise Vista Alegre’s fashion collaborations, with Christian Lacroix and with the late Oscar de la Renta, on page 32, celebrating the brand’s many awards and award nominations this year, including its latest collaboration from Vista Alegre and Christian Lacroix, Caribe, nominated for the German Design Award 2015.

And in the lead-up to Brand Licensing Europe 2015 in October, we look into how licensed collaborations, whether fashion labels, art licensing or iconic institutions, can prove successful.

Whether you’re a retailer or manufacturer, discover the benefits licensing can bring to your business on page 72, as well as finding out what the upcoming show will bring.

This month, we also focus in on flatware, with our annual cutlery guide. We talk business growth, timeless design and best

“Isabelle von Boch pays homage to Forty One Madison on page 30, explaining what the building means to her” visual merchandising practice with flatware brands on page 56; we preview the latest cutlery designs from the biggest and best brands worldwide on page 60; and on page 58, Simon Price, CEO of British cutlery manufacturer Arthur Price, tells retailers how they can double their cutlery profits.

On the flatware front, we also celebrate a decade of success with British design cutlery brand Studio William. We talk to the man himself, William Welch, on page 64.

But that’s not all. With Afternoon Tea continuing its popularity and the art of baking still popular among consumers, this month’s Porcelain Guide focuses in on teaware and coffee ware – see how this product category is in growth and what trends are emerging, as well as the latest extensions and launches in this category on page 42.

We also hone in on the decorative category on page 50 and find out how the category is performing worldwide and what the latest launches reveal.

Finally, on the retail front, we turn to France this month, profiling Ambiance & Styles, a chain of 100 stores across France (page 36). Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and with a turnover of 60 million, we interview CEO, Eric Holzinger, to find out the secret of the chain’s success in the current climate.

Enjoy the issue, including the second supplement of Kitchenware International, and see you at 41 Madison!

Kate Birch Get social with See our latest news: www.tablewareinternational.com ‘Like’ us: Facebook.com/tablewareintmag ‘Follow’ us on Twitter: @tablewareintmag ‘Pin’ us: pinterest.com/tablewareintmag

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September/October 2015 • ISSUE 4

News 10

News A round-up of international stories

14

Exhibition news News from the shows worldwide

16

Retail News What's happening in store

20

Product news The latest releases and launches

22

Licensing news We spotlight some of the industry’s most exciting designers/licences

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TableWare INTERNATIONAL

Trends 26

Product trend All that glitters

28

Column: Themes from nature Tableware specialist Donna Ferrari looks outdoors

Features 24

Profile: Robbe & Berking We profile this 141-year-old luxury German silverware brand

30

Expert column Tableware expert Isabelle von Boch pays tribute to Forty One Madison

32

Profile: Vista Alegre We discuss artistic collaborations with the luxury Portuguese brand

34

42 64

Profile: Studio William Celebrating 10 years in business, we speak to designer William Welch about the cutlery industry and his own company success

Retail column Regular columnist Barry Seaman talks visual merchandising techniques

78

Eye on design This month we spotlight Dutch designer Ann Marie Hermans, Dinnerware & Co

36

Retail: Ambiance & Styles With 100 stores across France, we talk to the CEO of the French tableware retail chain to find the secrets of its success

Shows

40

Brand focus: Chamberlain & Co Making its industry debut at Maison Paris, we focus on the brand new prestige British brand

42

Porcelain guide: Teaware With the revival of Afternoon Tea and baking, we investigate the product category of teaware

48

Profile: Rudolf Kampf The luxury Czech brand outlines its teaware and coffee ware offerings

50

Product focus: Decorative Find out what's trending and on offer in this growing category

56

Product focus: Flatware We talk flatware demands and trends with category experts and deliver the latest launches in the cutlery department

66

41 years of 41 Madison Discover what's on at the upcoming Market and find out what industry experts love about the show and the iconic building

68

Q&A: Forty One Madison We talk industry challenges and building benefits with Forty One Madison vice president, Laurie Burns

70

Preview: 41 Madison Discover what new product will preview at this leading tabletop show

72

Preview: Brand Licensing Europe 2015 Find out what's happening and who's showing at this year's licensing event

76

Show reviews A round-up of news and previews from some of the August/September 2015 shows

The views of the contributors expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher or Lema Publishing Ltd. Comments, letters and criticism are welcome.

Each crystal tasting glass is created by Waterford designers and whiskey professionals to bring out the best in every bottle

general news

Reiko Kaneko

explains Bodo. “Few know, but their specialist academies in Mexico and Brittany are hubs of excellence that have trained silversmiths for some of the most prestigious luxury brands in the world,” says Bodo. Expect pure silver items, from lighting to a tea set, but also, element materials like Mexican recinto (a volcanic stone), as well as wood and porcelain that showcase the precious but earthy essence of silver.

Now firmly established in Stoke-on-Trent, JapaneseBritish ceramic designer Reiko Kaneko continues to grow and evolve and, as such, has recently undergone a rebrand. This rebrand reflects the distinguished tradition of ceramic production in both Britain and Japan that has influenced Kaneko’s minimalist pure white forms since the company’s inception in 2007. Moving forward Reiko Kaneko will be extending the new look across all of its products and packaging, most notably a more bespoke service, which specialises in creating one-off pieces using reactive glazes.

Discover the new look on the relaunched website. Reiko Kaneko’s showroom is now open in Stoke-on-Trent.

www.bodosperlein.com/tane

www.reikokaneko.co.uk

Bodo Sperlain and TANE launch new collaboration London-based designer and brand consultant Bodo Sperlein has launched his new collaboration with Mexican heritage silverware leader TANE, reinvigorating the exceptional artisan brand. Bodo Sperlain for TANE focuses on the reinterpretation of very traditional materials, such as silver and glass, with the aim of bringing silver back into the home and into the 21st century. “TANE has been part of a significant cultural exchange of skills in silversmithing in Europe for some time,”

Hospitality hotspot: Studio William Quintessentially British brand Studio William has been selected by Etihad Airways, the national award-winning airline of Abu Dhabi, to provide its Royal Oak Cutlery in the airline’s acclaimed onboard service for its new First Class and Residence Class dining.

Did you know…? Czech porcelain manufacturer, the Rudolf Kampf Manufactory, has launched a brand new website for its its luxury Rudolf Kampf procelain brand.

“The new website delivers the brand story, alongside easy access to the brand product range, with lots of images,” says development director, Michael Belov, highlighting how future plans include an E-shop. The website can be accessed on all platforms and devices.

40 12 12TABLEWARE 8 TABLEWARE TABLEWAREINTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

“

Air is one of the elements of glass – that and the tradition of decorating glass with air bubbles were my inspiration as I designed the Intermezzo Air anniversary glass. The silvery light reflection of the drop meets the double foot ring painted by hand in genuine platinum.

Intermezzo has a strong character, both with and without colour.

”

Erika Lgerbielke, Designer and Professor in Glass Design at Swedish glassware brand Orrefors on its brand new Intermezzo Air glass series in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Intermezzo.

The percentage of British retailers who have said they now spend more than half of their annual budget closer to the season rather than planning further in advance as they had previously done, according to i2i Events’ latest Inside Retail survey*. Compared to three years ago, 27 per cent said they had reduced their forward ordering with customers’ constant demand for new products being the main reason – and 70 per cent agree suppliers have made it easier to stagger buying across the year.

* The Inside Retail survey of retailers in the home and gift sectors was published in the latest Seasonal Buying Report from i2i Events.

unveils company rebrand

exhibition news

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles sets new records

Magisso

Sempli

Design excellence recognised at NY NOW awards At NY NOW’s summer market, held August 14-19, four companies received Accent on Design Awards in recognition of product design excellence, innovation and creativity. “Accent on Design is a curated showcase of the best in contemporary design and functionality and these awards recognise companies who are pushing the envelope in a wide range of categories,” says Jamie Sikorjak, Accent on Design sales manager. “These awards spotlight the best in an already competitive field and grant us a glimpse into the many exciting innovations we can expect in the near future,” says Jamie, highlighting how winners are selected based on a criteria of ingenuity, creativity, innovation, function, originality and design. For 2015, two ceramic and one glassware product were winners. Excellence in Product Design went to Sempli for The MOnti Taste Collection, a four beer glass range designed for Pilsner, IPA, pint and 2-ounce bottles. Made from lead-free, mouthblown crystal, each glass has a font bottom, which enhances the carbonation of each beer type and style. The Product Innovation Award went to Finnish brand Magisso for its Cooling Ceramics Series, developed to keep beverages and food items chilled without refrigeration; while Best New Collection went to KleinReid for The Mihara Ceramic Collection – think handmade vessels and lighting, made from porcelain and original glazing technique and elegant proportions.

New at Ambiente: Ethical Style Guide As the world’s leading trade fair for the sector, Ambiente reflects the market in its full breadth and depth, and this includes new developments in the product field and channels of distribution. For example, consumers around the world are showing an increasing interest in sustainable products and, for the first time in 2016, Ambiente will offer buyers orientation in a highly complex global marketplace. With categories such as Eco-Friendly Materials, Fair & Social Production, Re-/Upcycling Design, and Handmade Manufacturing, the Ethical Style Guide provides insights into different aspects of sustainability offered by numerous Ambiente exhibitors. The exhibition stands of companies that make their products using ethical and/ or sustainable methods can be found quickly and easily using the Guide and are labelled accordingly. Using transparent criteria, a jury of experts from the World Fair Trade Organisation, the German Design Council, and other specialists, will decide on which companies are to be included in the Ethical Style Guide. Ambiente exhibitors have until 28 October 2015 to apply for inclusion. Find requirements and a questionnaire at http://ambiente. messefrankfurt.com/ethical-style

Despite the current economic situation in China, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles closed its doors on August 28, having set new records for exhibitor, visitor and exhibition space figures. Renowned for being Asia’s premier fair for the home textiles industry, the show, which has a 21-year history, was held for the first time at the National Exhibition and Convention Center, delivering 170,520 sqm of space (up from 150,400 last year), along with 1,402 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions (up from 1,334 in 2014). “We’re delighted that our first edition in this new venue was such a success,” says Wendy Wen, senior general manager, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, pointing to the show’s main highlights as being: the increase in internationality of participants, and the number of firsttime overseas exhibitors. The next Spring Edition takes place March 1618, 2016, while the Autumn Edition is set to run August 24-26, 2016. www.intertextilehome.com

“

We were ere de delighted elighted with the response we received to our pproduct roduct launch, with strong interest in all four openin opening ng design themes as well as our bespoke commission mmisssion services. With visitors to our stand from over 2 20 0 countries, Maison & Objet, Paris, provided an excellent n exce ellent opportunity to pr promote romote British ceramic amic craftsmanship and hip an nd artistry to a trulyy international al audience.

Matthew Riddell, iddelll, managing director. English glish pporcelain orcelain mberllain & Co (page brand Chamberlain 40), which chose Maison & Objet, Paris, in September as thee event to launch its new brand.

”

Don’t miss… HOMI Russia This will take place in Moscow, October 15-18, 2015, in conjunction with Saloni Worldwide Moscow and Moscow Design Week, a creative synergy that is expected to attract more than 50,000 selected buyers from the world of home, home decoration and decorating accessories. www.homirussia.ru/en 14 24TABLEWARE TABLEWAREINTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

“It’s critical to attend this market to keep our position as leaders in good design.”

— Edward Nader, Nader’s Gallery, Shreveport, LA

JAN 30-FEB 3

A L L C O L L E C T I O N S N O W I N O N E LO C AT I O N

J AV I T S C E N T E R , N E W YO R K C I T Y

The destination for design—where inspired and innovative products make their debut, and trends take root. Discover the next season’s hottest ideas and hundreds of new and emerging companies. Explore, network and collaborate at the only design-focused and fashion-forward marketplace. If it’s here, it’s now.

Learn more at NYNOW.COM POKE - SILICONE VESSEL BY FINELL. © NY NOW 2015

retail news

Vietri tells its story in Bloomingdale’s

Store envy

Christofle, Los Angeles Maison Christofle, which has a number of standalone stores worldwide, is continuing to renovate its boutiques all over the world at an amazing pace: New York, London, Paris, and in April this year, Milan.

In the refurbished Milan store, silver and its reflections are omnipresent, with trays hung from the walls like mirrors and a large wooden table, which presents the cutlery, bringing warmth and contemporary chic to the store. An on trend honeycomb wall holds product displays. The Christofle Studio in Melrose Place, Los Angeles (pictured), is one that’s been completely redesigned and redecorated every year by Stephane Parmentier, Maison Christofle’s creative director. For 2015, he has designed a “chic and elegant 18thcentury French world with an off-the-wall edge of surrealism and eclecticism”. The walls of the first section, which is dedicated to jewellery, boast wallpaper with constellations of silver and gold. The other section, dedicated wholly to home interiors, is home to trompe-l’oeil printed panels expressing the quintessence of a Parisian Haussmann apartment. In the heart of the store is a travertine block that illuminates the room, along with pink armchairs that evoke the emblematic pink flamingoes of 1950s Los Angeles. A few whimsical touches are astonishing – a giant rapper’s chain on the wall and, on the floor, a life-size sheep or an extra-large Christofle champagne bucket in the shape of a palm tree, a nod to the long boardwalk on Venice Beach. Such imagination and creativity makes this store one of a kind. www.christofle.com

Vietri, the largest US importer of fine Italian handcrafted dinnerware, flatware, glassware, linens, garden and decorative accessories, was featured in the Gallery on the 6th floor of the 59th Street Bloomingdale’s Store in Manhattan for two months over summer.

The Gallery is a space within Bloomingdale’s where brands can showcase their stories along with their products. Within the space, Vietri featured handcrafted products along with images of artisans and the Italian landscape. “We wanted to bring the spirit of Italy to life and to show the authentic craftsmanship behind our products,” says vice president of marketing and ecommerce, Linh Calhoun. “Our hope is that while spending time in the Gallery, people will be transported to Italy with the images and experience Vietri in a unique way.”

Trendspotting with… ACHICA Discover the latest homewares trends for Autumn/Winter 2015 with Liam Butler, brand director of ACHICA, an international online lifestyle store.

the consumer adopts this taupey pink neutral. The colour will be seen predominantly in paint and in linens, such as bedding and upholstery.

Plaster pink

Blue

There will definitely be more pink seen in Autumn/Winter but it will be a plaster pink – more brown with less blue, which will be used as a new neutral on which to layer more dominant colour. Grey in all its 50 shades will become passé as at the early adopter end of the market

Blue continues to be strong again replacing grey and used in a layered way. Dark navy, teal and aqua will continue to be prevalent in homewares adding a confident base to juxtapose lighter colours. In particular, there will be lots of mixing of darker blues with pale woods.

16 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Mixed metals Metals no longer need to be kept to one element. There will be copper mixed with brass or steel, aluminium mixed with painted metals or aged bronze across everything from tabletop patterns used in soft furnishings in soft autumnal colours. to lighting to occasional furniture.

‘70s vibe

Stone

Think vintage Emmanuelle films.

Rattan used indoors mixed with jewel coloured printed fabrics used in a layered way. Layered kilim rugs to cover wood floors and an explosion of

We are seeing the continuation of the trend for marble, quartz and granite being mixed with Perspex and metal used as bases for lighting as well as incorporated into coffee and side tables.

retail news

Lucideon offers retailers technical support

Dom Farfora on Christmas We talk to Elena Sokolova, chief buyer, Dom Farfora, a chain of 7 tableware stores across Moscow about the festive period When do you source for Christmas?

We start to prepare for Christmas and New Year in January of the previous year, so this January 2016, we will be preparing for Christmas 2016. The preparation process takes time – not just the selection of products, but also working out which new ones, which is why we travel to Maison & Objet in January and Ambiente in February to do this. We start to stock Christmas related product from September, to put them on shelves in Oct/Nov. What Christmas patterns do well?

We had a fantastic experience of collaboration with Lenox on their regular Christmas patterns, Holiday and Cardinal, the latter was especially successful because a red-breasted cardinal is reminiscent of a Russian red-breasted snegir, which is also a symbol of a long Russian winter.

This year we have created a special project with Lenox with pieces incorporating wording translated

in the Russian language we hope will do well. We are also very pleased about our collaboration with Spode (Portmeirion Group). Last year we launched their renowned pattern Christmas Tree, which we will have y great success with this year.

Any other new or exciting product inese tradition for for this year? Chinese an animal zodiacc of the year is very popular in Russia. This year for our clients nts we are preparing g a vast selection of products dedicated to thee key. We Year of the Monkey. try to rework thee Chinese symbols to makee it suitable he European for Russia and the aesthetic. We aree also preparing other exclusive products that will only be available at Dom Farfora. www.domfarfora.ru

Cardinal, Lenox Russian consumers relate to the red-breasted bird in Lenox’s Cardinal pattern making it particularly popular in the country

Christmas Tree, Spode Spode’s Christmas Tree collection, one of the world’s best-known holiday designs since its introduction in 1938

Richard Brendon

launches design exclusively for Harrods Richard Brendon is excited to launch Harlequin; designed exclusively for Harrods and their Magical Marionettes themed Christmas shop. The visual concept running through the Christmas shop is a bold harlequin pattern. By working with this concept Richard has created a striking saucer which when paired with his signature reflective teacup creates an ever-changing and enchanting pattern. www.richardbrendon.com

“

With nearly 70 years of ceramics expertise, leading international provider of materials development, testing and assurance, Lucideon surports a global network of ceramic and homeware retail Technology Partners through a comprehensive service that encompasses knowledge eexchange, expertise and support.

“We’re proud to count some oof the world’s largest retailers aas Lucideon Technology Partnners,” says manager, Caroline Mullington. “At Lucideon, we M uunderstand the importance of pproviding retailers with help and ssupport when they need it.”

So, what can Lucideon offer yyou as a retailer? Easy access tto a technical helpline, as well aas up-to-date commercial and market-related information from the Lucideon Information Centre.

“This is particularly useful in remaining abreast of industry developments, especially changes to legislation,” says Caroline. Lucideon also offer as part of the package, solutions for numerous challenges, such as customer complaints, supplier assessments and failure analysis.

The Lucideon Information Team frequently publish essential guides, such as the Worldwide Regulations and Standards Guide for the Safe Use of Ceramic and Glass Tableware in Contact and Food.

Find out more about Lucideon’s Technology Partner Packages, visit www.lucideon.com/partnership or contact caroline.mullington@lucideon.com

Consumers are increasingly looking for an omni-channel experience where they can choose where and how to browse and buy and so the Christmas opportunity in the UK lies in ensuring they are inspired in both the digital and physical space for both self-purchase and gift. These habits transcend specific markets so we apply the same approach across the board.

”

Hayley Baddiley, senior brand manager, Denby 18 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

products news

Faiencerie de Gien

Iittala

Spotlight on…

Fairytales & folklore Fairytales and folklore take centrestage with luxury porcelain brands reinterpreting traditional fairytales in a contemporary way or using folklore-esque creatures or motifs.

Renowned for its mythical Taika Collection, inspired by Finnish folklore, with its mythical forest and creatures, Iittala has this year launched new tableware range Tanssi (Dance) inspired by the mythical creatures in the Finnish National Opera production of The Cunning Little Vixen. Pieces feature the colourful inhabitants of the mystical forest.

Recently, Wedgwood collaborated with design director of Firmdale Hotels, Kit Kemp, in the

Wedgwood

creation of Mythical Creatures, bone china pieces with handpainted gold featuring characters and patterns with a folkloric feel. Finally, from French brand Faiencerie de Gien comes a new launch inspired by the Brothers’ Grimm tale The Town Musicians of Bremen. The Lucien Collection features an imaginary world combining characters, eras and situations, including zany characters like a gnome and a robot. Fun and with a sense of humour, the collection is extensive, including serving dishes and candy jars.

Mix it up Renowned for its contemporary, functional and fun ceramics, Hong Kong-based Loveramics introduces the new Weave Texture Bowls by award-winning tablewarew designer Simon Stevens.

Each bowl features different textures and colours – think eight shades split into two sets by its pantone – thereby offering unlimited mix and match possibilities. www.loveramics.com

“

My inspiration came from the most simple geometrical shape, the sphere. As I developed my idea, I was excited by the way spherical shapes play with light to make striking refractions Designer Roman Kvita on the Sphere range of glassware from Riedel Crystal 20 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

”

Travel goes upmarket with Vera Wang Wedgwood Wedgwood has introduced a range of stylish ceramic travel mugs from its iconic collaborator Vera Wang. These double-walled 12-ounce porcelain travel mugs are decorated in a variety of exclusive Vera Wang designs – Stripe, Check, Plaid, Leopard, Blossom and Floral. A reusable silicone lid allows great portability and a great gift box packaging makes it highly giftable.

Creative Tops launches contemporary Mikasa collection One of the UK’s leading tableware, kitchenware and home décor companies introduces a new collection from Mikasa, a brand that is prized for its modern, luxurious, trend-driven design. Cocoon is a comtemporary collection of monochrome – think dark greys, creams and soft browns – geometric shapes and deconstructed illustrations mixed with circle motifs and stripes, delivering a homely feel. Pieces include plates, bowls, serving dishes and cake stands. www.creative-tops.com Nikko

Twig New York

Fairmont & Main

Mug love

Popularity breeds extensions It’s no secret that a brand’s most popular patterns or collections will continually be expanded with new products, patterns and colourways. This Autumn, two brands have extended their most popular ranges. As a line extension to the successful Bodo Sperlain for Nikko Cloud Collection, Nikko has added a Cloud bread/Canape plate. This much-welcomed addition is a coupe-shaped fine bone china piece with a gradation of pigment intensifying towards its centre, this difficult 360-degree ombre technique adding dramatic colour. And boutique brand Twig New York has extended its popular and award-winning (Best of Show in the NY NOW Tabletop + Gourmet Housewares Best New Products Awards 2014) fine bone china Cutlery Collection to a 10-inch low pasta/salad bowl.

“

I fell in love with Scandinavian interiors a few years ago and after my recent trip to Stockholm, I decided to try out a more eces Scandinavian colour palette. The hero pieces are the large ceramic jars in retro shapes..

”

Designer Katie Alice for Creative Tops on n her Pretty Retro Collection, which includes des storage jars, pouring jugs, plates, espresso so cups, teapots and espresso makers.

Colourful artistic mugs take centrestage this month. Fairmont & Main’s (sales@ fairmont.co.uk) new mug range delivers bone china mugs in various shapes and vibrant designs, from wildlife sketches and comical quips, to retro designs and colourful animals. Additionally, there are stacking mug sets, each with a design motif on the hidden foot making them look impressive as individual mugs and when stacked.

Renowned for its colour, Jansen+co, now a division of Serax, takes us to the world’s most famous museums with its new My Art Mugs Collection. Each mug is inspired by the fantastic use of colours and nuances by modern and contemporary artists and, as such, each one bears the first name of a modern artist. www.jansenco.nl

Jansen+co

licensing news

Spotlight on…

Christopher Vine Designs A licensing and design house, Christopher Vine works with partners and licensees licensing designs for ceramics and tabletop, as well as paper products – cards, gift tags, bags.

And while Christopher Vine’s designs are well known in the US and the UK for its greetings card collections, in particular – currently its two biggest markets – its biggest category is that of tabletop.

“We’ve had incredible interest from Germany and Italy, in particular, for our new tableware collections,” says designer and owner, Christopher Vine.

“The Christopher Vine designs and style lend themselves seamlessly to ceramic and tabletop. I am passionate about dining and cuisine and I truly love the category.

“Ceramic is a lot like a canvas, its white composition providing exceptional contrast to our bold designs and colour palette,” says Christopher, highlighting how his designs take inspiration from global cultures and the world around him.

“Colour is very important, it sets the mood and evokes emotion. I want my collections to be aesthically pleasing with or without food, and to be used as decoration pieces as much as they are used to serve food,” he says.

The Chrstiopher Vine style is detailed, with an emphasis on sophistication and a focus on timelessness.

“I believe classic becomes timeless and we only use hints of trends to avoid the designs being seen for only one season. This can be seen throughout the collections, which use classic colouring and detail,” says Christopher. “I love the idea of mix and match and pattern clashing to create individuality and a personal touch.”

Christopher Vine’s latest collection Marigold (pictured) is intensely striking, featuring rich monochrome patterns contrasted by a copper lustre.

“Inspired by the exotic flavours of the East combined with the sophistication of European styling, it draws on the cats’ eye shape and classic patterns,” says Christopher.

As for forms, Christopher uses shapes that are modern and functional and that can be used for a variety of cuisines. “My designs are intended to be as much home fashion as they are functional. I combine styles from across the globe to reimagine classic dinner sets,” explains Christopher.

The current collections feature a small and large bowl, side and tapas plates and a jug and a mug, with plans to introduce a further large plate,

teapot and teacup and saucer.

“Depending on the market, we will add different pieces – for example, in Italy, a pasta bowl and espresso cup is vital,” he says.

Christopher Vine ceramic ranges are launching in 16 countries over the next 18 months – both the ranges currently in the marketplace in Australia and the new ranges.

“In Australia we are stocked in Myer and in David Jones, the two biggest departments stores in Australia. As our international launches roll out, we’ll add to this stable of stores,” says Christopher.

One roll out currently underway is that of the UK market. With HAG Australia having recently acquired the distribution rights for Christopher Vine Designs, Valerie Graham Ltd. has been appointed as distributor to the brand for the UK and Eire, with the renowned Maxwell & Williams tabletop brand manufacturing the collections.

Michael Stein, managing director of Valerie Graham Ltd., says: “With its bright colours and patterns and fantastic modern shapes, Christopher Vine gives our customers a different look of product that isn’t available within

Inspired by… Soho Designed by fashion designer Elie Tahari for Lifetime Brands, the bone china Prince Street range takes its inspiration from one of Elie’s favourite places, Soho, where his flagship store is located. The textured geometric design references the mesh fabric used in the SoHo coat from Elie Tahari’s 40th anniversary collection. www.lifetimebrands.com 22 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

the Maxwell & Williams brand.

“So far, it has been a huge success with more than 100 doors opened in just four weeks and sale through is exceptionally strong,” says Michael.

In addition to expanding the Christopher Vine tabletop/ceramic category globally, the brand is also aiming to add other licensees.

“Licensing can be incredibly powerful – much like specialisation it allows for each party to perform their speciality function. It’s the perfect model for us as we know that every function, from concept to store shelf, is performed to a world-class standard,” explains Christopher.

They are also expanding into other product groups. “Our designs lend themselves to so many categories. I’ve always had a keen eye on the textile industry as it’s so diverse. We have recently signed a licensing deal for home textiles with Australian company IDC. “Paper product is our next target as it’s a natural progression from greetings cards, while glass is also an area we want to explore,” concludes Christopher.

Royal Selangor and Walt Disney join forces Malaysian luxury pewter specialist, Royal Selangor, has announced its collaboration with The Walt Disney Company to develop a Star Wars pewter commemoration collection. The first line-up was launched in the UK at Autumn Fair in September and includes limited edition figurines, as well as collectables like tumblers, tankards and cuff links. “Stars Wars has made a huge cultural impact on at least two generations of moviegoers. It is an honour to be working with Disney to immortalise the characters from this incredible franchise,” says Yong Yoon Li, executive director of Royal Selangor International. Royal Selangor has also received the rights to distribute the Star Wars collection internationally, including the UK, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and China. www.royalselangor.com

“

We’re delighted to have won the Best Licensed Home Décor, Tableware or Housewares Range at The Licensing Awards 2015. This award is testament to our commitment to developing and creating tableware that is at the forefront of both fashion and design. The Ted Baker Portmeirion range has not only been recognised and appraised by the industry, but most importantly, it has been a huge success with our customers.

”

Phil Atherton, group sales and marketing director at Portmeirion Group, on the Ted Baker Portmeirion brand winnning at The Licensing Awards 2015 with its stunning 41-piece vintage floral bone fine china dinnerware collection, Rosie Lee (pictured).

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TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 23

Hermitage Collection

Profile Robbe & Berking

Robbe & Berking

Setting the gold standard in silver With 141 years under its luxury silver belt, German silver cutlery producer Robbe & Berking continues to take centrestage in silverware with its high quality product and luxury partners

R

obbe & Berking is a 141-year-old silver manufactory based in Germany.

Still family-run today, it is led by Oliver Berking, head of the fifth generation of the family, who is now running the silversmithing company founded by his great-greatgrandfather in Flensburg in 1874.

The largest producers of silver cutlery worldwide, the quality, form and decoration of each item produced at the Robbe & Berking manufactory is still determined solely by the hand of the silversmith – think gentle hand grinding in order to produce finely crafted handle edges and hand polishing in order to achieve the shine – a long way removed from any automated production.

Robert Berking summed things up as early as the ‘70s: “If we confine the qualities of craftsmanship to the limited possibilities of mass production then the loss of form will be enormous.

Alongside the reduction in quality, important skills are disappearing. This must not be our world.”

Such a philosophy, alongside the founder’s motto, “Others may make it cheaper but none may be better”, has continued to reign manufacturing supreme down the family line, so that Robbe & Berking continues to produce products that are known

by connoisseurs all over the world as the hallmark for uncompromising and unsurpassed quality in the art of silversmithing, in combination with German craftsmanship.

And many much-coveted awards confirm the status of Robbe & Berking products, while numerous major museums exhibit this silver as outstanding examples of tabletop beauty and excellence.

Not only does Robbe & Berking supply its luxury silver cutlery to traditional yet luxury retail outlets, like Thomas Goode in London or Michael C. Fina in New York, it also counts the world’s top hotels, from The Dorchester in London and The Ritz-Carlton Berlin, to the Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai and The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, among its many prestigious clients.

Furthermore, at least 146 Michelin stars distinguish the manufacturer’s restaurant customers, and its silver lays the tables of the world’s top restaurants, from MOMA’s restaurant, The Modern, to the Schloss Restaurant at the luxury Schloss Fuschl Resort & Spa in Salzburg.

But that’s not all for Robbe & Berking’s luxury clientele. The German brand, which is a member of Relais & Chateaux, an exclusive association of some 500 luxury hotels and restaurants, also supplies to interior design offices,

governments, embassies, luxury companies and palaces, from Cartier and Chopard, to Deutsche Bank, Porsche and DaimlerChrysler AG, as well as being found in the embassies of The Netherlands, South Africa, China, Sweden and Qatar, among others.

Its luxury silverware can further be found in the private palaces of the King of Malaysia, in the Kremlin in Moscow, in the palace of the Sultan of Brunei and the Paris palace of the Aga Khan, to name just a few.

And it can be found on board cruise lines and yachts, from Sunseeker Yachts to MS Europa, as well as outfitting the tables of private jets and yachts… it supplies more than half of the world’s 200 largest private yachts with silver cutlery.

And last year, a year that marked the 140th anniversary of the brand, Robbe & Berking partnered with BMW once more – previously, it had partnered with the car brand in yacht sports – engineering the BMW Individual 760 Li Sterling inspired by Robbe & Berking.

The result is a car that combines the shared focus of both brands in aesthetics, luxury and elegance, delivering supreme craftsmanship and a product that screams discreett luxury and exclusivity, qualities espoused by both partners.

The sophisticated leatherworking of the BMW join the exquisitely hammered Martele silver surfaces by Robbe & Berking, suffusing the interior with warmth.

“Silver has a uniquely warm glow that instantly tells the connoisseur it is silver and not chrome or polished aluminium,” says Oliver Berking.

The hallmark BMW exterior characteristics are further finished in silver – the kidney grille, the side trim element signaling the powerful V12 engine and, at the rear, the trim strip, model designation and tailpipe embellisher, are all finished in characteristic Robbe & Berking solid silver plating. Even the BMW logos on the bonnet and boot lid boast solid 925 sterling silver.

This BMW partnership, along with the brand’s anniversary cutlery pattern Hermitage, resulted in a successful 140th year of sales for the brand.

While this year, a Sterling Grand Piano inspired by Robbe & Berking, a cooperation between the Carl Bechstein piano factory and Robbe & Berking, as well as an elegantly curved grand pair of candelabras, Grande Composition, took the German brand’ss innovative expertise in silver brand to the next level.

Watch this space for what comes next.

Dinner For Two For the first time, Robbe & Berking has designed a cutlery set for two persons. Aimed at Millennial couples and small households, Dinner For Two is a five-piece e-piece set delivered in two variations: a 925 Sterling Silver version and a 60 Microns silvererplated version. It is on promotion leading up to Christmas. www.robbeandberking.dee 24 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Allure new vibe of modern beauty

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trends products

TRURO Michael Wainwright Continuing his affinity for texture in both design and decoration and delivering his signature 24k gold and platinum handpainted decoration, Michael Wainwright has extended his Truro and Tempio Luna lines with complementary giftware. In addition to two new frame collections, there are a trio of bud vases, a square and rectangular barware tray and, with the introduction of wood as a new material, the Truro wood cheese tray. Pictured are the new textured goldrimmed Truro nut bowls.

DOMENICO VACCA Prouna / Kiyasa Group The Kiyasa Group, the boutique design, distribution and sourcing company, which distributes Prouna in the US, among others, has partnered with Italian fashion designer, Domenico Vacca, to launch a line of luxurious tableware and giftware. Inspired by Domenico’s iconic alligator Julie bag, the pattern features an embossed alligator print on fine bone and bone china in various interpretations, including in white and handpainted 24k gold, which will be used in the DV Cafe and DV Club and featured in long-term residences.

www.kiyasa.com

www.michaelwainwright.com

TREND: All that glitters… … is not necessarily gold. In the lead-up to the festive season, metallics are rocking the tabletop. From copper to gold to platinum, we highlight the glitziest of them all FULL GOLD Porcel With the aim of adding special tabletop complements to Porcel’s current collections and creating a statement setting, the fine dining brand has launched Full Gold and Full Platinum, sets of five pieces covered in precious metals. The Full Gold complements, which offer a vibrant shiny golden surface, include coasters, candle/egg cups, a tray and two different types of bowls. Each piece can be used either as a complement for Porcel dinner sets by mixing and matching, with its new Saturn Colleciton, for example, or it can shine with decorative purpose.

www.porcel.pt SPANGLES Nikko At the recently held NY NOW show, luxury tableware brand Nikko launched two new collections, which showcased not just its luxury through its high quality 50 per cent bone ash bone china, but its innovation via a brand new technique. Applying embossed transparent droplets on bone china, Nikko was able to achieve an effect with Spangles that is tactile and visually appealing appealing. Spangles looks like it sparkles.

www.nikkoceramics.com 26 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

NEW!

INTERMEZZO AIR

Design: Erika Lagerbielke

The Orrefors Intermezzo range of glasses, with its blue drop, is celebrating thirty years anniversary.

We are celebrating this 30th anniversary with Intermezzo Air, a new glass series featuring a platinumgilded base and a translucent drop in tribute to the clarity of the crystal glass. Intermezzo Air is mouth-blown and hand-painted at the Kosta Glassworks in Sweden.

www.orrefors.com

Trends Column

Tableware Trend Analyst Donna Ferrari

Donna Ferrari has worked in magazine publishing for over thirty years. As a consumer magazine editor she specialised in the tableware, homeware and bridal markets, and styled and produced stories related to bridal gift registry, wedding reception design and at-home entertaining. Personally, she has eleven different sets of dinnerware and closets dedicated just to tabletop accessories; she says she loves not ever having to set her table the same way twice.

Themes from nature A potpourri of new dinnerware featuring freshly arranged botanicals, deconstructed flowers, roses by the dozens, bits of woodland wisps and a plenitude of birds and bugs are flourishing Floral hybrids

Robert Haviland & C. Parlon

Arzberg

Royal Limoges

Floral hybrids

Mikasa 28 TABLEWARE 28 TA TAB T ABLEW AB L LE AR ARE A RE R E IN IINTERNATIONAL NTER TER TE RN NAT NA AT A TIIO ONA ON AL L

Faïencerie de Gien

More than a bunch of the flowery patterns arriving at market are crossing traditional flower imagery with atypical floral design elements; the result — design hybrids that give new direction to one of tabletop’s perennially loved genres. Woodland Floral, a porcelain pattern from Kim Parker for Gourmet Basics by Mikasa delivers flowers and leaves with a charming retro sensibility, but their ad hoc deconstruction updates them into an unfussy floral arrangement. At Arzberg, as a study in between pattern and shape, harmony betw brings fresh focus to the Serena design de longstanding Profi body. the brand’s lo outline of each petal of the The white o décor, a sstylised geometric floral, echoes the distinctive white perimeter that outlines the perim Profi shape. Inspiration for the Serena concept traces to the Seren outlined images in stained out glass windows. Other gla understated yet impactful un use of outlines can be seen us on Bernardaud’s Rêve Limoges porcelain where Lim branches with white blossoms branc simply outlined in silhouette are simp against a b backdrop of small gold dots, and on Medard de Noblat’s Ombelles Limoges porcelain where Lim sprigs of wild plants and grasses are presented as line drawings. Isabelle Barthel’s B th l’ creation, Jardin de Louise, a Limoges porcelain pattern for Robert Haviland & C. Parlon, represents verdant stems topped with leaves; touches of gold stand in for speckles of sunlight. Underlying the green and turquoise colours, hints of grey are used to show the backstory of the designer’s first pencil sketch for the pattern.

Faïencerie de Gien’s Allure collection, a project created with ceramic artist

Olivier Gagnère, intends to tell Gien’s storied history in a new way: the message, a brand with continuity and relevant designs; the method of telling it, Gagnère couples Gien’s past designs featuring hallmarks, heraldry and its classic Tulipes Noires pattern with bold graphic elements delivering a contemporary vibe. Remastering old designs into new ones has arrived as a major direction in designing tableware.

Royal Limoges’s Paradis pattern has been in production since the Belle Époque era, but the brand is not resting on its laurels. The exuberant Paradis décor previously decorating a round body has been reincarnated onto the Nymphea body — which is full-blown like a flower. Voila, the new Nymphea Paradis pattern ready for its run until at least the next fin de siècle.

Coming up roses As Millennials enthuse about retro styles it is unsurprising that the rose, the quintessential romantic flower, adorns so many new collections. Plucked from archives and then tweaked, or cultivated as artistic specimens, here are some rose patterns in the tabletop limelight. Villeroy & Boch’s Rose Cottage premium porcelain with its fusion of an heirloom botanical rose image and a stylised floral print embodies both Juliska homespun appliqué work and the edgy fashion trend for “mish-mashing” prints. Royal Albert’s Cheeky Pink fine bone china gives old-fashioned roses a modern makeover by adding a top note of playful polka dots; and although lighthearted, the pattern offers a pleasing soupçon

Kate Spade New York Villeroy & Boch

Twig New York

Coming up roses

Birdwatching

Ted Baker Portmeirion

Richard Ginori 1735 Royal Albert

of formality. Kate Spade New York’s Rose Park bone china by Lenox has the panache of easy-breezy chic recalling the nonchalant glamorous illustration styles of the Sixties. Q Squared NY’s Cambridge Rose Cobalt tableware takes its looks from traditional English blue and white china rose patterns of the past and its durability from being made of 100 per cent melamine.

Whilst the six heirloom roses shown on Portmeirion’s new earthenware Botanic Roses range stay true to a botanist’s point of view, Ted Baker Portmeirion willingly takes a modish turn with the Rosie Lee range. Rosie Lee – cockney slang for tea – features a design Ted Baker used in his 2015 apparel line, and which he described as having “vintage-inspired flair”. The fine bone china range includes niceties like a domed butter pat dish.

Naturalistic impressions Several collections represent nature’s charms as naturally as possible.

Juliska’s Forest Walk stoneware is bestrewn with renderings of the twigs, leaves, feathers, mushrooms and other things collected on a forest walk the designer took with her family.

Dibbern’s Golden Timber bone china pattern, designed by Bodo Sperlein, is decorated with concentric rings like those in the

Vietri

Naturalistic impressions

cross section of a tree trunk, however, these tree rings are created with 24k gold. Vietri’s elegant Bellezza Bloom White Daisy collection, modelled after designs by artisan Stefano Roselli, is made from terracotta which in Italian literally means ‘baked earth’. Iittala engaged illustrator Lotta Olsson to design the Varpu pattern for its Sarjaton porcelain line. Nature and fantasy connect in the sylvan – fairyland scale – motifs depicting aspects of an Arctic woodland.

Birdwatching Beautiful bird designs continue to flock to tableware. Two of the newest birdcentric patterns are very fine feathered indeed: Porcelaines Raynaud and Fromental – a specialist brand in couture wall coverings and fabrics – collaborated to create their Paradis pattern of Limoges porcelain decorated with luxuriant and dreamlike images of nature, characteristic of those seen in 18th-century chinoiserie furnishings. The rich but subtle colours of the bird’s plumage, and the foliage and flowers are offered on either a light turquoise or white background. At Richard Ginori 1735 Volière, designed in company with Atelier Sandro Barros, also makes for a splendid aviary-esque porcelain dinnerware set. The collection presents twelve different birds wreathed by gold bands and plants and perched on festoons identifying their species. More informally, at Twig New York the Blue Bird fine bone china pattern designed by

Molly Hatch is clearly in step with the pop culture taste for new designs reminiscent of vintage styles.

Bugs to behold The reboot of interest in the natural ral world has consumers welcoming bugs and insects into their homes – well, ell, at least in as much as these masterpieces of nature look great visualised on tableware.

At Herend four different life-like dragonflies are meticulously hand d painted on the brand’s porcelain Dragonfly dessert set. From Vista Alegre, the porcelain Caribe collection, designed with the Christian Lacroix brand, is decorated with fantastical elements, in particular a technicolour array of insects that whirl around the gearshaped dinner plate. The eponymous designer of Lou Rota London shows her penchant for creating products like the Scarab Beetle fine bone china pattern that speak to the nascent but fast-growing trend for idiosyncratic, offbeat and surreal designs for tableware. e.

Lastly, as the story goes, ladybugs gs bring good luck, one of the reasons ons they are universally cherished.

Prouna holds them dear too: on n their My Ladybug fine bone china na pattern ladybugs y g are spotted p using Swarovski crystals.

Porcelaines Raynaud

Vista Alegre

Bugs to behold

Herend TABLEWARE TAB T TA ABL LE LEW EWA EW ARE AR RE R E IIN INTERNATIONAL NT N TERN R A RN ATIO ONA N L 29 2

Lou Rota London Iittala

“

Today, even though the industry has evolved and there are far fewer distribution channels, that same energetic positivity reigns supreme, especially during the shows

Expert Column

Meet Isabelle von Boch An eighth generation member of the Villeroy & Boch family, Isabelle grew up on a farm in Germany near the French border. Isabelle inherited her family’s passion for dinnerware and is an ardent advocate for using your good china every day. Today, Isabelle lives in California and is a spokesperson for the company her ancestors founded and enjoys sharing her knowledge about the latest trends in dinnerware as the editor of the Villeroy & Boch On The Table blog and through her Fashion of Tableware tour.

”

www.villeroyandboch-blog.com

Isabelle von Boch In her second column for TI, tableware expert Isabelle von Boch delivers her nostalgic musings on the home of tabletop, Forty One Madison, as it celebrates 41 years of tableware

F

or Villeroy & Boch, Forty One Madison – the destination for tabletop in North America and home of the bi-annaul New York Tabletop Show – is much more than just a building.

It is a staple in Villeroy & Boch’s presence in the United States.

As a European company, Villeroy & Boch has its American roots in this building. When we came to the US back in 1976, Forty One Madison was our very first home. We have been in the building for 39 years so the building itself is a huge and important part of our brand’s history.

And it is a long history that we have: 267 years to be exact. I carry with me the heritage and stories of Villeroy & Boch’s humble beginnings back in the quaint European village of Lorraine, France.

So today, when I stand in our 7,450-sq-ft showroom at Forty One Madison, overlooking the bustling metropolis of New York City, I feel an overwhelming joy and sense of accomplishment – knowing just how far we’ve come.

This showroom we inhabit on the 18th floor of Forty One Madison in 30 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

New York is a reminder of our roots and tradition, but also of the quality and innovation that has made us thrive for so long and helped us become so successful globally.

For me personally, the building holds some wonderful memories.

There has always been such an amazing buzz running throughout the building.

Years ago, in the age of seemingly endless distribution channels, there were always energetic buyers coming and going, all excited to see the novelties and enthusiastic about what would be coming next.

Today, even though the industry has evolved and there are far fewer distribution channels, that same energetic positivity reigns supreme, especially during industry shows.

But Forty One Madison serves much more than merely me or the brand – it is an imperative institution for the entire tableware industry.

Those of us who make a home in the lovely building are the leaders, the innovators and the creators of the wonderful world of tabletop fashion.

So, it is quite fitting that we have all assembled our showrooms within the epicenter of the fashion world; there

is simply no better place than New York City for fashion forwardness.

Consequently, this offers an unparalleled convenience to each brand’s retail customers and sales representatives as they always know where to go to find the latest trends and the best products.

It is also a beautiful place for us – and others – to host press appointments, an essential part of business as this is how we are genuinely connected to our customers. It is especially wonderful during the famed Tabletop Show, which occurs twice a year in April and October.

But it is more than just a business: this building serves as a space where we can all be inspired by the innovations and novelty patterns that our industry develops year after year after year.

Forty One Madison is truly the premier one-stop establishment for the entire tableware and gifting industry, and it has been this way for as long as I can remember.

In fact, everyone who has come and gone from this building, from the ‘70s until now, has formed a welcoming, tight-knit family.

People come and go, they change roles, they switch companies, but it seems that the magnificence of the tabletop fashion industry is too alluring to all of us within the Forty One Madison family.

So, over the years we are greeted with the same friendly faces – some that we have known for many years.

Esther Perman, for example, is a very dear friend who I first met in the ‘80s when she did PR work for Villeroy & Boch. Today, I still see her during every Tabletop Show, where we are able to catch up over lunch, as she still works in the industry (now doing PR for Forty One Madison!). It is so wonderful to continually run into old friends.

Full of the best in tabletop fashion, tradition and many warm memories, you can see why Forty One Madison Avenue is a very special place, not only to myself and to Villeroy & Boch, but also to the entire industry.

Happy 41st Birthday Forty One Madison. See you in October!

Villeroy & Boch will be previewing its new collections on the 18th floor of Forty One Madison during the Tabletop Show, October 13-16, 2015.

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Profile Vista Alegre

Vista Alegre

Coralina, Oscar de la Renta

Creativity in collaboration

Caribe, Christian Lacroix, nominated for German Design Award 2016

Successfull combining Successfully bi i traditional di i l handcrafted h d f d mastery with i h contemporary cutting-edge design, Vista Alegre continues to make its global presence and cutting felt with artistic collaborations that are winning awards art

P

Orquestra, David Raffoul & Nicolas Moussallem, winner of the Red Dot Design Award 2015

42 TABLEW TABLEWARE WAR ARE INTER INTERNATIONAL RNAT AT TIION IO ONA ON AL L

ortuguese porcelain brand Vista Alegre is not just renowned for being a worldwide leader in fine porcelain and crystal tableware and giftware, but also for its prestigious collaborations w with internationally renowned artist artists, architects, designers and illustrators.

The brand, w which boasts a 200-year-old he heritage and today invests strongly in internationalism – distributing its products in more than 60 coun countries – successfully traditional handcrafting fuses tradi with des design that pushes the innova innovation boundaries, the latter thanks to its many artis artistic collaborations.

This focus on such art artistic collaborations at attributes a distinct u universal language to it its creations and in V Vista Alegre’s ongoing ssearch for innovation aand international

appeal, it regularly collaborates with creatives from all over the world, more recently with fashion designers.

In 2012, Vista Alegre created a co-branding partnership with haute fashion house Christian Lacroix. This union of two worldwide reference insignias has since delivered exclusive collections of tableware, giftware and home décor products that convey a challenging reinterpretation of these two wealthy aesthetic heritages.

“This partnership combines Vista Alegre’s know-how in the porcelain and crystal industry with the boldness of the Christian Lacroix brand’s creativity. It has brought a dash of irreverence and a daring approach, reinforcing the contemporary side of Vista Alegre,” says Nuno Barra, marketing & external design director.

The partnership has given birth to seven collaborative collections, including Butterfly Parade, Forum, Sol y Sombra, Picassiette, Paseo, Love Who You Want and Caribe, all of which are luxurious and bold, a blend of the iconic elements of both brands.

The latest collaborative launch, Caribe, is an award-winning porcelain

collection featuring Lacroix’s signature bold designs. This time, the décor evokes a tropical exuberance, with flowers, feathers, ferns and fireflies posing like a baroque herbarium over a white porcelain set with cutouts and friezes evoking the English embroidery on the pristine petticoats worn by the beautiful women from Salvador da Bahia.

Hot on the heels of such a haute couture partnership, this year Vista Alegre announced a brand new cobranding partnership with the late Oscar de la Renta, which in turn has given birth to a tableware collection.

“Oscar de la Renta and Vista Alegre have been collaborating in different areas and we felt the time was right to launch a strong and beautiful collection with a prestigious American brand,” says Nuno.

Inspired by a gown created for the September 2006 issue of Vogue magazine, the Coralina collection, which consists of a full range of dinnerware, including serving platters, bowls and coffee and tea accessories, features various floral motifs decorated with a palette that

Lavish, nominated for German Design Award 2016

Art Deco

Art Deco Collection

x,

For 2015, Vista Alegre looked to the Art Deco era of the ‘20s 20s and ‘30s, 30s, from Modernism to Art Nouveau, for inspiration. The Vista Alegre Art Deco Collection consists of 21 collections ons including tableware, home decor and giftware, delivering originall and contemporary designs in porcelain, crystal and glass. From a luxury uxury crystal whisky decanter to a complete porcelain dinner service, e, these pieces pay homage to the Art Deco spirit. Emerald is a luxury uxury porcelain dinnerware collection featuring original nal Vista Alegre pieces from the 1930s and is richly decorated ecorated in an Art Deco-inspired geometric design with matte gold and dark greens. Consisting of a bowl and vase, Odeon combines a black marble base with a bright crystal stal body in an original geometric design. Finally, the Lavish line of porcelain decorative objects features atures a variety of different surface treatments, s, with white reliefs and colour decals, delivering a glamorous contrast of matte and shine. Both Odeon eon and Lavish received nominations for the German Design Award 2016. embodies both warm and vibrant colours and reflects Oscar de la Renta’s unwavering passion for colour, a signature element in all his creations.

“Vista Alegre has taken our vision and brought it to life with its outstanding craftsmanship and dedication to superior design,” says Carolina Irving, Home Creative Director for Oscar de la Renta, about the new collection.

For Vista Alegre, the partnership “allows Vista Alegre to continue to develop fresh, new product innovations with distinctive styles in the tabletop industry”, says Nuno.

Like the Christian Lacroix partnership, such associations with haute couture brands offers Vista Alegre a much better recognition in the top-end markets.

“Through international partnerships, like the one with Christian Lacroix and Oscar de la Renta, Vista Alegre has been able to strengthen its global positioning by conquering new markets and extending its international sales network,” says Nuno.

But it’s not just globally renowned and cutting-edge fashion designers that Vista Alegre has formed partnerships with; the brand has a long and rich history of artistic collaboration projects with renowned global designers, plastic artists, architects and illustrators, such as Sam Baron, Carsten Gollnick, Marcel Wanders, Ross Lovegrove, Brunno Jahara, Bartek Mejor, Karim Rashid, Joana Vasconcelos and Patrick Norguet, among many others.

Odeon, nominated for German Design Award 2016

Diva

And many of these artist and designer collaborations have been so cutting edge and innovative in design that they have received numerous design awards. The latest collaboration from Vista Alegre and Christian Lacroix Caribe has just been nominated for the German Design Award, one of the most internationally prestigious within the design sector.

But it’s not the only one.

A further eight pieces and collections from Vista Alegre recently secured the German Design Award Nominee 2016 status, including Lavish and Odeon, part of the brand’s 2015 Art Deco Collection.

“The nomination of nine pieces/ collections is a victory for Vista Alegre, as it proves the dynamics of Vista Alegre in recent years. The brand

is internationally recognised for its ability to present new products every year which incorporate the best contemporary design,” says Nuno.

Vista Alegre’s focus on brand innovation, design and art through its collaborations has recently been rewarded with other global awards.

The Orquestra collection, a collaboration with designers David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem, that combines different geometric line patterns, and the Plisse collection, secured the Red Dot Design Award 2015, the most desired award in the industry; while Orquestra further picked up the prestigious Wallpaper Design Award 2015, bringing Vista Alegre’s award count this year to 12. www.vistaalegre.com

Calling all creatives... In order to project the brand among young creatives and contribute to the brand’s continued internationalisation, Vista Alegre runs a creative programme IDPool. The programme is designed to capture the most innovative ideas for the design of future Vista Alegre products. It acts as an artistic laboratory where the exchange of ideas and experiences among Vista Alegre’s trainees and professionals is encouraged, resulting in the creation of cutting-edge product. Visit www.vistaalegre.com/idpool/ TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 33

Retail

Column

Barry Seaman

Plate Tableware

Visual merchandising matters

Plate Tableware opened 10 years ago in Fulham, London, and stocks a contemporary range of tabletop, cookware, accessories and giftware for those with a passion for cooking and entertaining at home. Owner, Barry Seaman, sees dining as a great artistic opportunity and selects products from British and European brands for their quality, design and functionality. www.platetableware.co.uk

This issue, British independent tableware retailer Barry Seaman explains why effective visual merchandising can help increase your profits

C

reating a successful shop, even in an affluent area like Fulham, is not always easy. Like most of my fellow retailers I have to work hard to get people through the door and parting with their hard-earned cash.

There are numerous ways we go about achieving this.

One key factor is the employment of powerful visual merchandising, through both our window displays and through the arrangement of our shop interiors.

Effective visual merchandising highlights your unique personality as a retailer and will help develop, deliver and communicate your store’s concepts, product knowledge and sophistication to the consumer.

Your displays should speak to your customers and let them know that you have edited your collections especially for them, and that you have the best range of products that they will find in the area.

Shop windows not only bring glamour, art, theatre and fun to any shopping street but they are also a 24-hour expression of your store’s image, brand and inspiration, even when you are not there.

A well-designed window is your billboard to the world. It attracts, draws in and entices, and often determines if a customer enters in or not. Ultimately, your windows can 34 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

boost sales and can either help to make or break your business.

When people walk by your shop it is likely they will be doing something – talking to a friend, looking at their phone or walking the dog. Your aim, as they pass by is to force them, ‘to engage’ , ‘to stop’ , ‘to look back’, ‘to walk into your shop’.

Ideas and inspiration for window displays are infinite. They usually begin and evolve from a theme, topic or a product. In my shop that might be related to new product arrivals, a colour palette or a particular aspect of dining – serving cheese, presenting oriental food, baking for a tea party.

Times of the year, seasons and key events also offer opportunities – not just the obvious annuals (Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Halloween) but special events like the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games – I am currently planning a tea party display to promote the 150-year anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

We also acknowledge local events, such as Chelsea Flower Show and Wimbledon tennis and see current affairs like the Rugby World Cup as a valuable source.

Cookery shows like Nigella Lawson’s Nigellissima series inspired our Italian window a few years ago.

Tradeshows are great places to pick up theme ideas and ways of displaying products. My advice is to plan your

windows and decide on themes in advance and produce a calendar at the start of the year incorporating all your initial thoughts and time scales.

This can be ongoing and added to as you think of new ideas. I try and change my window every one to two months. The more you change, the more customers will return.

There are a few key tips to keep in mind when creating your window displays. Firstly, it’s important to tell a story. Valentine’s Day should not just be a random collection of red items – extend the idea to ‘Broken Hearts’ or ‘Cupid’. Christmas could be based on ‘The Nutcracker’ or an ‘Alpine Shelter’.

Surprise your customers and avoid the predictable.

Think in visual planes when placing products. Key pieces or your focal point should always be at eye level from the street, but not necessarily central. Build up your display from the floor and down from the ceiling, using bold shapes and bold colours.

Keep it clean and simple and avoid clutter. Balance is the key – less products is a better quality product.

Items on show in the window should be placed as near to the door as possible on the inside. Finally, use effective lighting to help your window stand out with spotlights left on after closing.

The interior shop display and environment is an equally important element of successful retailing.

We need to create a space where customers want to be and want to return to. As retailers of tableware it is essential that we become purveyors of a lifestyle rather than simply products. It’s important to create stories inside the store as well as in the window.

I often create central table settings or ‘tablescapes’, to hopefully boost sales, where products can be combined together to offer inspiration in order that customers see the overall impact of matching plates with cutlery and with glassware, tablemats etc. Shelve space can be used for similar, smaller arrangements.

In order to inform customers I often produce and place written cards around the shop to offer the back story about the origin and production of the items and details about the designers. Labels can easily highlight bestsellers and offer price comparisons.

Window displays and interior layouts do not have to be a chore and you don’t have to be arty, crafty, a designer, or particularly creative to produce them. You just need to be organised and follow some simple principals.

In time, your windows and shop environments will become well known and stand out as beacons of visual stimulation.

Retail

Ambiance & Styles

Eric Holzinger

“We are driven by innovation and contemporary design” Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year French tableware retail chain Ambiance & Styles now boasts some 100 stores across France and has a turnover of 60 million. We speak to Eric Holzinger, CEO of the leading cooperative retail group in Europe, EK France, which owns the tableware stores, to find out the secrets of its success

R

enowned for being the brand leader in the tableware sector in France, Ambiance & Styles is a retail chain of 100 stores located throughout France, presenting product from three main sectors – tabletop, kitchenware and decorative.

While the current format of Ambiance & Styles was launched as a franchise in 1995, the history of the tableware retail brand dates back to 1930 and the creation of the Paris Ceramics Alliance retailer cooperative, whose main role at the time was to unite retailers of tableware in a way 36 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

that allowed for the centralisation of payments to suppliers.

With 120 members by 1982, the Ceramics Alliance cooperative created multi-brand stores, Ambiance & Styles, for the joint marketing of its retailers – these stores grew to 60 by 1989, and upon closure of the Ceramics Alliance cooperative, the 60 stores joined the EK cooperative, which already had more than 2,000 stores in Germany.

This led to the formation of EK France, and in 1992 under new management, Ambiance & Styles was reinvented into a concept store, with the focus widening from just

tableware into kitchenware and decorative items.

“EK France launched the Ambiance & Styles retail brand with the first store opening in 1995 with an independent retailer based in Cherbourg, Normandy,” says Eric Holzinger, CEO of EK France.

So successful was the implementation of this new concept store that the first one in Cherbourg was up 38 per cent in its first year.

Since then the retail network keeps growing and evolving (in 2008, it created a new more feminine and contemporary identity for its store facades) and today it represents

100 shops all over France and New Caledonia, with stores found in city centres and on city outskirts throughout France, ranging in size from 200m-sq to 500m-sq.

Diversification works And while the market has been tough of late, performance across the 100 stores is stable.

“The decoration and tableware market has been declining for the past two years, but it has provided an opportunity for well-performing concept stores to then increase their market share,” says Eric of the 100 Ambiance & Styles outlets.

“

The decoration and tableware market has been declining for the past two years, but it has provided an opportunity for well-performing concepts to then increase their market share

So, what exactly has made Ambiance & Styles remain so stable in such a tough market?

Creating a concept store with complementary categories to tableware such as kitchenware and decorative items was key, explains Eric, highlighting how kitchenware now represents almost 40 per cent of the turnover of an average Ambiance & Styles store and decoration 20 per cent, with tableware making up the remaining 40 per cent.

“Diversification and the move from one market to another is very important when levels of consumption is generally low,” says Eric, further highlighting how the DIY and healthy food cooking trends have also helped sales.

Innovation in product Its curation of brands is also part of making it so successful across France.

Its medium to high-end positioning offers an inspiring multi-brand mix, from Villeroy & Boch and ASA Selection to Guy Degrenne and Leonardo, across the three categories, covering product

sectors such as textiles, glassware, cutlery, preservation, storage prep and appliances, as well as dedicated sections in Children’s Tableware, Pastry, and Breakfast, all of which are popular categories in France.

In terms of tableware curation, brands and product with high levels of innovation are prioritised.

“Innovation may come from the technical features,” says Eric, highlighting the Chef & Sommelier brand from Arc International, which recently launched a new material for glassware, Qwartz.

“Innovation may also come from a design or shape; and in porcelain and glass products, especially, we look for this,” says Eric, highlighting the retail chain’s bestsellers: Guy Degrenne and Villeroy & Boch in dinnerware; Chef & Sommelier and Leonardo in glassware; and Couzon, Bugatti and Guy Degrenne in flatware.

“We also work on events within the shop to show customers how to use products,” says Eric.

As a cooperative organisation the sourcing of new brands and products

is a joint responsibility involving both independent retailers from the retail network and product managers from the central organisation and, together, they attend tradeshows all over the world, from Maison & Objet, Paris, to Ambiente in Frankfurt and The International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago.

“The aim with the shows is to identify both new products and new suppliers that we can distribute in the following months.

“We organise small teams according to product type; these gather their information at the end in order to select the right products,” says Eric, highlighting how all 100 Ambiance & Styles stores showcase 80 per cent of the same product.

Due to the fact that Ambiance & Styles advertise their own selection/ curation of products in magazine-style catalogues for their customers, they need to select and buy product with a minimum of six months in advance.

“Our selection process is mainly driven by innovation and contemporary design,” says Eric.

”

“The Made in France concept, however, is also a fast-growing trend and one we are paying attention to more and more,” he adds, pointing to Guy Degrenne, Medard de Noblat and Cristel as French brands on offer at Ambiance & Styles.

What sells well At Ambiance & Styles, there is more of a focus on casual dinnerware, rather than formal table settings, with brands such as ASA Selection and RAK Porcelain taking centrestage, and more of a focus on contemporary rather than traditional products.

“Silver products that belong to the traditional markets are no longer on Ambiance & Styles’ shelves as these are no longer our target,” explains Eric, further pointing out that their customers prefer buying individual pieces rather than sets.

Eric further highlights how Ambiance & Styles’ customers are looking for product, whether kitchenware or tableware, that replicates the restaurant/bar

Bestsellers... Guy Degrenne, Villeroy & Boch, Bugatti, Chef & Sommelier, Leonardo TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 37

Retail

Ambiance & Styles

A&S BY NUMBERS

“

Our selection process is mainly driven by innovation and contemporary design, though the Made in France concept is increasingly key too

experience, product that can create an entertaining atmosphere at home.

“Our customers are becoming experts in cooking and drinking and even in oenology, so we need to provide products that allow them to live and express this,” says Eric.

The little extras Merchandising and presentation of product is key to Ambiance & Styles and the store concept is dedicated to impulse buying.

“We want to create links between different products to build an atmosphere and a lifestyle that will inspire,” says Eric.

They change shop windows and displays every six weeks and organise events with brands and suppliers to entice customers inside more regularly and offer them more understanding about the products.

“We constantly organise events or promotions for the benefit of our customers,” says Eric, highlighting a recent promotion, where within a three-week time period, customers could receive a voucher worth 20 per cent of its purchases of the day.

In fact, the services on offer at Ambiance & Styles are one of the major reasons why the chain

has been so successful. They offer a loyalty programme, which has resulted in creating very strong relationships with their customers.

“With some one million customers in the database, Ambiance & Styles is able to send promotional information using direct marketing tools,” says Eric.

And it’s proven highly successful as, “60 per cent of the turnover is due to customers having a loyalty card”.

“In addition, the Ambiance & Styles’ website, which crucially is both tablet- and mobile-friendly, boasts different functions that make the customers’ purchase of product easier,” says Eric, highlighting the Click and Collect facility, which contributes to a Web-to-Store strategy the cooperative has in place.

With Click and Collect, customers can reserve online and then pick up and pay for the product two hours later.

They will simultaneously launch an application for the smartphone by the end of the year, providing the customer with more information and promotions. “The customer will be able to consult all their personal information, and be notified of new products and loyalty programme promotions,” says Eric.

”

Another online service is the Compose Your Table facility, allowing customers to create a virtual table setting of plates, glass and cutlery using in-store products.

In the following months, they are also due to launch a new digital application that will, “Enhance connectivity between customers and shops”, says Eric.

And, the company will also begin advertising on TV towards the end of the year in order to increase their brand awareness.

“Ambiance & Styles is a main player on the retail market with a strong organisation of industry experts, 100 shops and a turnover of €60 million, it has the potential to keep growing on a national scale,” concludes Eric.

EK ServiceGroup is a leading cooperative retail group in Europe, dedicated to multi-branch activities.

EK France represents 180 stores across France, including Ambiance & Styles (100 stores), its cookware retail chain Culinarion (30 stores) and its buying partners. It uses the EK ServiceGroup for back office services. www.ambianceetstyles.com

100

The number of stores and Points of Sale Ambiance & Styles now delivers

600

The size in m-sq of the biggest Ambiance & Styles store, located in Saint Brieuc, Brittany

1,200,000 The amount in euros of turnover of the biggest store.

Altogether, the 100 stores bring in a total of €600 million in turnover

40

The number of brands represented in the 100 stores; the number of suppliers is 80

40

The percentage of space in each store given over to tableware alone

4,500

The number of different products in each shop/store

Tableware Brands... Guy Degrenne, ASA Selection, Villeroy & Boch, Medard de Noblat, Couzon, Bugatti, Chef & Sommelier, Leonardo, Cristel, De Buyer, Rosle, Staub, Beka 38 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

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Brand Focus Chamberlain & Co

British ceramic art re-born Producing ceramic art of the very highest quality in the heart of Worcestershire, Chamberlain & Co is the new luxury fine bone china brand that has just made its industry debut at Maison & Objet, Paris

Chamberlain & Co

BY NUMBERS The number of hours it takes to create Chamberlain & Co’s largest and most intricate pieces, such as the freehand painted Witley vase, which stands 85cm tall.

200

The number of times each piece may be fired during production, necessary in order to achieve the depth of ceramic colour and the rich gold effects.

10

The number of carats of gold that all pieces are finished with.

23 16

The number of debut pieces launched within four collections, ranging from a large charger plate to the magnificent 85cm Witley vase.

The number of years of ceramic production expertise – from animal sculptures and ornamental ware to special commission pieces – that Chamberlain has associated with it.

227

40 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

S

tanding 85cm tall, the impressive handmade, hand-decorated and hand-gilded fine bone china Witley vase, which has taken in excess of 200 hours to create and has passed through the hands of eight expert artisans, is the perfect representation of the company that has created it.

Enter Chamberlain & Co, a brand new prestige brand from Worcestershire, England.

Celebrating handmade art and championing the expert English ceramic skills that have been handed down from generation to generation in the heart of Worcestershire, Chamberlain & Co is committed to creating exclusive and unique ornamental ceramics of the very highest quality.

“In a world where much is mass produced, we believe there is an appreciation of, and demand for, handmade British products of the highest quality,” says Matthew Riddell, Managing Director.

In fact, the Chamberlain name and that of the Royal Porcelain Works that Robert Chamberlain founded in 1788, have been synonymous internationally with quality, decorative excellence and exclusivity for more than 200 years.

It is this Worcestershire heritage and exceptional regional skill base that has given birth to Chamberlain & Co, with its new range of prestige product.

“With extraordinary craftsmanship and artistry alongside a commitment to the making of exclusive ornamental ceramics, Chamberlain & Co is uniquely positioned to meet demand for luxury items that are created rather than produced,” explains Matthew, further highlighting how the exceptional skills

employed in creation will ultimately be lost unless celebrated in new products.

And Chamberlain & Co are proud to be keeping these exceptional skills alive, harnessing a new generation of talented artists and craftsmen, versatile and experienced in a wide range of techniques, be it casting, painting or gilding.

“The Chamberlain & Co artists are among the most talented in England, with a long and distinguished pedigree in Worcestershire ceramics… skills that have been passed down through the generations,” says Matthew. “Our aim is to raise the profile of the arts and crafts skill base of the region, helping secure it into the future.”

Re-imagined for modern luxury interiors, Chamberlain & Co’s designs are focused solely on prestige ornamental ceramics and its debut four collections of 16 pieces is “a celebration of British ceramic skills” delivering stunning shapes from the past and, in particular, pieces produced by the Chamberlain Works from 1788 that have inspired expert sculptors of today.

“We are challenging traditional production methods to create larger scale ornamental pieces that provide higher impact and space-filling potential for larger luxury homes, which are supported by specially manufactured display pedestals featuring a range of high quality finishes including mahogany and rosewood veneers together with handcarved and water gilded detailing,” says Matthew, pointing out that some of the company’s vases and sculptures are assembled with over 30 pieces by master craftsmen.

The elegant shapes and intricate patterns of the first four collections are inspired by the rich heritage of British

ceramics and ornamental design – the themes of heritage, botanicals and Georgian splendour, alongside a dash of chinoiserie flavour, reflecting themes from the original Chamberlain Works that are as relevant today as they were then. The King George III collection is a celebration of Chamberlain’s proud Georgian heritage, while Imperial Imari is inspired by oriental porcelain, a nod to Chamberlain as one of the first British makers to recreate the most distinctive designs known as Imari.

Louise Adams, principal designer of Chamberlain & Co’s inaugural collections observes: “People are naturally fascinated by history, and behind the collections there are stories of trade between East and West; plant hunters who brought back the beautiful exotic flowers that inspire the botanical pieces.”

It’s not just the shapes and patterns inspired by English heritage, however.

The fine bone china and handcrafting skills used further celebrate the heritage and beauty of English ceramics and that of the county of Worcestershire, in particular.

“We believe overseas customers have a strong appreciation for British handcrafting skills and for the very best in English fine bone china and this is linked with the heritage of the region,” explains Matthew, highlighting the use of jet black bone china, virtually unique in the world of prestige ceramics, which is being used in the new Chamberlain Black range, reflecting the innovation that was so key to Chamberlain’s 18th century success.

All pieces are also decorated and gilded by hand, and all with incredible detail and expertise. “We employ decorative techniques including the application of raised paste and

THE FOUR COLLECTIONS Heritage Garden A Chinese, Worcestershire china and chinoiserie influenced design featuring floral sprays that weave around the shapes, interspersed with delicate vignettes of flowers and leaves.

Imperial Imari In honour of Chamberlain being one of the first British makers to recreate the most distinctive of designs, Imari, this collection is inspired by oriental porcelain from China and Japan – think a rich palette of red, blue, green and gold.

King George III A celebration both of Chamberlain’s proud Georgian heritage and the best luxury china of the 21st century.

Chamberlain Black Pure, jet black bone china, this innovative range is decorated to deliver unrivalled contrast and impact, featuring designs that interleave with the King George III range.

enamels and the most delicate handpainting that means the feathers of a hummingbird, for example, boast a stunning three dimensional effect,” explains Matthew.

Where pieces feature an entirely freehand composition, they are signed by the artist in recognition of the highest level of ceramic painting skill. So skilled are the Chamberlain & Co artists in free handpainting they are able to paint any subject matter to order, be it portrait or animal study.

Such focus on handcrafting and handpainting delivers not only the most luxurious and beautiful product, but also one that is entirely unique.

“All our products are completely handmade so each piece is very special; an individual work of art. And with the bespoke nature of our production, designs can be customised to suit particular tastes – maximising appeal for a particular customer or market,” says Matthew, explaining how the company is perfectly positioned to undertake bespoke work without disrupting its production.

“We welcome the chance to fulfil unique customer demands. Our artists and craftspeople relish the challenge of creating entirely new pieces.”

Chamberlain & Co delivered their brand to the world last month in Paris at the prestigious Maison & Objet, the official launch for the brand alongside the unveiling of their debut collections.

“With its emphasis on design and its international focus, Maison & Objet represented the ideal opportunity for us to launch,” explains Matthew, adding that a further six pieces are currently in the works to be added to the four launch collections.

“Nothing rivals the beauty of handmade, hand-painted English fine bone china and those who seek the very best prestige statement pieces should not have to compromise,” concludes Matthew.

Did you know…? The new Chamberlain & Co range is produced by Bronte Porcelain Limited, historically specialised in the production of high quality, handmade and painted ceramic products in Worcestershire. All pieces are slip cast from bone china, then fettled and glazed to a near perfect finish as the base for extensive handpainting and gilding.

They also cast black bone china to create luxurious jet black ceramic pieces, which is virtually unique in the world of prestige ceramics.

KitchenWare INTERNATIONAL

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Kitchenware International delivers all the latest news, views and reviews on everything from cookware and storage products to utensils and appliances

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Kitchenware International features retail interviews, industry expert advice and spotlights the latest gourmet and kitchenware trends

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Guide Teaware

Time for teaware?

The popularity of Afternoon Tea and the revival of home baking is driving up sales of teaware. We investigate this burgeoning product category

Burleigh Renowned for its teaware since 1851, Burleigh produces handcrafted pieces in England using time-honoured skills, with each piece passing through the hands of 25 craftspeople.

It is the only pottery to continue the centuries-old craft of tissue transfer printing, producing wares with great depth of colour. Burleigh offers lots of teaware in timeless designs, from Asiatic Pheasant, a favourite since 1862, to the awardwinning Regal Peacock, favoured by royalty, and recently re-launched. Burleigh has also re-introduced its Heritage Mini Teapot Tray, a multi-use tray for sugar or lemon slices or individual portions of cream or jam, in Burleigh’s favourite patterns and colours. “Burleigh’s teawares include the very essence of Afternoon Tea with two sizes of teapot, a selection of jug sizes, two and three-tiered cake stands, a sandwich tray and cow creamers,” says brand manager, Jim Norman. www.burleigh.co.uk 42 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

W

ith the current revival for Afternoon Tea and the continuing growth of the consumer trend for baking, the product category of teaware, including cake stands, is seeing a surge both in the hospitality sector and in retail.

“Afternoon Tea is having a revival, with many hotels and restaurants now offering this quintessential English ritual, as well as customers starting to replicate this ritual at home,” says Jim Norman, brand manager and business team leader for Burleigh, a British pottery brand renowned for its teawares since 1851.

Add to this the many culinary TV programmes, including the highly successful Great British Bake Off – 9.4 million viewers are currently tuned in to the sixth series – that are heralding a consumer revival of baking, and

the category of teaware is one very much in the limelight Afternoon Tea has become so popular in fact that there is now a National Afternoon Tea Week (August 10-16 this year) of which Burleigh is an official partner.

“Burleigh has long been the tea lovers' choice and has been handcrafting beautiful teawares since 1851 just as the tradition of Taking Tea as a light meal during the day became fashionable in high society,” says Steven Moore of BBC TV programme Antiques Roadshow, and who has just been named Burleigh's creative director.

In line with such a resurgence, Burleigh has re-introduced various teaware products, including the re-launch of its award-winning favoured-by-royalty Regal Peacock design and the re-introduction of its Heritage Mini Teapot Trays.

MIXING AND MATCHING The V&A Toile Collection from Creative Tops taps into the current trend for mixing and matching, a collection featuring different yet complementary illustrations adapted from a 19th century printed textile book.

TEA FOR ONE Left: Katie Alice Bird Song from Creative Tops; Right: Loveramics Flutter; Bottom: Sophie Conran for Portmeirion

Global growth But this once quintessentially British tradition is expanding its global reach. According to Eric Holzinger, CEO of EK France, which owns 30 kitchenware stores (Culinarion) and 100 tableware stores (Ambiance & Styles) across France, tea is now the Number One beverage consumption in France.

“Villeroy & Boch is seeing increasing demand for teaware, especially in American and European markets, in direct correlation to the rise of baking,” says product manager ceramic, gifts & luxury, Nathalie Muller, pointing

out that the brand will soon be adding additional special concepts in teaware.

British brand Portmeirion Group says it is finding increased sales of tea and coffee ware across the globe, and in particular, in the UK, USA, Russia and South Korea.

“We have found that the Afternoon Tea trend continues to go from strength to strength leading to an increase in demand for all things teaware,” says group sales & marketing director, Phil Atherton.

And the ‘taking of Afternoon Tea’ is a practice that has spread to the top hotels and restaurants globally,

from Singapore and Dubai to New York and Paris.

“Afternoon Tea is no longer the prerogative of the British and is becoming increasingly popular overseas,” explains Jim at Burleigh, citing the Ralph Lauren tearooms in Paris as one of the prestigious venues Burleigh supplies its teaware products to.

Paulo Amaro, commercial director of Porcel, says they too are seeing growth in teaware, while Jackie Kim, international sales for Prouna and for Twig New York, says

What the retailer says… “The tea market is a fast-growing one – in fact, tea has become the Number One beverage in France. In terms of teaware sales at Ambiance & Styles, we find the Salam teapot from Guy Degrenne is highly popular and mugs too are taking a large share of sales.” Eric Holzinger, CEO, EK France, which owns Ambiance & Styles, a tableware store with 100 outlets throughout France TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 43

Guide Teaware

Villeroy & Boch

she is seeing increased demand for teaware and coffee ware highlighting how mugs and dessert plates, especially in charming and whimsical designs, are bestsellers.

“We have extended our fine bone china Heritage Blue Bird Collection by Molly Hatch to include a complete teaware service,” says Jackie.

And there’s been plenty more teaware launches and extensions this year, with whimsical and oh-so English designs reigning supreme.

Due to popular demand, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Lavender Collection, a licensed range from Creative Tops, was extended this summer to include all the fine china ceramic pieces necessary to hold the perfect English tea party; while heritage English brand Royal Albert extended both its licensed Miranda Kerr afternoon tea range and its popular floral Tea Party range to include new pieces and new shades.

Teatime trends Another trend seeing traction is mixing and matching. While the combining of different blue and white designs together on the table at teatime has long been popular – a Burleigh tradition, in fact – a recent trend is the mixing of colours in teawares… like that of the Pink and Blue versions of Burleigh’s Asiatic Pheasants design.

“There is a strong trend today to put complementary patterns together and even mix colours to create individual styles,” says Jim. 44 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Tapping into the mix and match trend, Creative Tops recently launched a tea party set under its V&A licence. The V&A Toile collection delivers fine china teaware designed to be mixed and matched to create the ultimate heritage collection – think tea cups and saucers featuring different yet complementary illustrations adapted from a 19th Century printed textile book.

In fact, the Toile pattern is a design popular on teaware right now.

“We are seeing a lot of Toile patterns in teaware, patterns that evoke a nostalgic ambiance, and many brands are bringing back their classic designs to feed into this,” says Jackie, Twig New York.

Nostalgia is reigning style supreme delivering retro shapes and shades.

“We see a strong trend towards nostalgic-inspired decorations and shapes, but with a contemporary note,” says Nathalie, Villeroy & Boch.

Phil Atherton at Portmeirion Group concurs: “We are seeing an increase in demand for more retro-shaped products, which are beautifully packaged.”

Retro shades, and the pastel hues of the 1950s, in particular, are taking centrestage on teaware.

“Colours in pastel tones like rose or light green are very popular and are being used widely in tabletop collections, as well as in fashion and interiors,” says Nathalie, highlighting Villeroy & Boch’s recently launched S+ Cutlery colour, a retro rose shade, as

Some 30 per cent of Villeroy & Boch’s tableware collections are dedicated to teaware and coffee ware, with almost all of its collections comprising teaware. They also offer standalone coffee and tea collections, including NewWave Caffe. Consisting of four different sized cups and with an award-winning shape, NewWave has been so successful that extensions have been introduced, including Cities of the World and Animals of the World. One of the brand’s latest teaware launches is afternoon tea gifting range, Rose Cottage (pictured) - cups and saucers, a teapot, cake platter and cake slice, among other pieces, all featuring a décor of roses in pastel tones. “We plan to further expand in this product category with additional special concepts in the tea and coffee area,” says Nathalie Muller, product manager ceramic, gifts & luxury. www.villeroy-boch.co.uk well as its new Rose Cottage teaware range. This highly giftable afternoon teaware range features a charming rose décor pattern in retro pastel hues of rose, sky blue and mint green.

Meanwhile, Royal Albert has extended its fine bone china floral Tea Party range – think roses and polka dots – to include retro pastel hues of baby pinks and soft blues.

Ted Baker Portmeirion offers teaware pieces in retro shapes and a vintage-inspired pastel palette – think mint green, lemon and baby pink – with its recently launched and awardwinning Rosie Lee range; and the Katie Alice for Creative Tops Bird Song range, which delivers retro appeal with its quirky 1950s illustration of a bird in song in a pastel palette of pink, yellow and aqua.

Rosenthal, meanwhile, has announced that it will be developing further the retro pastel trend in the tea and coffee ware category as it sees a strong movement in this direction.

In terms of product, while teacups and saucers are, “enjoying something of a renaissance”, according to Jim at Burleigh, a number of brands – including Porcel and Villeroy & Boch – are seeing a clear tendency for growth in cake stands.

“Special products like two-tiered cake stands for cupcakes or small sweets are very much in demand,” says Nathalie, Villeroy & Boch.

Rosenthal’s chief operating & sales officer, Gianluca Colonna, concurs: “We are seeing particular interest in cake stands with glass cloches, like the one in the Maria Pink Rose range.”

Teapots too are fashionable once more and brands like Porcel, Portmeirion Group and Rosenthal are seeing growth here. Not only are consumers finding creative uses for their teapots, like for serving soup or sauces, say Porcel, but they are holding tea parties for friends.

Enter the super-sized teapot.

Portmeirion Group has launched a

AURATIC Auratic delivers teaware in most of its lines, including in its Everyday Bridal lines Allure, Bissette, Binche, Chantilly and Octavin. The Chantilly teaware collection (pictured), which includes a tea cup and saucer, dessert plate and tea pot, features a dishwashersafe gold pattern with an open circle design that taps into the current geometric trend, and is finished with a gold band. All are created from the brand’s Premium china body that is made of 25 per cent magnesium instead of bone ash, making it highly durable compared to normal porcelain, and three times as chip-resistant. The bone china glaze delivers a fine surface finish and transparency like that of bone china.

www.auratic.com

PORTMEIRION GROUP A large proportion of the Portmeirion Group’s business is dedicated to tea and nd coffee ware across all ranges in all brands, with the group finding this category ory its best performing. Its bestsellers are mugs, the tea for one, teapots and cake ke stands. “We find that our jumbo, oversized cups are extremely popular,” says Phil Atherton, Portmeirion Group. This summer, it launched a tea for one, set of two stackable cups and a 4-pint tea party teapot in its popular and award-winning ng Sophie Conran for Portmeirion range. The new teaware trio all feature the hand-thrown own profile and contemporary ridged silhouette for which the collection is famous. Portmeirion rion Group has lots of exciting new launches planned for 2016, with teaware featuring heavily.

www.portmeirion.co.uk

JANSEN & CO

Inspired by cosy bistros, Jansen + Co, part of the Serax brand, has launched nched three new collections for Autumn, including teaware and mugs. Loop celebrates ebrates the enjoyment of tea and coffee, with cups in soft pastel tints and natural atural tones designed to bring out the aromas. My Art Mugs, meanwhile, features d designs i inspired by the use of colours and nuances of contemporary artists. Jansen + Co’s signature collection is the My Mug range – think espresso cups, teapots and tart stands drenched in bold colours for distinctive colour blocking on the table.

www.jansenco.nl 4-pint tea party teapot in its Sophie Conran for Portmeirion collection, which is already proving popular; and due to popular demand, Creative Tops has extended its successful licensed Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Lavender Collection, to include a six-cup teapot.

The Tea For One product has become popular too: a bestseller for the Portmeirion Group, they recently added a tea for one to its Sophie Conran for Portmeirion range; Royal Albert added a tea for one to its floral Tea Party range and its Miranda Kerr collection; and Loveramics updated its popular Flutter Collection, which features flowers within the silhouette of hummingbirds, to include a tea for one.

Finally, the Asian aesthetic Japanese especially – is proving popular in teaware as the savouring of tea, a prestigious and exquisite ceremony in Chinese and Japanese tradition, is playing a bigger role.

Last year, Rosenthal launched the Wan Tea Set, designed by Sebastian Herkner, a minimalist tea collection inspired by Japan’s oldest tea house, that is proving very popular.

Noritake says that to meet growing demand for Japanese teaware, it has added Japaneseinspired extensions to many of its patterns, including smaller teapots, tea cups and plates; and is launching a standalone tea set inspired by the Japanese aesthetic that features six wildflowers native to Asia.

“Kachofu’s combination of flowers with the rich decoration technique on a pure white body dramatically expresses the nature of Japan,” says Peter Goldberger, executive vice-president, tabletop division, Noritake.

Whether minimalist, retro or designed with mixing and matching in mind, the teaware category is one that shows no sign of slowing down any time yet.

WEDGWOOD Wedgwood is not only renowned for its Tea Story, which continues to see a 13 per cent year-on-year growth, but is synonymous with tea drinking. It delivers branded blends of high quality, selected loose-leaf luxury tea, from bespoke blends to Lord Wedgwood teas, and also boasts a number of tearooms, including the UK’s first Wedgwood Tea Room offering more than 50 blends of the finest Wedgwood tea, which opened this summer at World of Wedgwood.

The brand’s recently launched tableware and lifestyle collection Arris – think fine bone china pieces with angular profiles and graphic patterns in rich tones with warm liquescent copper linings – includes a large and distinctive tea and coffee ware range, from cups and saucers, to teapots and tea plates.

www.wwrd.com

Guide Teaware

ROSENTHAL L Rosenthal was at the forefront of the teaware eaware trend last year launching two complete e series of tea sets; Wan by German designer gner Sebastian Herkner and Cha by Italian designer Frederica Capitani. Cha delivers ers a Japanese aesthetic in wood and porcelain; elain; Wan is a mix of glass and porcelain with h soft f retro design curves. The brand offers teaware in almost all of its dinnerware ranges, and cake stands in various collections, including Maria Pink Rose. Its new flexible dining Collection Mesh has been supplemented this year with a wide range of tea and coffee cups, while its new pattern for TAC, Skin Gold (pictured left), delivers a beautiful teapot and tea cups. “Tea sets or espresso sets sell well as gifts especially during wintertime,” says Gianluca Colonna, Rosenthal’s chief operating & sales officer.

NIKKO Charlie Breslin, president of Howard Charles, Inc., which looks after luxury brand Nikko, says that thanks to Nespresso, customers are demanding beautiful bone china cups for their special beverage. The brand’s new Exquisite range offers a myriad of opportunities to consume countless beverages with the appropriate accoutrement. Its fine bone china Fortune Espresso cup and saucer (pictured) is decorated in both gold and platinum, the saucer with a gold decorated rim.

www.nikkoceramics.com

www.rosenthal.de

CREATIVE TOPS PS Due to popular demand, Creative Tops launched teaware extensions to its licensed d Royal ty pieces Botanic Gardens, Kew, Lavender Collection, this summer. New elegant ceramic tea party ea cup and include a six-cup teapot with a beautifully shaped handle and elegant spout, a tea saucer, a two-tiered cake stand and a set of four side plates. All feature a contemporaryy illustration of lavender inspired by a colour engraving from the collection in the Library, Art & Archives at Kew.

www.creative-tops.com reative-tops.com

FUERSTENBERG

NORITAKE

When developing new products, Fuerstenberg always starts with the concept of pleasurable consumption.

The brand recently launched a cup and saucer and mug series in bold colours as part of its Aureole Clair de Lune series (pictured). One of its most popular series is Touche. Created of razor-thin porcelain, pieces are delicate and light in look and feel, yet strong and double-walled. Boasting a high-gloss glazed interior and matte-polished exterior, the series secured the Red Dot Award 2012 for product design. There are plans to complement this series soon.

Noritake includes tea and coffee service items as part of its dinnerware collections, as well as frequently introducing limited item collections specifically for tea or coffee service. “We find mugs sell well in casual patterns and cups and saucers sell well in formal patterns,” says Peter Goldberger, executive vice-president, tabletop division, Noritake. The brand will soon be introducing a special tea set, Kachofu (pictured below), the patterns of which represent six wildflowers native to Asia, the flowers named after birds. The combination of flowers with the rich decoration technique on a pure Premium Porcelain body delivers a Japanese vibe.

www.fuerstenberg-porzellan.com

52 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

www.noritake.com

PORCEL

ROYAL ALBERT

Teaware and coffee ware makes up around 15 per cent of Porcel’s range and when designing a new range, items from these product categories are always included.

Porcel’s most popular teaware includes cups and saucers, teapots and cake stands. Its two latest fine porcelain collections include full tea and coffee sets. Grace is an elegant collection in a light rose shade with a geometric design and golden décor inspired by bobby lace designs and includes cups and saucers, dessert plates, a milk jug, sugar pot, teapot and two cake stands. Saturn (pictured) is bolder, with shades of black and gold inspired by a sky full of stars and is finished with 24k gold rims.

Stretching back over 100 years, Royal Albert has always been passionate about floral design, esign, inspired by the quintessentially English countryy rose garden.

Its popular Tea Party range, a fine bone e china collection finished in 24k gold lining and nd featuring the brand’s signature roses and polka dots, has been extended to encapsulate the trend nd for all things retro with new pastel hues, from m baby pinks to soft blues, delivering a 1950s retro charm.

The range is now complete offering everything erything from spoons, cups and saucers, plates, tea caddies addies and jugs, to cake stands, glass domes and a tea for one.

www.porcel.pt

www.royalalbert.co.uk

MAIA MING DESIGNS Known for its artisan ceramic tableware with a tactile and whimsical flair, Maia Ming Designs has recently launched the Smooth-Touch teaware range. Irresistably tactile, the tea set features the brand’s matte rubber surface finish, attracting hands and eyes. The teaware comprises a large teapot, small teapot, mug, cup and saucer, milk pitcher and sugar bowl. Each teapot boasts a removeable stainless steel filter, is dishwasher-safe and comes in aqua and other striking colours.

www.maiamingdesigns.com

TWIG NEW YORK The boutique brand of Hankook Chinaware, Twig offers plenty of teaware, with mugs and dessert plates its bestsellers. The brand’s Heritage Blue Bird collection, a hand-decaled fine bone china range designed by Molly Hatch, delivers the largest range of teaware, including a teacup and saucer, dessert plates, two-tier cake stands, tea pots, a rectangular tray and 10-inch plate. Traditional with a twist, the blue bird design boasts an embossed texture as if engraved. Its award-winning Cutlery collection also includes a tea cup and saucer and 7-inch dessert plates, while its Olive Market and Petals collections offer cake serving plates.

www.twigny.com

Did you know…? Afternoon Tea is a tea-related ritual introduced in Britain in the early 1840s. Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, is said to have complained that waiting until dinner left her with a ‘sinking feeling’. Initially she took Afternoon Tea in her Boudoir, eventually inviting her friends to join her and so it became a social event for ladies climbing society. Traditionally, Afternoon Tea comprises delicately cut finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, sweet pastries and cakes and is served on tiered cake platters, with teapots, milk jugs and cups and saucers. www.afternoontea.co.uk TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 47

Profile Rudolf KÄmpf

Teatime with Rudolf Kämpf With teaware a large part of Rudolf Kämpf’s 106-year-old history, we look at this product category today

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eaware has played a key historical role in the Rudolf Kämpf brand portfolio, which reaches back 106 years.

“Within our brand, new shapes are traditionally launched based on teaware,” says development director, Michael Belov, who points out that while other producers use three to four shapes, then create various patterns to suit them, Rudolf Kämpf designs its shape – oft unique and mainly in teaware format – first and then develops patterns to fit.

“While most manufacturers’ catalogues show just a few forms with many décors, Rudolf Kämpf delivers the most diverse range of forms, with some forms archived and then retrieved later when certain trends manifest themselves in the market,” explains Michael.

If the teaware collection, always handmade from exclusive premium porcelain, subsequently proves successful, it is extended into other categories – tableware, coffee ware and accessories.

“A collection would need to be very successful or at least potentially so in order to be extended into all product categories,” says Michael, pointing to the collections, National Traditions, Rose & Ribbons, Kelt and Ancient Egypt, all of which began with teaware and grew to be complete collections. “In 2013, we extended our bestselling teaware collections, Kelt and Ancient Egypt, to dinnerware, and saw sales further grow for each,” says Michael.

The brand’s latest launch, the 105-Year Anniversary Collection, began life last year as a tea set. Inspired by the AustroHungarian Empire, it was a reissue of one of the brand’s most popular collections.

“The form is a copy of a pre-war 1930s set manufactured by our factory. We made some minor modifications and breathed new life into it,” says Michael.

With the launch a success and seeing huge potential, the collection, which features gold and platinum décor in white or ivory porcelain, was extended late last year to include dinnerware.

“With its never-fading classical appeal and ability to contrast beautifully with other collections, we saw the potential of extending it,” says Michael.

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An amazing 50 per cent of Rudolf Kämpf product is teaware and every decoration within the portfolio is delivered on teaware products.

But it’s not just Rudolf Kämpf’s heritage ensuring teaware takes centrestage. It is also consumer demand. “Demand for teaware is in growth,” says Michael, “though it is demand for coffee ware, in particular, where we are seeing most growth.

“We are finding demand for coffee ware is growing worldwide but, in particular, in regions where it is historically popular, like across the Middle East and Western Europe like Italy and Spain, as well as in the US,” says Michael, pointing to their Manhattan Collection. Inspired by 1920s Manhattan and created for the US market, it was the first and only collection that was launched based on coffee ware.

Rudolf Kämpf produces three cup types – tea, coffee and espresso cups, with a traditional set comprising a cup and saucer, coffee pot and/or tea pot, sugar bowl, milk jug and dessert plates.

In countries with established tea/ coffee-drinking traditions, including the UK, Russia and Australia, all items are in high demand, whereas in the Middle East or Italy, teapots are less popular.

Teapots are a luxury purchase. “The teapot tends to be the most expensive item – sometimes 25 per cent of the price of the set, so it isn’t always purchased. However, the teapot, like a soup tureen, is what makes table décor complete and luxurious,” says Michael.

The brand’s bestsellers in teaware include the 105 Year Anniversary Collection, Kelt and National Traditions, while in coffee ware, it is Manhattan, Byzantine and Rose & Ribbons.

Looking to the future, Michael says they expect to see teaware and coffee ware continue to grow and will extend these categories with new patterns for existing shapes. “We find the business potential of collections isn’t as big when dinnerware and teaware is missing,” concludes Michael. www.rudolfkampf.eu

Focus on… Teaware National Traditions Primarily inspired by the 1920s Rococo style, National Traditions features classic lines and is one of Rudolf Kämpf’s complete collections and includes teaware, dinnerware and coffee ware. It is a collection that consistently sells well year after year, says development director, Michael Belov.

105 Year Anniversary Launched last year to celebrate 105 years of Rudolf Kämpf, the 105th Anniversary tea set is an elegant reissue of a pre-war 1930s set inspired by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Classic in design, it features ivory or white porcelain with gold or platinum décor and is offered as teaware and dinnerware.

Focus on… Coffee Ware Rose & Ribbons A collaboration with the Italian Savio Firmino furniture factory, the Rose & Ribbons Collection embodies the kind of never-faing Italian style that’s loved by many and fits perfectly into any interior.

A complete collection, it includes teaware, coffee ware and dinnerware.

Spotlight on…

LEANDER More affordable and everyday, Leander is the sister brand of Rudolf Kämpf – the porcelain is created in the Rudolf Kämpf factory – and is highly developed in teaware and coffee ware, offering both complete sets and breakfast sets. Thanks to numerous decoration variants, Leander is very attractive to those who love drinking tea or coffee from beautiful porcelain cups.

www.crystalex.cz

Category Decorative

Works of art With vendors reporting that the decorative category is in growth, we look at what the market is nt offering and what consumers want

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abletop accessories continue to be in demand, embellishing home décor and adding jewellery or a decorative touch to the table, as well as making great gifts, with vendors of tabletop products saying that the category is riding high thanks to the status of decorative accessories as affordable impulse purchases.

So while, with the recession, consumers may refrain from shelling out on large ticket furniture items, they are instead changing the look of their homes or refreshing and updating their décor with smaller and more affordable decorative items.

“Decorative pieces continue to be a strong market for Russia,” says Elena Sarkova, chief buyer for Russian tabletop store Dom Farfora.

“People love to decorate their houses. We try to keep a selection of price-affordable items in simple shapes but different colours for those who love to change their interiors regularly,” says Elena.

Decorative objects continue to be a strong market for Rosenthal, says Gianluca Colonna, chief operating and sales officer for Rosenthal, a brand known for its porcelain art, as well as its huge collection of extraordinary vases, both in porcelain and glass.

Vendors say they are seeing growth in both accessories, like vases, little boxes, sculptures and functional tabletop like candlesticks and centrepiece bowls, as well as serveware statement pieces.

“Decorative objects like vases and candlesticks make up a large part of our tableware stores. They are bought largely as occasion gifts, as something that is pretty affordable, yet special-looking and well-accepted, especially vases or centrepieces,” says Mary Sarafidis,

50 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

executive buyer for Greek tableware leware chain, Parousiasi.

And while there remains in certain ertain segments of society and certain markets – the luxury segment in n countries like Russia or the Middle dle East – high demand for luxury porcelain lain vases, ornate crystal candlelabrass and limited edition figurines, consumer mer demand is elsewhere, by and large, rge, for design-driven, modern pieces.

Clever brands like Royal Doulton and Rosenthal have got on board with such demand, collaborating with contemporary, current and edgy artists to deliver ceramic art that appeals to today’s consumers.

Royal Doulton is known for its ultracontemporary Pure Evil collection, while Rosenthal delivers its unique design-driven porcelain objects like its paper bag vases from designer Tapio Wirkkala.

“Rosenthal has always had a very modern design approach – with decorative items our claim is to create objects with a very special formal and functional art work and quality,” says Gianluca, Rosenthal.

And being functional, as well as design-driven, is what consumers today are demanding. “Many pieces

by Rosenthal have a function, but also stand as an art object in their own right,” explains Gianluca.

Villeroy & Boch concur, explaining how consumers are looking for pieces that can fulfill several criteria simultaneously. That can, “Offer a practical and functional use that is high quality but that is also eyecatching and statement-making”, say the brand.

Small-scale and mix and match are furthermore key concepts surrounding contemporary decorative items today, giving consumers versatile pieces that fit into smaller spaces and that can be interchanged for different and unique looks.

NORITAKE This year, Noritake is introducing its second Masterpiece Collection, having introduced the first in 2011. These collections are characterised by the ultimate culmination of artistic and technical expertise developed since the brand’s inception in 1904. The latest collection consists of vases designed under the supervision of Professor Fumio Shimada of the Tokyo University of Arts, with the chosen motifs that of camellias, peonies, figs, acorns and butterflies, and based on the concept of fertility. Using both underglaze and onglaze techniques, the porcelain delivers a bold gold background.

www.noritake.com Mini vases or tea lights are particularly trending – they don’t obscure sight, are perfect for smaller spaces and make affordable gifts.

“The smaller vase will not obstruct the view to the person sitting opposite you,” say Villeroy & Boch who have this season extended its Vase collection into mini vases; real coloured glass mini vases in three shapes and five colours that can be used alone or mixed and matched for interesting displays.

Fuerstenberg too boasts the Moller Edition of small vases in six different colours and spherical shapes, allowing for multiple combinations. “Such table decoration remains low so that guests can still see each other,” say the brand.

This delivery of objects – vases especially – that come in multiple variations, sizes, shapes, textures and colourways, like the Minis from both Villeroy & Boch and Fuerstenberg – are like their tableware counterparts also proving

popular, providing versatility and letting today’s consumers put a stamp on their surroundings.

Iittala has also launched a clever and versatile decoration concept with its new Ruutu collection of vases, a collection of 10 mouthblown glass vases in five sizes and seven colours. When collected and combined, they make small seamless installations for multiple arrangements and looks.

Candlesticks and other lighting concepts are following suit. A creative candle lighting concept was launched at Rogaska Crystal this season. The series of six candlesticks are not just stackable – for smaller homes and surfaces – but also mix and match, so consumers can create different lighting arrangements and looks for different occasions.

Such concepts answer demand by retailers, too, for stories or concepts that can inspire customers and show them what’s possible.

“We try to educate our clients by showing how different objects may be mixed and matched together,” concludes Elena.

TWIG NEW YORK IITTALA

Boutique brand Twig New York reveals the latest additions to its handdecaled fine bone china Charlotte and Layla collections, which are inspired by the look and texture of shagreen and alligator leather. With rims carefully handpainted with 24k gold, the decorative pieces, which includes coasters, espresso cups and saucers, mugs, a round box and a vase, add a touch of luxury to the home.

Functional but beautiful and contemporary objects are at the heart of Finnish brand, Iittala. Its new collectable vase series Ruutu delivers 10 mouthblown glass diamond-shaped vases in five sizes and seven colours, so that when combined, they make different art installations.

Experts at manipulating colours, in this series, Iittala were able to create delicate, watercolour-like palettes that intermingle with each other so colours change when combined.

www.twigny.com

POOLE POTTERY

www.iittala.com

Handcrafted and handpainted by Poole Pottery’s team of skilled artisans, Maya by Poole is new for 2015. Each piece is unique and takes inspiration from the British landscape. There are nine vases in the range, sized from 36cm to 12cm, and two dishes.

The Maya Lamp Bases were shown for the first time at Exclusively Housewares.

www.poolepottery.co.uk

ROYAL DOULTON British design icons Royal Doulton and Hemingway Design have joined forces to create a new partnership and launch a striking ceramic interiors collection, including statement vases in a variety of shapes and colours, from a bouquet vase with an embossed texture to a distinctive orange glazed rose bowl. The collection also offers smaller items, such as decorative storage jars, tealight holders or mini jugs in bright colours. Even the nesting ceramic trays come in three sizes and coordinating colours.

www.royaldoulton.co.uk

What the retailer says… “Decorative objects are important for our stores, especially vases and centrepieces, with Rosenthal, Versace and Leonardo our most popular brands in this category. Bestselling decorative objects are the Versace Medusa line, the Rosenthal Blockglass line, the Leonardo Corner line and our own Madeleine gifts.” Mary Sarafidis, executive buyer for tableware-only chain, Parousiasi which has 52 stores across Greece TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 51

PROUNA

Category Decorative

Prouna Fine Bone China, a line of luxury tabletop, has launched The Marble Collection, a luxurious line of giftware, the pattern of which is inspired by the texture of Italian Carrara Marble. The range includes 12 gift items, including jewellery boxes, catchall trays and a vase, in four shades – Chianti, Verde, Azure and Venice Fog – all brought to life with stunning strokes of 24k gold in the decal.

Distributed in the US by the Kiyasa Group.

LLADRO

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s classic, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, Spanish porcelain brand www.porcel.com Lladro has delivered an imaginative range of handmade www.kiyasa.com pieces, a perfect opportunity to create a display of relevant fantasy in your store. In 2009, it presented its version of Alice sitting next to the White Rabbit on the Queen of Hearts’ throne. Since then, they have collaborated with international artists ranging from Jamie Hayon to Bodo Sperlain to create eye-catching Sambonet is a strong player in the area of silver-plated pieces. Every Lladro piece is handcrafted and painted. decorative objects, with its photo frames, candlesticks, bowls, baskets and decorative plates. Sambonet’s www.lladro.com Luxury frame range delivers four collections – Flat, Skin, More and Dew – that mix modernity and tradition and are Made in Italy. The collections include a table clock, photo frames in different sizes, made of precious silver leaf with dark lacquered wood on the back. While Flat embodies simplicity, Skin conveys a sensation of movement with its square texture and alternation of high and low reliefs.

SAMBONET

RUDOLF KAMPF

www.sambonet.it

Renowned for its high quality, quirky porcelain – tableware and giftable decoration pieces – Czech brand Rudolf Kampf offers a variety of vases. Designed in five variations with white or black porcelain glazing and decorated with 24k gold or silver of the highest 925 standard, the Swan Queen vase (pictured) can be functional or simply decorative. Its Vases Collection includes variations of porcelain vases decorated with gold or platinum with relief décor, with a design based on the Baroque style.

www.en/rudolfkampf.eu

VISTA ALEGRE This year, as part of its vast Art Deco Collection, Vista Alegre delivered a number of luxury decorative objects in both crystal and porcelain that pay homage to the Art Deco spirit of the ‘20s and ‘30s. In addition to porcelain photo frames (Gotham) featuring a geometric relief inspired

by Art Deco architecture, the collection includes two stunning vases, Jet Black (pictured). Handmoulded by glassware masters, the vases deliver Art Deco-inspired designs that are textured with a handpainted gold finish.

www.myvistaalegre.com 52 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

WRZESNIAK

Known for its handcrafted glassware, Polish company Wrzesniak Glassworks values both tradition and originality producing a variety of shapes, colours and decorations in glass, including decorative glass objects. These glass candle holders, which are mouthblown for perfect quality clear glass, can be placed on the floor or table, both indoor and outdoor.

www.glassworks.pl

GLAMOUR IS REBORN Discover the new Vista Alegre collections inspired by Art Deco.

TABLEWARE 路 DINNERWARE 路 GIFTWARE

Visit us at: The New York Tabletop Show Forty One Madison, 9th Floor Oct 13-16 vistaalegre.com

Category Decorative

Retail talk ROGA ASKA Now under the WWRD group of companies, com Rogaska Crystal has delivered a number of new contemporary decorative items this season, including its Camel Giftware duo of vase and bowl. All about shape and silhouette, pieces are clean, clear, avant-garde and modern. Its Brilliance Giftware (pictured), a vase and a bowl, feature an all-over facet cut and a fluid, organic shape. Creative lighting schemes are also enhanced with the new Manhattan City Lighting – inspired by the Big Apple skyline, these heavy glass candleholders are stackable and come in both clear and frosted.

www.wwrd.com

MICHAEL WAINWRIGHT

Continuing his affinity for texture in both design and decoration, Michael Wainwright has launched his new Autumn ‘15 giftware collection in Tempio Luna and Truro. He has introduced two new frame collections in his signature 24k gold and platinum handpainted décor. He has also added wood to his Truro collection, with the Truro wood cheese tray with textured handles. A trio of bud vases are named after the flowers that inspired their decoration. In Tempio Luna, there is a square vase with marbleised 24k gold and platinum surrounding all four sides, plus the Truro square and rectangle tray.

www.michaelwainwright.com

HERE END Established in 18 826, Herend is renowned for its finest quality handmade luxury china and for marrying g tradition and innovation. The Herend Porcelain Manufactory draws on 16,000 shapes, m more than 4,000 000 decors. From fine dining tableware collections, through to tiny Herend Porcelaain accessories, Herend delivers pieces that are highly decorattive, whethe er functional or not. There’s the Chinese figurine with its tiny hands extended, th he porcelain butter and cheese dishes with their delicate handpaainted charm m, and the knife holders with butterfly décor.

www.h herend.co om

LENOX New from Lenox is the Alvarado collection of vases and bowls.

Featuring a golden hue and organic, scalloped shapes, these eclectic pieces give the feel of the earth, highlighting the natural beauty of raw materials and adding excitement to home décor.

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www.lenox.com

We speak to Elena Sarkova, chief buyer, Dom Farfora, a multi-brand tableware and giftware retail chain with eight stores throughout Moscow.

How key is Decorative for you?

Very important and a significant driving force of our business as decorative pieces continue to be a strong market in Russia. People love buying gifts and decorating their homes.

How do you curate your collection?

When we select the decorative assortment for our store we have to keep in mind various criteria – that we offer a selection of pieces that boast some individuality, that suit different tastes and price points, and that we offer some collectables. We find vases are popular on the eve of Lady’s Day in March, while candlesticks are heavily sought-after before New Year. Figurines are year-round buys and emotional purchases – in Russia, they love to collect animal figurines, with dogs and cats top of the list. We have a lot of client-oriented work, which means looking for special or unique figurines from manufacturers like Meissen.

Which brands sell well for you?

In decorative art, we find that Michael Aram is very popular, with his very contemporary patterns, wide assortment range and regular novelty launches. L’Objet is also popular due to its sophisticated yet bold designs and fresh and modern look. On the luxury side, Czech glass manufacturer Moser stands apart from the others both in the style and colour range it delivers. Every year Moser launch a unique collection of vases with a cut technique where the colours transmit from one into another. Such pieces are popular among Russians as they are admirers of contemporary art.

And your bestsellers?

The Black Orchid collection and Botanical Leaf collection from Michael Aram; the Fortuny collection, Braid photo frames, Swans, Equestrian and Lorel from L’Objet; and from Moser, the Gloria, Pear and Facet vases, as well as Splendid and Lady Hamilton patterns. www.domfarfora.ru

Carrol Boyes, renowned South African artist and designer, finds the perfect synthesis between functionality and art in her distinctive work.

These unique items draw their inspiration from both the human form and the beauty of nature. Visit carrolboyes.com for the full range.

Product Feature Flatware

Cutlery confidential Flatware (cutlery in Europe) is our focus this month. We talk business growth, timeless design and visual merchandising with category experts both from cutlery-only brands and tableware companies How is business in the cutlery sector? Is it a sector in growth?

Simon Price, CEO, Arthur Price: Much, much better. Sales are up and we have great confidence. We don’t sit at the lower end of the market, which in recent times has become a distressed one. We have an out-of-date perception of being ‘higher end’ and so our expansion has been affordable pieces whilst never reducing quality.

Edouard Froment, managing director, Capdeco: By the end of June this year, the growth rate of Capdeco was at 30 per cent, with particular growth in the US, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, South Africa and China.

Lou Scala, chief marketing officer, Nambe: Nambe has been growing its flatware business for some time. We are continuing to trend upwards in bridal registries on 5-piece flatware sets, and our 45-piece boxed flatware set business is in growth.

Phil Atherton, group sales & marketing director, Portmeirion Group: The market for gift cutlery is growing and we’ve seen a significant increase across Portmeirion, Spode and Royal Worcester for beautifully packaged cutlery gift sets. We are looking to increase this category with Spring 2016 launches.

Sharon Harris, sales director, Robert Welch: We’ve seen a really positive start to the year, with cutlery performing very well across all our markets. The last five years has seen us develop a strong and developing 56 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

sales record in America, Australia and Asia and sustained growth throughout continental Europe, a combination of design that has broad appeal, excellent quality of finish and affordable mid-market pricing.

Kurosch Afchani, product manager flatware, Villeroy & Boch: The flatware market has been performing increasingly well in the last year and is steadily growing. Villeroy & Boch’s flatware division is in growth, which we see as especially linked to our diverse assortment.

Fernando Castro, head of marketing, Herdmar: This year, there was high demand for Herdmar cutlery leading to a 25 per cent increase in turnover. We believe this is the result of big efforts being made, not only by Herdmar but all European cutlery producers, in developing new technologies, studying the markets and understanding the trends.

William Welch, owner, Studio William: The tabletop retailers in Europe and the US have faced strong encounters of cheap and poorly manufactured product, often sold through supermarket incentive promotions, dominant global retail chains and the Internet. Our retail price points are not cheap but affordable; complemented by high quality and timeless design. There is always a customer who wants their product to last longer than a year or two.

We have a growing and loyal customer database, and can clearly see from Internet sales that consumers are collecting us and growing their pattern over a longer time period.

The experts What visual merchandising techniques can retailers utilise?

Simon Price

Helen Duffy, marketing manager, Elia International: Staff training is important to ensure

CEO, Arthur Price

staff can assist the team at POS. Elia has designed many units in collaboration with our retailers to match the demands of their specific store and to best represent the product and pricing. Cutlery is a tactile product and the consumer has to be able to hold and feel it.

Edouard Froment

Capdeco: As small items, they must be well presented or they will be missed. In Europe, retailers sell flatware open stock, but not in the US, so we offer two displays for both purposes. Flatware should be featured alongside dinnerware and glassware so people can imagine how their own table might look.

managing director, Capdeco

Lou Scala

Nambe: Keeping flatware neat so the pattern is easily visible is important, but perhaps more key is retail knowledge. It’s sometimes difficult for customers to understand the difference in quality and price between housewares flatware and status flatware like Nambe.

Being able to pick it up can help consumers tell the difference between a lighter or heavier gauge. Digital flatware finders and a detailed product description with important key facts is helpful in educating the consumer.

Robert Welch: In our studio shops, we demonstrate product quality and award-winning design with our crisp merchandising – shops are clean, sleek and minimalist.

We think consumers need to handle the flatware so they can make an informed choice; this can be achieved with an open display of the designs available coupled with POS info. We also find the use of flatware in tabletop displays successful. Flatware merchandising should include a range of accessories and serveware as these generate excellent add-on sales and impulse purchases.

Sambonet

Portmeirion Group: Beautiful, eye-catching displays are key. Stacking gift box sets is a great way to create an impact in store. Consumers also need to see the products so opening the lids of the gift boxes allows this. Demonstrating how the product can be used can grab consumer attention – for example, positioning a cake slice on a cake stand in an afternoon tea display.

The use of props like flowers and mock cakes helps create an atmosphere and offers inspirational ideas.

Villeroy & Boch: Customers want to be inspired, so our products are incorporated into table settings at POS, which allows them to visualise the products in their own home more easily. It’s important that customers can touch and feel the products to experience the materials and high quality.

chief marketing officer and EVP of sales, Nambe Phil Atherton

group sales & marketing director, Portmeirion Group Sharon Harris

sales director, Robert Welch Kurosch Afchani

Any consumer or style trends you are seeing emerge?

Villeroy & Boch: Today it is fashionable to mix and match. We are seeing a strong trend toward more contemporary design with clear lines and an elegant style proving popular, like our new La Classica collection.

Sets still dominate the market as they offer good pricing – however, demand for cutlery that creates a personal design statement is increasing, so we find individual pieces that stand out in terms of colour, design or usage are becoming more popular.

Capdeco: In Europe, customers demand flatware with a modern design at an affordable price, while in the US, high-end flatware with more traditional raw materials like wood are very much in demand. In South Korea, all the customers I meet at shows request the same pattern – it looks like chopsticks on the handle and comes in flashy colours.

Robert Welch: The general trend appears to be toward designs that are more curvy in nature, rather than those with an angular finish. Today, it is common for households to have two sets of cutlery – one for everyday and one for occasion dining and we find sets are most popular with individual pieces purchased as top-ups.

product manager flatware, Villeroy & Boch

Adam Walker

sales manager, Elia Int’l

Robbe & Berking

Herdmar: The vintage style is strong right now – we are bringing back old models and applying colour coatings such as copper or black, to give them a new look that is retro and therefore on trend.

Studio William: The retailer has directed the style and type of purchase offered in the stores today to mainly sets and the individual pieces are usually marketed online only. As example, some of our retail partners sell more of our contemporary patterns than transitional patterns; these are set purchases, place settings and also individual pieces.

Fernando Costa

head of marketing, Herdmar

William Welch

owner, Studio William

TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 57

Product Feature Flatware

Arthur Price

How to double your cutlery profits

Villeroy & Boch

While trends are important, how key is timeless design?

Arthur Price: Very important. Many people can’t buy a high quality canteen in one go, so they need the comfort of being able to add individual items at a later date, whilst knowing it is still a popular design. If done right, design can be timeless.

Nambe: Timeless design plays a role in everything we work on at Nambe and flatware is no exception. Many of our flatware patterns incorporate smooth, clean lines and sleek curves that will resonate with consumers for years to come. Our bestselling Frond 5-piece placesetting was first introduced in 2007 and continues to gain popularity today.

Robert Welch: Consumers today are definitely aware of the merits of investing in good quality cutlery, so buying a timeless design that lasts a lifetime is, for many, a logical and economical purchase. Timeless design is central to the Robert Welch philosophy, meaning consumers can own flatware that will never go out of fashion and can complement all table settings. Timeless design goes beyond aesthetics, it requires flatware to perform well through great balance, outstanding finish and strength.

Villeroy & Boch: Timeless design is important, not just for longevity but also for flexibility in terms of being combined with different tabletop collections and for different occasions. Collections like our Kreuzband Septfontaines and Neufaden Merlemont have been in the range for many years now and remain popular for their classic design.

Studio William: Timeless design is incredibly important in the purchase for the European consumer.

Although the days of leaving the ‘Silverware’ to the children is not quite as prevalent, the purchase is definitely more thought through in terms of longevity of pattern and adding to their chosen set. When you look at patterns from the 1920s, it is staggering to see how contemporary they were, and would still be perceived as contemporary today, which makes them timeless.

58 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Cutlery manufacturer Arthur Price says it is time to change the growing perception that cutlery is a ‘stack Simon Price it high, sell it cheap’ commodity item with little margin, suggesting that retailers can instead double their profits.

Consumers on average purchase cutlery sets between three to four times in a lifetime, adding loose items along the way. Due to these irregular purchase patterns, retailers’ margins need to be maximised with every transaction. In recent times, the trend has been for retailers to buy large quantities of low-cost products and sell them at discounted prices. Profits are being eroded because operating costs are, per unit, higher.

Simon Price, CEO of Arthur Price explains: “We’ve seen the number of retailers who buy lower quality cheaper items, sometimes loose, and sell them at discounted prices, increase dramatically. Why do this when you can buy smaller quantities of much higher quality items at a slightly higher price that will virtually double your margins because the selling costs are, per unit, lower? There has never been a better argument for less is more.”

He continues: “Cutlery is changing into a commodity item. It shouldn’t be and we need to stop it now. Why? Because cutlery is bought infrequently retailers think it is impossible to maintain a reasonable purchase price. It is the exact opposite. If people don’t buy regularly they will pay more, especially if it is a recognised brand with guarantees and experienced customer service behind it. And from the retailers’ perspective, if the sale is infrequent the margin needs to be maximised.”

Tony Melia, Arthur Price sales director has created the below formula.

How to double your cutlery margin: 15 boxes @ £10 each: £150

1 x box @ £200:

£200

Less costs* @ £100:

Less costs** @ £110:

£110

GROSS PROFIT:

£100 £50

GROSS PROFIT:

£90

*VAT £30, Cost £50, Time £20 = £100 ** VAT £40, Cost £67, Time £3 = £110

Tony says: “This isn’t a sales trick. Let me explain... by selling cheaper, discounted products, retailers still spend the same on stock but because it takes longer to sell and costs are exponentially increased, profits are reduced. Why do this when you can buy less items, reduce your costs and increase profits?”

Simon Price comments: “It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. By thinking cutlery is a commodity and can be sold cheaply then that is exactly what will happen. If we think of it as a necessary purchase that will last and serve us well, with guarantees, then consumers will think the same.

“Glassware and chinaware are prime examples…these industries have polarised with some consumers buying cheap products that don’t last. Trends confirm there is an increase in home dining and entertaining, and cutlery is an integral part.

“Firstly, you put cutlery in your mouth so you want it to be good quality, particularly in terms of taste and safety. Also, because you only buy it occasionally you want it to last.”

Tony Melia is asking retailers to contact him direct. He says: “I challenge retailers to contact me and give me 10 minutes of their time to prove the theory. We are all trying to increase margins and I ask retailers to contact me to experiment with this theory and see how their margins will double.”

For more information contact Tony Melia on 01543 257775 or email tony.melia@arthurprice.com

Product Feature Flatware

ALESSI ELIA INTERNATIONAL Elia International offers one of the most extensive ranges of cutlery in the UK with over 70 different designs, unique configurations of sets, and various different finishes, including brushed, satin, mirror, hollow and various unique designs and styles. The business is split evenly between catering and retail supplying many international hotel groups and department stores globally. Each Elia piece is crafted from the finest materials, 18/10 stainless steel, ensuring durability. Elia’s latest launch is the addition of the Zephyr pattern to the Chroma range of cutlery gift box sets. A slim yet gently curved design that is simple and elegant, Zephyr is highly polished to a smooth mirror finish.

www.elia.co.uk

CAPDECO This French family brand offers a wide selection of 30 designs, with some delivered in colours. In Europe, and more recently in China, they tend to sell canteens of 24 pieces, while in the US, 5-piece placesettings are most popular.

They use plexi, nylon, polymere, natural woods, stainless steel, gold plating and silver plating in the make up of their unique handles. They offer seven sizes per pattern, while most competitors offer three or four, and deliver flatware that is bigger than others, with thicker handles than most. They only cater to the retail trade.

The first cutlery set produced by Alessi was Dry in 1982 and the brand’s flatware has since gone from strength to strength. It now has over 14 different sets created by the world’s most talented designers, from Jasper Morrison to Stefano Giovannoni, with styles ranging from formal classical to contemporary. Each range includes standard pieces, plus salad servers, fish knives, ladles, pastry forks and sometimes up to six different sized spoons. Some 80 per cent is for retail and 20 per cent hospitality, with Italy and German its biggest markets. Every year, Alessi launches new sets, including three this year. For Autumn, it offers Rundes Modell (pictured), first designed by Josef Hoffmann in 1906, it has been reintroduced; and a brand new set, Collo-Ato by Inga Sempe. The latter takes its inspiration from the elegant risotto serving spoon and comes im 18/10 stainless steel with a mirror polish.

www.alessi.com

www.capdeco-france.com/en

LENOX CORPORATION Flatware is one of the fastest growing categories within Lenox’s stable of brands – Lenox, Gorham, Dansk, Kate Spade, Marchesa and the newly acquired Reed & Barton – due to its diverse product. They have recently bolstered their pattern offerings with innovative finishes, new applications of colour and new configurations of sets based upon the way consumers use their flatware every day. All the brands engineer their flatware in 18/10 stainless steel, and the offerings range from 5-piece and 20-piece sets to 45-piece sets and even 65-piece sets. There are hundreds of patterns to choose from. Due to be launched at The New York Tabletop Show in October is Lenox’s 5-piece Curve Gold flatware set (pictured). Curve’s sleek silhouette gets an upgrade when finished in this rich gold colour.

Having experienced a 25 per cent growth in turnover this year, Herdmar is renowned for dressing tables, presenting new models that reflect consumer and fashion trends, with many different colours and distinctive designs. It offers 200 different lines, distributing 70 per cent to retail and 30 per cent to the hospitality sector, with the US, UAE and Canada the strongest markets in hospitality. Herdmar is present in more than 65 countries: while 5-piece sets are most in demand in the US market; 24-piece sets are common in Europe. They offer cutlery and serveware, along with some dishes and napkin holders, all in stainless steel.

www.lenox.com

www.herdmar.com/en

HERDMAR

Did you know…? Four of the top five fine flatware brands in the US are Lenox brands, with flatware offerings under Lenox, Gorham, Dansk, Kate Spade, Marchesa and Reed & Barton.

60 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

NAMBE Nambe currently offers 13 flatware patterns, with their 14th pattern due to debut at the Tabletop Market in October, a design that will complement the also soon-to-debut Dinnerware Collection by Robin Levien. There are three 45-piece flatware sets and the remaining are sold as 5-piece flatware sets, with all Nambe flatware forged of 18/10 stainless steel. Nambe’s most popular pattern, Frond (pictured) has been in the collection since 2007, while one of its newest sets is the 45-piece flatware set, Aura, launched at last year’s October Market.

www.nambe.com

VILLEROY & BOCH Villeroy & Boch’s flatware division is in growth – a retail segment, which dominates, and a hotel division. They offer a broad range of cutlery. “We put great emphasis on our flatware matching our tabletop in colour like the new colour S+ Rose, which matches Mariefleur and Rose Cottage,” says Kurosch Afchani, product manager flatware. There are 24 lines of flatware, with more added each year, including hollow-handled knives, monobloc and three different colour concepts, with materials including stainless steel, brushed steel, gold/silver plating and silicon coating. They offer everything from 4-piece sets up to 113-piece sets, though standard-sized sets of 24, 30 and 70 pieces dominate. This year, they launched two classic collections, Coupole and La Classica, and a new colour Rose for its S+ Series. La Classica (pictured) offers an elegant design that matches tabletop ranges La Classica Nuova and La Classica Contura. Coupole was successful in hospitality and has now been launched at retail.

www.villeroy-boch.co.uk

DINNER FOR TWO You can´t buy happiness. Usually.

Dinner For Two-Sets at prices that make you happy.

For instance 2x 5pcs Dinner Sets 925 Sterling Silver regular $2,485 ❯ NOW $ 1,950 60 Microns silver-plated regular $1,158 ❯ NOW $ 950 Available at selected retail stores: Canada: Montréal Maison Lipari, www.maisonlipari.ca Toronto William Ashley, www.williamashley.com Vancouver Atkinson’s, www.atkinsonsofvancouver.com USA: Beverly Hills Gearys, www.gearys.com Los Angeles Table Art, www.tableartonline.com New York Michael C. Fina, www.michaelcfina.com · The Silver Peacock, www.thesilverpeacock.com Palm Beach Mary Mahoney, www.marymahoney.com San Francisco Gump’s, www.gumps.com

W W W . R O B B E B E R K I N G . C O M

ARTHUR PRICE Started in 1902, Arthur Price is a British family-owned cutlery and gift company.

They offer everything from £99 box sets up to £5,500 canteens with the ability to increase placesettings. They are one of a handful of manufacturers who only use 18/10 stainless steel and offer a 50-year guarantee. Some 70 per cent of their cutlery business is retail, 30 per cent hospitality. This year they launched their most important new range for a generation, the Arthur Price signature range, a collection of two new classical patterns, Camelot and Warwick, inspired by founder Arthur Price but with a modern take. They come in high grade, forged stainless steel and in four box sets and two gift sets.

www.arthurprice.com

Product Feature Flatware

SAMBONET Sambonet has given a new and sophisticated finish to some of its bestselling products with Vintage flatware, the result of a special craftsman technique used on the surface that delivers an intentionally worn elegance. The stainless steel Gio Ponti, Baguette and Flat flatware have been given the vintage look, creating an elegant ‘used’ effect typical of the shabby chic style.

http://corporate.sambonet.com/

ROBERT WELCH Family-owned brand Robert Welch Designs, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, continues to work with a small team of in-house designers to produce a growing collection of award-winning products. With timeless design central to the brand’s philosophy, they deliver classic designs made from the finest quality, specially developed steel, with spoons and forks made from 18/10 stainless steel (18% chrome, 10% nickel); and knives with a content of 13 per cent chrome and hardened so blades retain a good cutting edge. They offer some 30 designs, with their business split p 60 p per cent retail, 40 p per cent hospitality. p y Its latest launch, Arden (pictured), is a simple yet striking design with slender lines and gradually tapering ta handles.

www.robertwelch.com www.rober

PORTMEIRION GROUP ROBBE & BERKING Robbe & Berking offers 22 different cutlery designs in 925 sterling silver and 150g massive silver plating (60 microns) with 50 to 60 individual pieces in each collection. All pieces are handmade in Germany with unique forms – each piece is processed via 80 to 100 hands. They offer an availability guarantee until at least 2040 for all cutlery; and a wide selection of individualisation. Launched in 1993 and designed by Wilfried Moll, Alta (150g silver plating and 925/000 sterling silver) is one of the brand’s most popular designs, having secured many prestigious awards. “We find the share of traditional and modern decors is quite balanced – in some markets, ornamental cutlery is popular, while in others, more purist, reduced forms are favoured,” explains Oliver Berking who manages the family-run company, now in its fifth generation. “At the moment, we are finding individualised articles, such as engravings and gildings, to be in demand.”

Portmeirion Group offers an array of giftable cutlery across its major brands – Portmeirion, Spode and Royal Worcester – ranging from single items like a cake slice, to gift sets, like a set of six pastry forks. The cutlery all boasts ceramic (porcelain) handles with a stainless steel body and is designed to complement existing dinnerware ranges. For example, for Portmeirion, there’s cutlery in Botanic Garden; and for Spode, there’s cutlery in Blue Italian and Delamere Rural, to name but a few. The group will have new launches for spring 2016.

www.portmeiriongroup.com

www.robbeberking.com

Did you know…? Designed in 1990, cutlery range Chaco from Danish design brand Stelton, was awarded a place in the permanent collection of the International Design Museum in London soon after its launch – a recognition only few patterns receive. Boasting sleek straight lines, its slim form offers understated elegance and incredible balance, while its style tastes of Scandinavia. It comes in 18/8 stainless steel and is stain polished.

62 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Elia offers an outstanding selection of cutlery superbly mnisIed in a stunning Nirror mnisI .anufactured in tIe mnest 4tainless 4teel Xe ensure stylisI cutlery XitIout coNproNising on durability or practicality 1ictured Elia s neX 1alladio range

Elia International Ltd, 10 Aintree Road, Perivale, Middlesex UB6 7LA. United Kingdom Tel +44 (0)20 8998 2100 Fax +44 (0)20 8997 5596 sales@elia.co.uk www.elia.co.uk

Profile Studio William

Studio William celebrates a decade in business Upholding the tradition of English cutlery makers, British designled brand Studio William has come a long way since its birth in an English town 10 years ago. We talk to the main man, William Welch NEW Balsa Studio William’s

S

tudio William launched 10 years ago in a small market town in England with a mission: to create one of the highest quality, design-led cutlery brands in the world.

“Our greatest challenge was creating a new cutlery brand within a very mature international market, among cutlery companies that have been established often between 50 to 150 years dominating the selling floors,” says awardwinning industrial designer, William Welch, who founded the company and is the son of one of the most recognised post-war industrial designers, the late Robert Welch.

In fact, since the passing of iconic cutlery designers – David Mellor in 2009 and William’s father Robert Welch in 2000 – William Welch remains the only British designer/maker of cutlery, steering his company within the global industry. And this is one of the brand’s greatest and most unique assets.

Today, Studio William has come a long way to achieving its original mission, delivering the finest cutlery to some of the finest department stores, hotels, restaurants and airlines globally, and securing numerous industry greats.

“We secured our first Red Dot award in 2006, for our Olive range, and this was also the year we started our relationship with Crate & Barrel USA, our very first customer,” says William.

Since 2006 the brand has been the recipient of many international design awards, including four Red Dot awards and four Good Design Awards, and in 2009, was selected by Number 10 Downing Street for its excellence in British Design.

“This was a wonderful seal of approval for our company, that our cutlery was being used by all global dignitaries and visiting politicians whenever they were hosted at Number 10,” says William.

64 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

As was the seal of approval from the Victoria & Albert Museum, which now houses seven Studio William designs in its permanent display, further acknowledging the brand as a representative of excellence in 21st century British design.

Furthermore, the brand has been chosen to represent British designled cutlery at British department stores, Selfridges and Heals; and is found in some of the world’s most iconic buildings, from The Burj Al Arab, Dubai, to the Royal Albert Hall, to the Tate Modern and the Sydney Opera House.

The Studio William business sells to two key customer types – retail and foodservice – and markets two brands, Studio William and the more recently launched Charingworth, the latter offering a more ‘transitional’ old-meetsnew aesthetic.

“The combination of the two brands has created new opportunities that have, in turn, fed our continuing growth,” says William, highlighting how foodservice around the world, in particular, has grown considerably, with Studio William now finding itself available everywhere from China to Columbia, the Maldives to Myanmar, Spain to South Africa; with Charingworth rapidly gathering speed alongside its sister brand.

“Our company has been in consistent growth since opening in 2005, a great achievement given the economic crisis in 2009. We have gained recognition within the retail and foodservice industry, with design and innovation leading their choices,” says William, highlighting how Studio William supplies to many Michelin-star chefs and a number of the St Pellegrino World Top 100 Restaurants.

Not only has the brand become a nominated global supplier to the

new collection, Balsa, is an elegant, minimal form in 18/10 stainless steel. The top surface of the knife has a totally flat and minimal appearance, while the edges of the handles are finished with delicate radii ensuring good ergonomics, yet still allowing for the flat surface to reflect mininalism back to the user’s eye. The knife has an unexpected surprise beneath, the handle transitioning into a crisp bolster, allowing for a dramatic reduction in gauge thickness. The blade has a Choil on the blade’s back edge to tell the user all is not what it seems.

Hilton Worldwide Hotel Group, serving Hiltons worldwide, but it was recently chosen by award-winning Abu Dhabi airline Etihad Airways to supply its new First Class with Royal Oak Mirror Cutlery and The Residence Class with Royal Oak 24k Goldplated cutlery.

On the retail front, Studio William is currently ranged in the more premium sector at the premium end, department stores and independents, such as Selfridges, Heals and Brown Thomas, as well as on key wedding list companies and carefully selected online partners like Amara.

“We have aspirations to grow the brand within the retail sector at the premium end in stores, which have a discerning eye for design-led products,” says Dan Flower, AIM Brands, which looks after the retail side of the business. “We aim to appeal to the consumer who likes and appreciates good design and quality products.”

As you would expect from an innovative design-led luxury brand, retail price points aren’t cheap, but they are affordable, complemented by high quality, innovation, great balance and ergonomics; an extended list of items in every range; and an aesthetic of timeless design, which is at the forefront of the company.

“Timeless design is incredibly important in the purchase for the European consumer especially,” says William. “We are always looking at new innovative designs that really push the boundaries of traditional cutlery, to create something truly unique. But we also draw on the best designs and creativity of the past,” says William.

So what’s new in this special anniversary year for the brand?

Studio William has introduced Balsa, an elegant, minimal 18/10 stainless steel design; and the company is undertaking a tree initiative, planting trees in the UK with The National Forest Company (every year, Studio William donates a percentage of its online store sales to the International Tree Foundation; while every pattern it launches is named after a tree).

“As we grow our business, the company’s carbon footprint increases – we hope to offset our footprint by giving back to nature,” says William, adding that the next 10 years will see Studio William continue on its mission, aspiring to be the innovation leader of the cutlery industry.

“Good design will continue to shape our business future,” concludes William Welch. www.studiowilliam.com

CHANTILLY N E W V I B E O F M O D E R N B E AU T Y

41 MADISON AVE 14th FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10010 | 212 684 8888 | WWW.AURATIC.COM

Show Preview

41 YEARS OF

41 Madison With 41 years of luxury tableware housed within its design-friendly doors, 41 Madison continues to grow as the most important address in tabletop. Over the next few pages, we highlight the latest happenings at this October’s Tabletop Show, preview new introductions, interview vice president Laurie Burns and reveal what tenants love most about tabletop’s most famous destination

I

t’s now 41 years at Forty One Madison, and the upcoming New York Tabletop Market, October 13-16, will be abuzz with buyers searching for the category’s newest and best for their stores, e-tail operations, hospitality facilities and interior design clients.

According to Laurie Burns, Forty One Madison senior vice president and director, “Show attendees will see an abundance of new product introductions – especially in the middle to low price ranges. With nearly every major brand and factory in the world represented here, and all spotlighting new products and programmes for the coming selling season, this is a must-attend show.”

Renovations & movements Burns also noted that the high level of recent and planned construction and expansions in the building underscores the strong investment tabletop manufacturers are making in the US market.

“They’re aware that commerce here is on a healthier track, and that there’s renewed promise in the buying power of our consumers.”

Case in point is Richard Ginori 1735, which has been at 41 Madison for 38 years. Its showroom on the 17th floor is one where buyers will see the fruits of its extensive planning and a new vision for its future.

Now under the ownership of Kering, a conglomerate encompassing the world’s leading luxury apparel and fashion accessories brands, all eyes are on Ginori as it undergoes a branding makeover that will be reflected in an enlarged and completely renovated showroom space.

The expansion now puts the showroom directly off the elevator corridor and adds another 25 per cent of square footage to the 66 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

footprint. Moreover, the renovation will mirror the design of the company’s recently re-branded flagship shop in Florence and a new Milan location, which was described in Architectural Digest, “like visiting a charming country estate.”

These have quickly become destination boutiques wowing savvy globetrotters since opening earlier this year.

“Our investment in a newly renovated showroom is reflective of our desire to create a space where we can showcase the newest products within a full Richard Ginori ‘home’,” stated Richard Ginori CEO Karlheinz Hofer. “The redesigned space is a sign of the company’s new direction and focus towards the US market and our aim is that it will expand the brand’s global recognition.”

Kiyasa Corporation has moved into triple the space it once had, now occupying a 17th floor, newlybuilt 2,500-sq-ft showroom befitting the rapid expansion it has been experiencing since opening its doors at Forty One Madison in 2010.

This rising star company began as the US distributor for Prouna Fine Bone China and has progressively grown to represent a carefully curated portfolio of prestigious luxury brands.

In addition to Prouna, the Kiyasa line-up includes Lehmann Glass, a choice of wine connoisseurs; Greggio fine Italian silver and silverplate; Dogale Venezia, hand painted silver-backed glass giftware; plus house brand Kiyasa Signature, which includes a series of vegan leather table and desk accessories.

Taking centrestage will be the new Domenico Vacca fashion-inspired collection by Prouna.

Bormioli Rocco will be celebrating on the 16th floor as the consolidation of its office space housing its US

headquarters and new modern showroom is now complete.

A newcomer since the Spring market but open since July is BauscherHepp, a giant in the hospitality sector. Located on the 6th floor, this showroom features Bauscher porcelain hotelware, Hepp professional cutlery, Tafelstern porcelain, WMF Hotel, Luigi Bormioli Foodservice and Mogogo buffet service products. Though specialised in commercial lines, this showroom will be open for business at the Tabletop Show.

And, until Spring 2016 when it officially moves into a new permanent showroom, Wilton Armetale will be set up on the 17th floor for Fall Market only, showing a new Fleur de Lys collection plus numerous line extensions.

“We were one of the first original tenants at 41 Madison thanks to Philip Rosenthal’s vision to grow the brand in the US. 41 Madison is very important to our business – both retail and the hotel/ restaurant service. Our showroom on the ground floor has a constant flow of retailers, chefs and interior designers coming in to view all our products.” Gianluca Colonna, chief operating & sales officer, Rosenthal GMBH, 1st floor

Lobby settings and extras Brides is bringing its chic sensibility to the tablesetting vignettes lining the lobby. “Brides tablescapes will bring to life the stylish weddings we both feature and help brides achieve,” said Keija Minor, editor-in-chief.

Interior Designer Day is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, and New York Spaces magazine is once again on board to co-host.

The day kicks off with a private breakfast for interior designers with the magazine’s editorial director Jason Kontos in the 39th floor panoramic-view of the director’s office. Following, guests will have the day to peruse participating showrooms that welcome working with the design trade.

The upcoming edition of the New York Tabletop Show takes place October 13-16, 2015. For the showrooms listing, app information, and to register, visit www.41madison.com

“Nikko is one of the building’s original tenants having had a showroom here for 38 years. Not only is 41 Madison the place to be for the twice-a-year shows, but it’s a constant resource for fine restaurants and press relations. If there was no 41 Madison, we would have to invent one. How can you show art if there’s no museum?”

Charlie Breslin, president of Howard Charles Inc., for Nikko Ceramics, 22nd floor

“As a luxury brand, it has been important for Fuerstenberg to be present at 41 Madison – to enter the American market and to expand our market share.

Our showroom is mainly used during the two annual shows to present new items, but having it all year round means we can hold appointments for new projects and clients and have a permanent presentation of Fuerstenberg.” Stephanie Saalfeld, managing director, Fuerstenberg, 9th floor

“41 Madison has played an important role in our business for the last eight years. The space has allowed us to make new, and maintain close, personal relationships with our accounts multiple times a year through the Tabletop Show and random meetings. It’s a wonderful resource for vendors, retailers, licensees and the media to congregate and celebrate the sanctity of dining at the table with family and friends.” Rich Brinkman, VP retail sales & marketing, Homer Laughlin China, 16th floor

“Nambé has had a showroom at 41 Madison for nearly 20 years. It’s an important tool – without a showroom at 41 Madison, you’re not really in the industry; New York has proven to be the centre for both design and retail communication. We constantly meet with customers, designers and press, and the shows here are instrumental to our business and are the main events where we debut new products. You get a sense of the trends and designs in the industry and have a chance to show what you’ve been working on.”

Bill Robedee, president & CEO, Nambe, 6th floor

“

Noritake is proud of its 41 years of support for 41 Madison having been the very first tabletop company to sign a lease prior to the building’s launch in 1974. Inevitably, both the building and the industry have gone through many changes, yet both the building and Noritake remain at the forefront of the tabletop business worldwide. While regional shows both in the US and around the globe serve an ever-growing international marketplace, the hub of the industry still resides in its largest market, the US, in its largest city, New York. As a site for permanent showrooms, 41 Madison not only ushers in new product introductions, it provides everyday access to the industry’s finest products, one of the most important distinguishing factors of this unique venue. The festive atmosphere of the shows give way to year-round business strategies that maximise the businesses of both vendor and retailer alike.

”

Peter Goldberger, executive vice president, tabletop division, Noritake. 7th floor

“We moved our showroom from our previous New York location to 41 Madison in 2013. The prestigious reputation of 41 Madison with its long tradition of high-end glassware suppliers made our decision to switch easy… we needed to be among our peers. It allows us to show the entire product line in one location and it has been key in allowing us to reach a vast number of buyers during the shows. The coverage that 41 Madison provides, as well as our own marketing, has allowed us to educate more buyers on the benefits of borosilicate glassware.”

Ladislav Novotny, head of sales, Kavalier Glass, 19th floor TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 67

Show Preview 41 Madison

“We pride ourselves on being on top of, in front of, and setting trends” We talk industry challenges, the casualisation of dining ng 1 and the benefits of Forty One Madison for the past 4 41 years with senior vice-president and director of Forty One Madison, Laurie Burns In context of recent economic issues and the challenges of the tableware industry, how significant is the 41st anniversary of 41 Madison?

This milestone underscores the longevity and success of Forty One Madison. It’s an achievement of the unique and true partnership between our tenants and what is now four generations of our building’s founders, the Rudin family.

We are dedicated to the tableware industry and we co-invest in this show with our tenants to make sure it is always current, dynamic, and fresh for show attendees.

There have been a few economic downturns in the past 41 years, although none as great as the one in 2008. But there is one constant: Retailers attend the market here to see new product debuts and to develop business plans with key suppliers, including strategies to mutually maximise their business during all economic climates.

This ‘post downturn’ climate is not without its challenges, however, as the industry looks towards tapping into the buying power of Boomers, Millennials, and the next generation of tabletop consumers.

What significance does Forty One Madison hold today?

Forty One Madison is synonymous with anything and everything to do with tableware. As home of the New York Tabletop Market, this is where new products and innovations from the best factories and brands globally are introduced for key tabletop buyers from throughout the 68 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Americas. We work as hard as we can to make a show for the retailer and their buying needs.

Today, retailers, e-tailers, and other types of wholesalers attend the show here as the world changes the way it shops for tabletop. It’s where chefs and decision makers from the hospitality world come to find, touch, feel and ultimately select the dinnerware on which they want to showcase their recipes.

Increasingly, Forty One Madison has become a vital resource for interior designers who are tasked with finding the perfect china, crystal and silver for their clients – patterns not just for dining needs, but to help accessorise a room or add the finishing ambiance to a space.

As some of our tenants use their artisans’ skills and materials to diversify their offerings, designers know they can find it here. The significance of Forty One Madison today is that it is a constant, reliable and indispensible wholesale marketplace focused on tableware.

Forty One Madison also houses kitchenware brands, like WMF and Joseph Joseph. How key are these complementary categories?

We pride ourselves on being on top of, in front of, and setting trends.

With the ‘casualisation’ of today’s home entertaining and dining, there has been a blurring of the lines between what we know as traditional tableware and kitchenware/housewares. Many core tableware manufacturers who are here have, themselves, bridged

into the category with their own offerings.

You will find that some tabletop factories also have flexed their creative muscles and manufacturing capabilities to add lighting designs and even furniture into their product range as they grow various channels of their business.

Interestingly, WMF was a Forty One Madison tenant for over 26 years up until the ‘crash’ in 2008.

The decision to return this year was an integral part of their business strategy. For Joseph Joseph, Forty One Madison was an attractive choice because it could house the company’s US headquarters, as well as a showroom.

Similarly, Giftware and Tabletop are increasingly converging – how does Forty One Madison reflect this in its offerings?

For as long as I’ve been in this business, Giftware and Tabletop have always been synergistic categories.

What is currently fuelling this perhaps more than ever before are lifestyle influences – particularly a strong surge in home entertainment, along with a heightened interest in cooking and the culinary arts, thanks to the proliferation of cooking shows.

These are helping to turn consumers’ attention to serveware and the many tableware accessories that exquisitely qualify as gifts.

The materials that are the basics of tableware – ceramics, metals, crystal and glass – have always been highly valued, so that crossover

to giftware is a natural. Packaging these items as gifts gives ideas to consumers that they may not have considered.

Hospitality is a growing market for tabletop companies. How is Forty One Madison reflecting this?

Hospitality has always been a large part of business for many tabletop factories, and since day one at Forty One Madison many of our tenants have dedicated a portion of their showrooms here to this category.

They have separate sales teams and distributors who meet here regularly to make decisions for projects, renovations and new openings – from restaurants to hotels and resorts to cruise lines.

This part of the industry is not usually show-focused; they meet here when they have a project. We always encourage and invite this segment to the shows so that they can meet factory executives, see trends and build their source libraries.

What is quite exciting on this front is that we have just announced our second lease of dedicated hotelware/hospitality products in the past year. The first one was with American-made Homer Laughlin Hotelware. And our most recent one is with German-based BauscherHepp, which has the most comprehensive portfolio of six brands covering every aspect of tableware, including Bauscher commercial-grade porcelain dinnerware and Hepp cutlery; Tafelstern porcelain, a popular name among boutique-style operations; WMF Hotel, Luigi Bormioli

“

This ‘post downturn’ climate is not without its challenges as the industry looks towards tapping into the buying power of Boomers, Millennials and the next generation of tabletop consumers

Foodservice and Mogogo buffet service products.

These category leaders continue to gravitate to Forty One Madison knowing they’re in good company.

National retailers are a key audience for Forty One Madison. What other audiences can benefit from the building’s offerings?

All retailers can benefit from the show – not only the largest national chains, but also independent retailers that may have only one store or have regional reach with anywhere from four to 20 stores. What they all have in common is that they are either dedicated to, or have a large offering of, tabletop products in their stores.

Many of our tenants have a dedicated sales force to work with independent retailers, and some also have product assortments and

minimum order programmes dedicated to speciality stores. What we’re witnessing is a ‘customisation’ as the brands work with their retail customers to create a shopping experience that matches their specific needs. Retailers appreciate the New York Tabletop Show and know they can get the most out of their investment in attending because we are purely and clearly defined and deliver the global leaders in the category.

As mentioned, other audiences that are benefiting from the building’s offerings and shows include those responsible for tabletop and culinary needs in the hospitality world, and interior designers who not only are working on residential projects but those tackling corporate and commercial assignments.

We also host members of the press and media who track and report on new products, along with

photographers and stylists hunting for designs. And, trend spotters also can be spotted here, since what’s happening in tabletop is so closely aligned with fashion, home and lifestyle – factors interpreted into predictions of future buying patterns.

Major suppliers to the industry also visit the show. They can see firsthand, trends in the US and what their customers are showing to the industry here. In addition, they meet their clients in their US showrooms to do business.

How do you see the tabletop industry faring in the US so far this year?

Business is tough. It is challenging. And it is exciting.

Any refurbishments, moves, openings or events for the October show?

After the past year’s improvements

”

– renovating the director’s office, the entire 16th floor, Tseng Shyng’s showroom on the 3rd floor, plus transforming the 27th floor from office suites to showroom spaces housing The Godinger Group – even more is on the drawing board.

While we look to remain full or close to it, the industry is always changing and investing.

At the upcoming October show, two completely remodelled showrooms will debut that will wow buyers and all show attendees. Richard Ginori’s showroom is undergoing a complete makeover that will mirror its new flagship store in Florence and recentlyopened shop in Milan, while the Kiyasa Group is increasing its space by 30 per cent to 2,500 sq-ft. Both of these showrooms are on the 17th floor.

Find out more about what’s new for the October Market on page 70.

Visit us at 41 Madison

Contemporary and Classic Design Made in France

3rd Floor, BIA cordon bleu showroom

www.capdeco-france.com

TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 69

Show Preview 41 Madison

Auratic 14th floor Following Auratic’s Spring 2015 show launch of its brand new aesthetic and lines, the company are currently working on expanding gift items for its current portfolio; in particular, for its Everyday Bridal collection, to include a teaware line, dessert plate, tea caddy and two-tier cake plates. At the upcoming show, Auratic will introduce several new casual/transition lines, which utilise the company’s exclusive manufacturing techniques to achieve breakthrough designs on dinnerware. Applying new on trend colours and patterns and harnessing the mix and match concept are key elements that will be presented in Auratic’s new collection.

www.auratic.com

Lenox 24th floor At the show, Lenox will showcase extensions to its popular Tuscany range of glassware. For the at home bar, Tuscany Classics delivers stunning pieces, including a whiskey decanter, assorted champagne flutes, a multipurpose glass and a pitcher with stirrer (pictured). The latter is made of fine European crystal and is perfect for concocting creations at happy hour or simply serving up refreshments.

Nikko Ceramics 22nd floor Nikko will introduce two brand new luxury bone china patterns. Spangles is a multi-faceted design embellished with shimmering layers of gold, mica and enamel in a soft taupe and pale blue colour palette. Water Drop (pictured) is a striking collection of white dinnerware that uses a revolutionary technique of embossed crystal droplets. Nikko will also show its extensive range of premium contemporary fine bone china whiteware, once reserved for upscale hotels, including Exquisite, Flash and Washi; and deliver extensions to the Cloud collection from designer Bodo Sperlain.

www.nikkoceramics.com

www.lenox.com

Villeroy & Boch 18th floor

Twig New York

Villeroy & Boch will showcase new series, Pasta Passion, three special plates and a serving bowl. Fusing function and design, the plate shapes feature a clever design that is aesthetically pleasing, while also offering a practical cutlery rest. There is a spaghetti plate, noodle plate L and noodle plate M, each specifically designed with clever features to make the eating of the particular pasta convenient.

19th floor

www.villeroy-boch.com

www.twigny.com

This boutique brand of Hankook will unveil a variety of extensions, including an assorted set of three canapé dishes in its Blue Bird collection, which is designed

by Molly Hatch and inspired by the look of historic teacups of 18th Century European factories. It includes three differently sized and slightly differently designed small dishes, which can be used for appetizers, dipping sauces, desserts, and so on. Twig will also deliver a new low pasta/salad bowl in its award-winning Cutlery collection and additions to its fine bone china Charlotte and Layla giftware collection.

Don’t miss… Nambe The brand’s first-ever Bone China Dinnerware Collection will be unveiled. Created in collaboration with European product designer Robin Levien, the 25-sku line will include a four-piece place setting, plus drinkware, flatware and serveware. 6th floor www.nambe.com 70 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Noritake 7th floor At the October show, Noritake will showcase an expanded collection of patterns based upon the brand’s bestselling Platinum Wave and Golden Wave collections. These perennial favourites among brides especially will be joined by platinum versions in Ebony and Indigo and gold versions in Chocolate. All the new patterns will be manufactured in the same exceptionally durable porcelain body, providing the opportunity to mix the colours in with the whites.

www.noritake.com

Porcel 9th floor Porcel will highlight two new collections. Inspired by bobby lace designs, Grace is a delicate dinner, tea and coffee collection, including two cake stands, that features a soft blush colour palette on fine porcelain with golden lace details in a geometric pattern. Inspired by evening summer skies, Saturn is a fine porcelain dinner, coffee and tea set in shades of black and gold with sparks of grey reflecting night stars. Delivering an innovative porcelain finish, pieces are handcrafted and hand-finished with 24k gold rims. Finally, Porcel will reveal its Full Gold and Full Platinum tabletop complements – sets of five pieces covered in precious metals, one gold and one platinum, including coasters, trays and bowls, designed to be used as a statement-making complement to Porcel dinner sets.

Rosenthal

www.porcel.pt

1st floor Rosenthal Sambonet will showcase the Rosenthal Mesh collection and the Falda vase designed by German designer Sebastian Herkner, as well as previewing Loft extensions. They have a new 20-piece Loft by Sambonet flatware set, a 4-piece Loft tumbler set and a few new gift sets that will be unveiled. They will also showcase all their Sambonet special-finished flatware, including their PVD finishes – Black, Gold, Satin Gold, Copper & Satin Copper – Antico-finished flatware and the Vintage flatware.

www.rosenthal.de

Waterford 23rd floor Waterford will launch a big story – the Town & Country Collection is a new stemware and accessories range featuring a chic stemware series with a more casual attitude that includes clear crystal on decorated stems with a shorter profile designed to mix and match. The collection includes a House of Waterford Crystal Champagne Bucket. Designed to merchandise with Town & Country stemware and dinnerware, Town & Country Metals complements, creating a full and relaxed entertaining story. Pieces include a tiered server, bar tool set, large ice pail and coaster set with a twist on classic shapes and with clean lines.

www.wwrd.com

Prouna 17th floor In addition to showcasing its new fine bone china luxury gift collection, The Marble, which features a pattern inspired by the texture of Italian Carrara Marble and includes 12 pieces of giftable items – the Kiyasa Group, which distributes Prouna in the US – has partnered with celebrated Italian fashion designer, Domenico Vacca, to launch a line of tableware and gift items. The range features an embossed alligator print using a real alligator skin to guide the design, inspired by Domenico Vacca’s iconic alligator Julie bag. It comprises four styles, a white alligator print on fine bone china; bone and handpainted 24k gold; bone, handpainted 24k gold and hand-placed Swarovski crystals; and tableware in jewel-toned hues such as Alligator Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire and Safari.

www.kiyasa.com

Michael Wainwright 17th floor Celebrating 25 years of producing ceramics, Michael Wainwright will this year showcase new collection Dean Street at the show. Named after the location of his first studio, Dean Street features a glaze that Michael used back then. The collection delivers five stunning pieces in blue and gold, including a chip and dip, round tray and photo frame.

www.michaelwainwright.com

Show Preview BLE

BLE 2015 –

bigger than ever!

Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), the only pan-European event dedicated to licensing and brand extension, celebrates its 17th birthday when it takes place from October 13-15 at London’s Olympia

L

ast year’s Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) show was the biggest yet in the event’s history, with more square footage occupied and more retailers in attendance than ever before – and the team are looking to break more records this year.

Darren Brechin, BLE event director, explains: “We’ve set the bar high this year following the success of the 2014 event. We aim to increase all three of the zones; representing lots of new categories on the show floor.

“We also want to continue to grow our retail attendance.

With over 44 new exhibitors on board, and our Retail Mentoring Programme welcoming five new retailers, we’re looking set to achieve these goals.”

So what can you expect from BLE 2015? This year’s show will feature

72 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

around 2,500 brands, characters and images on display from more than 300 exhibitors; of which over 44 are new. To help visitors navigate easily, the show floor is divided into three zones: Art, Design & Image; Brands & Lifestyle; Character & Entertainment.

New exhibitors in the Art, Design & Image zone include: Alex Underdown Art, Dupenny and Hello Munki Ltd. Elsewhere, in the Brands & Lifestyle zone, the show welcomes Pepsi, The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, PGA Tour, Lee Stafford and Vimto International; and NOW That’s What I Call Music, Leoni S.P.A, Topps Europe and RaNT! in the Character & Entertainment zone, among others.

Free educational sessions This year will see the biggest-ever educational programme to date, featuring 25 free sessions. Visitors can choose from two educational

programmes split between the Licensing Academy and the Brands & Lifestyle Theatre.

“For many visitors, the educational element is a chance to discover the latest industry statistics, hear case study examples of how and why licensing has worked for them, and it offers access to a raft of industry experts,” says Darren.

The Licensing Academy will feature a packed programme offering industry insights, with 16 free seminar sessions covering topics such as licensing explained, guidance on licensing contracts and trends from speakers including LIMA, GfK and Planet Retail.

A new feature for this year in the Licensing Academy, visitors can attend educational expert panel sessions from SPLiCE (The Society of Product Licensors Committed to Excellence). The three 45-minute

panels will address the topics of anticounterfeiting, social accountability and direct to retail in conjunction with a host of partner organisations.

The Brands & Lifestyle Theatre will offer nine free sessions covering the business of licensing across sports, not for profit, food and drink, museums, heritage and children’s categories.

Powerful case studies will include the British Library, Help for Heroes and Warner Bros Consumer Products, among others.

All the extras But that’s not all. Now in its sixth year, the License This! Competition offers those with brand new creative concepts the opportunity to break into the global licensing industry.

The final will take place on Thursday October 15, with finalists vying for the chance to win a prize worth over £6,000, including a stand at BLE 2016,

Tabletop licences Portmeirion and Ted Baker Earlier this year, Portmeirion Group partnered with Ted Baker to create Ted Baker Portmeirion and launch two debut collections. Not only have these received great retail interest, but the 41-piece vintage floral bone fine china dinnerware collection Rosie Lee has just won the Licensing Awards 2015. Ted Baker Portmeirion has further announced it will deliver limited edition capsule ranges to coincide with key fashion print launches in the Ted Baker apparel lines, presenting Shadow Floral and Technicolour Bloom for Autumn/Winter 2015.

“

Our licensing portfolio has grown considerably over the last few years – we’ve recently added Ted Baker to our portfolio, which also includes Sophie Conran and Kellogg’s, to name but a few. There has definitely been a trend for licensing products in recent years – everyone is looking for a strong brand offering and point of difference. Our licensed ranges are incredibly popular.

”

Phil Atherton, group sales & marketing director, Portmeirion Group and the opportunity to bring the product to market.

The property owners of last year’s winner RaNT!, a fun and irreverent character, have been busy developing the characters in the portfolio to bring back to this year’s show.

Once again BLE is supporting a number of charitable causes; Battersea Dogs & Cats Home will once more provide the official show mascot, Squirt the Staffie, who will be available for photo calls on the Battersea stand. BLE also supports the industry run charity the Light Fund, sponsoring its Treasure Hunt earlier this summer. And for the first time this year, BLE is delighted to extend its support to Help the Heroes, the charitable organisation which delivers a national network of support for the UK’s wounded and their families.

Also new this year is the BLE Blog (www.thebleblog.com) launched to offer insight and comment on the show and the European licensing industry from the team and its partners.

“It’s the next step in the show’s evolution,” says Darren.

“It’s the perfect platform for us to shout about what we do, but also gather together valuable content from our varied show partners and industry experts. We’ll have tips on getting the most from the show, as well as which pitfalls to avoid when negotiating a licensing deal. We hope it will be really useful for visitors and exhibitors alike, and get people thinking about what they want from this year’s event.”

Register for free entry to BLE 2015, visit www.brandlicensing.eu

Tradestock and Transport for London UK tableware suppliers Tradestock, which have the Royal Mail licence, have recently entered into a licensing agreement with Transport for London, with the first designs – two versions of the distinctive London Underground Map – featured on its FreeForm trays with a kitchen and tabletop collection to follow.

“

We saw the London Underground Map as iconic and an instantly recognisable piece of art and something that, like Royal Mail, has global appeal. The initial reaction to these universally recognised designs, which look striking against a crisp white background, is very positive.

Keith Nye, managing director, Tradestock

”

How was BLE 2014?

We ask two licensors who exhibited at BLE last year how the show was for them?

National History Museum “BLE 2014 had a more upbeat vibe from the year before and we felt like there were more people approaching us and saw a good variety of potentials for partnerships. BLE is just such a good opportunity to meet everyone in one place and it brings your brand to life. Potential partners can see your range of licensed products and there is the opportunity to speak to almost everyone who expresses an interest. We were looking for licensees for puzzles and lunchware and we saw a lot of potential partners in this category.”

Zuzi Wojciechowska, licensing manager, National History Museum, www.nhm.ac.uk

JELC (The National Gallery; Hinchcliffe & Barber) “Since BLE 2014, JELC has negotiated an agreement for representation in Japan for Hinchcliffe & Barber with the respected Japanese agencies Zen Works/Brand Dog. Their first licensee, Huayu Company, is launching a range of household, kitchen and tabletop ceramics at the Tokyo International Gift Fair in September. Meanwhile, our new-forBLE-2014 client, The National Gallery, attracted a lot of attention at last year’s BLE and quickly established itself as a brand to watch, notably in the homeware sector. JELC has since signed 14 licences and many of the new products including food gifting, kitchen textiles and candles, will be on show at BLE 2015.”

Janet Woodward, director, independent licensing agency JELC TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 73

Why BLE?

Show Preview BLE

We ask licensing indusry professionals why they attend BLE and what last year’s event brought them

What the licensees say…

“Creative Tops always attends BLE as it not only showcases some great brands, but allows us to meet up with all our licensors [including V&A], go through current developments and plan out new collections. BLE also provides us with some great insight into current retail trends across gifting and homewares.

Last year, we found there were more adult-oriented brands – it wasn’t just about iconic kids’ brands. We also found a greater number of international brands than previous years, demonstrating that licensing products is on its way to becoming a big deal on a global scale – most of the licensors I met were talking about deals on a global scale.” Phil Wheat, designer – licensing, Creative Tops

JELC Stand Q25 Independent licensing agency JELC will represent its clients, including celebrated textile and ceramics design brand Hinchcliffe & Barber, which is making plans to continue its successful expansion into a number of carefully selected categories. Following the popularity of the Hinchcliffe & Barber Grey Songbird ceramics and kitchen textiles range – crowned overall winner at the GA’s 2015 Gift of the Year awards, the licensee My Gifts Trade will be expanding the range and launching new ceramic and giftware designs.

A more recent JELC client, The National Gallery, which debuted at BLE 2014, has since signed 14 licences, notably in the homeware sector. “While these two clients have strong established or future potential in tableware, part of the excitement of BLE is that we never know who we are going to meet,” says Janet Woodward, director, JELC. “We do know, though, that JELC’s experience over 25 years in the licensing industry means we have very strong long-term relationships in the UK market, so our focus – as the Zen Works/Brand Dog agreement indicates – will increasingly be on new emerging territories and international opportunities.”

www.jelc.co.uk

National History Museum Stand R38

Home to 80 million specimens, from Darwin’s original collections to the most complete specimen of a Stegosaurus ever uncovered, the Museum is a British institution and an authority on the natural world. It is also home to the phenomenal Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition which tours worldwide, seen by over one million visitors.

Following on from several new signings for kids’ products, including toys, games, apparel and dress-up and an ongoing successful partnership with Marks & Spencer on kidswear, the Museum is pleased to showcase some amazing new products for adults at BLE 2015. These design-led products include stationery from Quadrille, wall art from ixxi and wrapping paper books from Pimpernel Press. The products use some of the finest natural history artwork from folios dating back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries held in the Museum’s rare books room.

“There has been a great amount of interest in these ranges from retailers and we would like to complement these with china and home textile products, which the images would work beautifully on. We are also of course known for our extensive dinosaur collection which kids love – there is a lot of potential here for similar product that targets dinosaur fans of all ages,” says Zuzi Wojciechowska, licensing manager at the Natural History Museum.

www.nhm.ac.uk

Why licensing works… It’s instant marketing power. Building your own brand takes a lot of tie and a lot of money. Licensing gets you the opportunity to utilise famous brands for the benefit of your business. For retailers, it offers products with a built-in marketing budget. In the kitchenware and tableware category, opportunities are growing. Outside of the classic kids’ tableware area, the growth of ‘grown up’ licensing - for example, Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones – is opening up many new opportunities in utilitarian consumer goods like kitchenware. Come in from the cold and give licensing a go.” Kelvyn Gardner, managing director, LIMA UK 74 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

“For tabletop and kitchenware suppliers looking for licensed designs for the first time, BLE is a good event to attend for keeping up to date and for getting an insight into what is available. Licensing is an energetic industry, so it’s essential to keep abreast of what’s available. We’ve found it useful for comparing different licence options and establishing what available licences would be best suited to certain products. We will be attending once more, keeping an eye out for anything that can complement our collections.” Keith Nye, managing director, Tradestock

What the licensing agent says…

Part of the excitement of BLE is that we never know who we are going to meet and what opportunities in which categories will develop from those meetings.” Jane Woodward, director, JELC

What LIMA UK say…

“Intellectual Property in all its forms is the business of the 21st century. BLE is Europe’s biggest shop window for consumer-friendly IP whether you are buying or selling rights. No consumer products business can sensibly leave it off their annual schedule.” Kelvyn Gardner, managing director, LIMA UK

THE ART OF COLOURFUL CONVERSATION AT THE TABLE

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Show reviewS Round-up

NY NOW reports successful 2015 Summer Market

W

ith record numbers of international companies and both new and returning exhibitors, the summer edition of NY NOW delivered a successful market filled with new resources for retailers and brisk business and order-writing for exhibitors.

Of the market’s total 2,600+ exhibitors, there were a record 396 new and 219 companies returning from an absence across all three collections, Home, Lifestyle, Homemade. The summer market also featured its largest ever international participation, with 515 individual international exhibitors from 65+ countries worldwide, a significant number in Artisan Resource, which featured 155 companies from 32 countries.

This August marked the first summer market with all three NY NOW Collections and all 10 NY NOW sections presented under one roof, resulting in a bustling vibe.

“NY NOW’s focus on high quality design and functionality has consistently paid off in rich dividends for exhibitors and attendees alike, many of whom reported that this show was the strongest of the summer markets,” says Randi Mohr, NY NOW co-ordinator and vice-president.

Retailer Julie McAlpine of Omaha, NE, commented: “NY NOW offers an eclectic mix of products for a broad range of buyers with convenient sourcing all under one roof. We

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always discover new trends and merchandising ideas to incorporate into our business model. NY NOW truly has something for everybody.”

This positive buyer vibe translated to brisk business for many: Home Furnishings + Textiles exhibitor Christina Heppard of Kevin O’Brien Studios reported a number of overseas and Canadian buyers in addition to her local ones.

“Generally, people came with the intention to buy and some good designers came by, which is awesome. It was a very good show, great with orders and with traffic,” says Christina.

The Market also enjoyed a social media buzz, with the brand new NY NOW Social Media Lounge; and as always, innovative product design was recognised through Best New Product Awards in four categories, including Tabletop + Gourmet Housewares (see page 14). Other Market awards included the Eco Choice Awards, Accent on Design Awards, among others.

Finally, Market participants honed their business skills through a comprehensive suite of seminars and events via leading industry experts on everything from visual merchandising and social media marketing, to tax preparation and importing advice.

The Winter 2016 edition of NY NOW, will run January 30 through February 3, 2016, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. www.nynow.com

Rice Renowned for its colourful melamine and hand-glazed tableware, Danish homewares and accessories brand Rice unveiled its Autumn/Winter collection at NY NOW. Inspired by the ‘good old days’, patterns are nostalgic, colours are retro and pieces are playful. – think pretty pastels and patterns.

www.rice.dk

Rosanna Rosanna unveiled its Autumn/Winter collection, a mix and match line featuring playful pro-female messages, plus accent pieces. Gilded surfaces, bold patterns and retooled geometry characterise the range, with many of the patterns, including Soiree Noir (pictured) including gold accents. The aesthetic is clean and bold.

www.rosannainc.com

The percentage by which Maison & Objet, Paris, (held September 4-8) was up on visitor numbers compared to last year’s September show. With a brand new layout, this September’s Maison saw 69,071 visitors, with 50 per cent of them (34,383) international, that’s an increase on last year’s international number of 33,405. There was particular increase in the number of visitors from the UK, a 1.78 per cent increase on last year, with some 2,804 British visitors.

Autumn Fair’s 25th Anniversary edition a success

T

housands of retailers attended this season’s biggest UK trade event, Autumn Fair 2015, where they refreshed their stock from 1,400 UK and international suppliers.

Over 150,000 new products were launched at the show, making it the ideal place to source hot trending merchandise ahead of the prime Christmas season, with many suppliers offering fast-moving stock, ready for immediate delivery.

“Retailers have been buying more and placing really good orders.

They are very aware of trends and fashion – more than ever before – and buying accordingly. Everything you see on our stand is in stock and ready for delivery, and we’ve seen a lot of independents re-stocking for Christmas,” says general manager Patrick Newton from regular Autumn Fair exhibitor, Two’s Company.

Autumn Fair saw an increase in the quality of attendees, with almost all of the top multiple retailers in the country sending buyers to the event, including Tesco, Laura Ashley, BHS, Beales, Bentalls, Debenhams, John Lewis and Lakeland. Thousands of independent retailers and interior designs also attended from all over the UK and 124 other countries worldwide.

This year, Autumn Fair launched Europe’s first trade event Top 100 product charts, giving buyers valuable insight into which products are trending at the show, including in Home. They also launched the Wish List, a new website function giving buyers the chance to create a shopping list of their favourite products ahead of attending the show – some 2,000 buyers used the function prior to attending.

In addition to sourcing new products, many visitors were keen to pick up business advice and trend insight, with four seminar theatres showcasing various seminars, including keynote speeches from British designers Abigail Ahern and Emma Bridgewater.

Speaking as the doors closed on another successful event, portfolio director, Naomi Barton, said: “The feedback on this year’s show has been extremely positive and we’re very happy with the result. The majority of exhibitors have done very good business at Autumn Fair and we expect as much as £1.2 billion of orders to be placed by retailers as a result of their attendance here.

The next Autumn Fair takes place September 4-7, 2016, The NEC,, UK. www.autumnfair.com

Visitor satisfaction high at Tendence Despite a decrease in the number of annual trade visitors – 29,000 visitors from 83 countries (down from 34,480 from 88 countries last year) – the doors of Tendence 2015 closed on September 1 after a four-day run with 88 per cent of visitors having been ‘highly satisfied’ with their experience at the show. “There are signs of a trend towards fewer but better orders”, says Willo Blome, managing partner of Blomus GmbH. The top 10 visitor nations were Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, China, The Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Spain. “Looking beyond day-to-day business, it is very important that Tendence is positioned above the – valued – regional fairs as a venue where German and European buyers come together with numerous interesting exhibitors”, said Thomas Grothkopp, director general of the German Association for Tableware, Housewares and Home Accessories.

The retail trade took advantage of the international consumer-goods fair to order the latest collections offered by 1,106 exhibitors from 48 countries (including Ecostyle, 2014: 1,212 from 52 countries) and to discover the trends for the coming months.

“Tendence has once again more than confirmed its position as the most international order and inspiration platform in Germany. Despite difficult economic circumstances, we can draw a positive conclusion: that this year’s fair has been characterised by top quality on the exhibitor side and a high propensity to order,” says Detlef Braun, member of the board of management of Messe Frankfurt GmbH. The première of the Eat+Lifestyle consumer fair was a success, with almost 7,000 visitors attending at the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre in order to discover the latest wining and dining trends, take part in workshops, and buy the products of local and supra-regional producers.

“We are very pleased with this successful première and were particularly impressed by the way visitors played an active role in the fair,” said Christoph Rénevier, CEO of Fleet Events GmbH organiser of Eat+Lifestyle.

The next Tendence will be held from 27 to 30 August 2016, Frankfurt am Main. Visit www.tendence.messefrankfurt.com

What the retailer said… “We attended the Autumn Fair in order to make sure we’ve got the latest on trend products and all our stock is completely topped up. We are especially talking to suppliers who’ve got stock ready for delivery as soon as we order, that’s really important. The seminars are fantastic, it’s a really good learning opportunity... I am considering sending some of our junior staff members up here for some fast-track learning. Our time at the show has been very productive indeed.”

Lisa Blatch, Scape Interiors, which has two UK stores, in Leigh-on-Sea and Bournemouth, plus an online store.

TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 77

Last Word

EYE ON DESIGN

Dinnerware & CO

Name: An ne Marie H ermans Job: Chief of Design, D innerware Website: & CO www.dinn erware.nl About: Sin ce has had an childhood Anne Mar interest in ie tableware, visiting flea m throughou arkets and bazaars t Europe w ith her mo collecting therr,, tableware.

“When I w studying A as rt History in Sao Pao Brazil, my lo, interest gre w further and once back in Eu rope, I too famous flo k man ral explains A designers to fulfil m y courses with nne Marie y passssiio on for sett . She developer ing tables, for compan then began workin ” g as a prod ies like Un soup bow ilever and uct ls or glassw Heineken, are, and sp aand stonew designing ent, ar aand encou e factories all over th “Most of my time in porcelain raging fact e world le ar ories to go 1 1998-2007, beyond th ning the process Anne Mar eir comfort ie owned to the ind a tablewar zones”. Fro ustry in 20 e compan 10, launch tableware y. She retu m ing Dinner for rned ware & Co, worldwide. retail brands, desig designing ners, chefs, “W and OEM a full conce e can transform th fo eir ideas in r pt with te to tablewar retailers xtiles and home déc Cllients: Th or,” says An e, and even ey design ne Marie. dinn aand Acces sorize from erware for brands lik Mo e Ji – Dutch fu rniture des nsoon, and for vario gsaw Home us Dutch b igner Piet of recycled Hein rands materials; Dutch fash Eek, famous for his other Dutc u ion design h-based b er Mart Vis se rands like concept st ser and Blond Am ill in the m sterdam (a arket after owned by huge 12 ye the ccollaborate daughter of the wel ars) and Room Seve n, l-known O d using her ili tthat’s selli ng really w designs, creating a b ly family. “We ell in the N eautiful ra Germany,” nge eth says Anne Marie. They erlands, Switzerland entire ran ge (Comp and are also dev to ir Tony Kitou eloping an s. They also Libanais) for UK rest aura design OEM for retailers teur and cook worldwide.

U.N.C Urban Nature Culture (main); Comptois Libanais (inset)

Each issue we castt th the spotlight tli ht on a d designer i iin tableware. This time, we chat to chief of design and owner of Dutch brand Dinnerware & CO, Anne Marie Hermans What exactly do you do?

My current position is chief of design and I’m responsible for making the connection between the customer or the brand, the design team and the factories.

It's a great challenge as trends in food move fast. We work not only with product development and designers in the field, but also with chefs and restaurants.

How would you describe your design aesthetic?

Working in a daily use industry, we need to feel for the clients we design for and ensure it is practical.

We need to feel that design and practical use are not each other's opponents but come together.

What are the main elements of good design?

Those in tableware are numerous.

Good design is not necessarily always really expensive. I believe we should try to make things affordable

yet with a big eye for design, designers and taste – there are lots of people who really love to buy design, but are cost-conscious.

Describe a typical day in your design life I have daily meetings with my team on new developments and new ideas, as well as about ongoing projects and their progress. I’m in touch every day with my team in Hong Kong who make happen what we design and I’m in close contact with all the factories. Then, there are the meetings with sales, who keep me updated on the sell-through of our ranges and about customers’ demands and/or ideas.

What's your career highlights to date?

Probably the Blond Amsterdam introduction 13 years ago – no one believed in this tableware range at first, but then sales in our country went mad! It took us two years to

Calling all designers – would you like to be featured in a future ‘Eye on Design’? If so, email our Editor, kate@lempublishing.co.uk 78 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Jigsaw Home

create stock as the demand was so high and today it remains a multimillion Euro business. Another more recent highlight has been the trust the licensing teams at Accessorize and Jigsaw have placed in me to be their partner in tableware.

From a creative perspective, what are your views on the tableware industry?

I think a lot will change… the food trends inform casual dining much more than they do formal dining.

For young people now there is a different culture when it comes to table setting – more about cooking on the spot, having appetisers with a glass of wine, serving dishes from all over the world and out of bowls.

We are nomads now – we travel the world and take food ideas back home. Sustainability, recycling and the new generation will make it challenging. We are facing a new era of food consumption.

Which particular designs are favourites?

My favourite designers are Hella Jongerius and Rem Koolhaas – while an architect at heart Rem is able to translate it into design and fashion.

I love the masterpieces of Dutch designer Hella and I’m proud she has a presence at MOMA in New York – great publicity for Dutch design – and that simultaneously she is able to create a vase for IKEA, which is all about affordable design.

What projects do you have underway at present?

For the first time we are launching our own brand in 2016. U.N.C Urban Nature Culture is urban meets nature meets culture. Inspired by my travels and by the cultures in Africa, the Middle East, South America, Asia and Europe, it brings the world’s flea markets, bazaars, fetes and fairs to the table – in tableware, recycled glassware, organic cottons and sustainable wood.

THE NEW YORK TABLETOP SHOW ®

OCTOBER 13 –16, 2015 Where the most important brands and buyers meet.

41 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010 • 212.686.1203 • 41madison.com • A Rudin Building

American Silk Anchor Hocking Arc International Arthur Court Designs Artland Auratic USA BauscherHepp Inc. B.I.A. Cordon Bleu Bormioli Rocco Glass Cambridge Silversmiths Certified International Christofle Circle Glass Crystal House International Degrenne Paris Denby USA DeVine Corp.

Euro Ceramica, Inc. Fisher Home Products Fitz & Floyd Fürstenberg Gibson Overseas Godinger Group Gourmet Settings Hampton Forge Hankook Chinaware Herend Hering-Berlin Hermès Home Essentials and Beyond Homer Laughlin China Co. iittala Jay Import John Jenkins Joseph Joseph Julia Watts LLC Juliska Kavalier Glass Kiyasa L’OBJET Lee’s Group International Lenox Corporation Libbey Glass Lifetime Brands Lladró Luigi Bormioli Maxwell & Williams Meyer Corporation Michael Aram Michael Wainwright Moser Mottahedeh Mr. Christmas Nambe Nikko Ceramics Noritake Odiot Oneida Ltd. Orrefors Kosta Boda Over & Back Pasabahce USA Pickard China Portmeirion Philippe Deshoulières Prima Design Prouna Puiforcat Q Squared Design LLC Ralph Lauren Home Reed & Barton Ricci Argentieri Richard Ginori 1735 Riedel Crystal of America Robinson Home Products Rosenthal USA Royal Crown Derby Royal Copenhagen Royal Doulton Royal Limoges Royal Worcester Saint Louis Sambonet Sango America TL Scafati & Company Shinepukur Ceramics Signature Housewares Inc. Spode Steve Dolce Marketing 10 Strawberry Street TarHong Direct Tervis Tzeng Shyng Vietri Villeroy & Boch Vista Alegre Waterford Wedgwood William Yeoward Crystal WMF Yamazaki Tableware Zak Designs Zwilling J.A. Henckels