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Williams-Sonoma Brands Launch Halloween Goods
Williams-Sonoma, Inc., the world’s largest digital-first, design-led and sustainable home retailer, launched Halloween season across the company’s entire portfolio of brands. Williams Sonoma, West Elm, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and Mark & Graham have all moved up the launch of Halloween goods including festive tabletop, glassware, barware, entertaining, décor and costume collections to accommodate the early increase in demand for seasonal items as customers show interest in starting the celebration of Halloween earlier than ever before.
“Our in-house design teams – across all brands – have created a Halloween assortment that offers our customers unmatched quality and imaginative details that make you want to celebrate at the first sight of fall,” said Williams-Sonoma, Inc. President and CEO, Laura Alber. “Our customers know they can come to us for everything they need to create magical memories this Halloween season, whether they are celebrating at home by cooking, baking, decorating, hosting a party or dressing up in costumes as a family.”
Customers shopping and searching the Williams Sonoma website and retail stores, will find the brand’s largest Halloween collection to date. To help customers celebrate in style, Williams Sonoma expanded the brand’s most popular Halloween collections by offering 25% more product than previous years. New additions to the brand’s popular collaboration with PEANUTS feature Snoopy, Woodstock and Charlie Brown on items ranging from food and tabletop pieces to baking tools and glassware.
Collectors of William Sonoma’s in-house designed seasonal tabletop collections, will find new items for festive celebrations that perfectly complement new Halloween-inspired cocktail mixes, perishable food items and confections. In addition to new line extensions of popular collections, the Williams Sonoma brand also has exciting new Halloween product collaborations with Flour Shop, Butter Love & Hard Work, Pottery Barn Kids, Georgetown Cupcakes, Dash and more. The full Williams Sonoma Halloween assortment of tabletop, food, baking and tools, and décor can be found both in stores and online at Williams-Sonoma.com/Halloween.
Global design company West Elm has also launched an expanded Halloween assortment with even more design innovation to help customers celebrate the season in style. From slithering Metal Snake covered wine glasses to Terracotta Skull Candle Holders, the West Elm Halloween goods assortment has everything customers will need to curate a home that screams spooky-chic. Festive Halloween dinnerware and Trick-or-Treat Pillow Sets add a sweet edge to the collection. Customers are invited to shop the full assortment at westelm.com and can join the conversation on social with @westelm.
Pottery Barn has expanded their Halloween assortment with everything needed to get into the holiday spirit, from enchanted lanterns and outdoor lit décor, to skeleton drinkware and bar tools. For customers looking for a festive tabletop, Pottery Barn launched spirited dinnerware featuring friendly ghosts and pretty pumpkins for the ultimate Halloween spread. There’s also a range of new playful pillows, from cozy pumpkins in seasonal fall colors, to a ghost and bat shaped pillow in soft sherpa. The brand also launched additions to the PEANUTS collection with new tabletop and outdoor décor that brings the beloved comic-strip nostalgia to every home. Customers can visit Pottery Barn’s Halloween Shop for the full offering.
Pottery Barn Kids launched a Halloween assortment with trend-forward new styles and product innovations in costumes, treat bags, accessories, bedding, décor, and tabletop offered in the brand’s Halloween shop. From family costumes available in newborn through adult sizes, to festive bedding, Pottery Barn Kids is a one-stop-shop for any Halloween celebration. Customers looking for costumes will find Pottery Barn Kids offers options ranging from kid-favorite characters to spooky classics in a variety of styles. Finished with garment quality stitching, the costumes feature magical details that stand out, such as light-up LED capabilities and glow-in-the-dark icons. The brand’s in-house design atelier thoughtfully creates each piece with quality and style in mind. To match the costumes, customers can also add Pottery Barn Kids’ coordinating accessories and treat bags that can be personalized in a range of font and color options for a complete look. Pottery Barn Teen designed Halloween Bat string lights to add spooky detail to any space, and festive themed pajamas to get into the Halloween spirit. Customers can shop the Pottery Barn Kids Halloween and Pottery Barn Teen assortment by visiting PotteryBarnKids.com and PBTeen.com, and join the conversation on social media @potterybarnkids and @potterybarnteen.
For additional options in personalized Halloween celebrations, Mark & Graham is debuting the brand’s most extensive Halloween goods collection to date, offering items in key categories which include entertainment, home décor, games, accessories, and pet apparel. All items can be personalized with festive phrases, monograms, as well as bat and pumpkin icons. This year’s Mark & Graham Halloween goods collection ranges from a new Ghost Cheese Board to a customer favorite Candy Corn Dog Sweater. Additionally, the brand created a curated shop featuring inspiring ideas for product personalization with phrases like, “Here for the Boos,” “Eat, Drink & Be Scary” and “Witch’s Brew” on some of the other most popular entertainment items for Halloween parties.
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IMC’s Fall Market Approaches
International Market Centers‘ Fall Market provides home and gift buyers with three days of tailored education, amenities and events alongside 400+ showroom resources, Sept. 19-21 at AmericasMart Atlanta.
“Fall Market is the perfect time for designers and retailers to come together not only to learn about upcoming trends in design but also to source and shop,” said Dorothy Belshaw, IMC chief marketing and digital officer. “We are looking forward to another incredible season of education and order writing with the industry at AmericasMart Atlanta.”
Fall Market education will take place as “Lunch and Learn” seminars Monday through Wednesday, with lunch at 11:30 and education at noon, in the Building 1, Floor 14 Seminar Space. The sessions, which will address social media algorithms, design coaching and turning key challenges in your business to wins are brought to Fall Market by JuniperMarket.
An entertaining and interactive game show opens the event schedule on opening day of market. On Monday, Sept. 19 at noon, MC’s first Fall Market Gameshow will be an educational and interactive panel over lunch.
On Tuesday, Sept. 20, Paula Ersly, head of social strategy at Acadia, will present Social Media: How to Beat the Algorithm. This session will cover strategies to outsmart social media apps and remain in control of the audiences that see and engage with brands online.
On Wednesday, Sept. 21, Gail Doby, business coach and consultant, will present How to Build an Amazing Team in a Competitive Market. The session will address expectations of prospective hires; when, who and why to hire; and mistakes to avoid when hiring. The seminar will conclude with a Q&A session.
Buyers and suppliers can mingle and celebrate with the industry over light bites and crafty cocktails at the Fall Market Celebration, Monday, Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. in the newly renovated Designer Workspace, located in Building 1, Floor 15.
Buyers can enjoy daily amenities during Fall Market, beginning with cappuccinos and iced coffee by Café Fwi in the Building 2 lobby from 9-11 a.m. Additionally, retailers and designers can relax and network over Bourbon Slushies in The Gardens on Monday from 2-4 p.m., Cookies & Milk in Building 1, Floor 16, on Tuesday from 10-11:30 a.m. and Petite Fall Desserts in Building 2, Floor 17, on Wednesday from 3-4 p.m.
Fall Market at AmericasMart Atlanta is being held in partnership with DISCOVER ADAC at the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center for the fourth consecutive year. The two design-focused markets will offer top-of-the-line product selections from leading home décor, lifestyle, furniture and rug brands, providing attendees access to AmericasMart’s 400+ Open Year Round showrooms as well as ADAC’s 65+ showrooms.
Buyers at the Southeast’s premier dual-venue design destination can draw inspiration from unique “Behind the Windows” vignettes showcasing the exclusive and complementary design resources available across both venues. The two coordinated vignettes will be merchandised and curated by leading Atlanta interior designer, Lia Shin of C+H Interiors. To facilitate cross-campus sourcing and shopping, IMC will operate free shuttles between AmericasMart and ADAC on Sept. 20-21.
Additionally, participants in Fall Market will have access to complimentary parking in the American Cancer Society lot, directly across the street from AmericasMart Atlanta, throughout the duration of the design event.
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Conimar Group Acquires Thirstystone
Conimar Group, LLC has acquired Thirstystone, a division of Cambridge Silversmiths Ltd. and an industry leader offering functional tabletop and serveware products.
“We are excited to welcome Thirstystone into the Conimar family of brands. Thirstystone is an ideal complement to the Conimar product lines,” said Terry Crawford, CEO of Conimar. “For more than three decades, Thirstystone has been a premier manufacturer of decorative coasters, a core category for Conimar. The addition of the Thirstystone brand provides a significant opportunity for growth of our existing product offerings, while expanding into new tabletop and serveware categories.”
Conimar Group is a family-owned American company founded in 1976, manufacturing quality tabletop, housewares, giftware, and home decor products at the headquarters in Ocala, Fla., in Springfield, Tenn., and now Gainesville, Texas. Products are marketed worldwide under Highland Home, CounterArt, Cala Home and Chop Chop brands.
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Shoppe Object Summer Show Doubles Attendance
Six months after its acquisition by International Market Centers, Shoppe Object’s summer home and gift market celebrated its biggest show yet with doubled attendance from the previous year – and an increase of 20 percent over the February edition.
Shoppe Object presented an expanded hybrid market of more than 500 brands to top retailers from around the country and abroad, and as the market wrapped, Shoppe Object passed the 50 percent mark in presales for even greater expansion planned for the February 2023 market.
Show founder and creative director Jesse James summed up the growth as a testament to the show’s spirit of community.
“At Shoppe Object, we talk a lot about building community,” James said, “and it’s not just lip service. We have worked tirelessly over the last six months, with the help of our new partners at IMC, to double down on our commitment to quality, discovery and curation, bringing more great brands and retailers together at this summer’s market than ever before.”
A global audience traveled to Shoppe Object’s waterside home at Pier 36 along Manhattan’s East River in mid-August to explore an impressive roster of design-driven brands in diverse categories, including tabletop, home textiles, beauty and wellness, books, stationery, housewares, kids, apparel and accessories.
Attendees from all 50 states and five continents visited Shoppe Object, including larger retailers such as Anthropologie, Arhaus, Barnes & Noble, Bergdorf Goodman, Bed Bath & Beyond, Bloomingdale’s, Crate&Barrel, Design Within Reach, Food52, Garnet Hill, J. Crew, Kohls, Liberty of London, Lord & Taylor, Magnolia Market, Nordstrom, Pottery Barn, Saks Fifth Avenue, Urban Outfitters, Wayfair, West Elm and World Market, as well as premier independent retailers from throughout North America.
“Shoppe Object is the can’t-miss show of the season,” said Aja Aktay, senior designer for tabletop, seasonal & functional accessories at Crate&Barrel. “The Crate&Barrel design team attends every year to take in the trends and colors of the season, and scout for up-and-coming makers and illustrators. We are always looking for opportunities to collaborate and connect within the artisan community.”
“It’s the best place to find the most interesting designers right now,” said Christiane Celle, founder of Calypso St. Barth and owner of CLIC with 10 locations in New York and California. “It’s very colorful and happy. I came for the whole three days. I have to say that, honestly, it’s the best show.”
Sales on Shoppe Object’s first-to-market hybrid model includes digital integration on the show floor with Shoppe Online – the show’s year-round B2B e-commerce platform – where sales during the market days were equally robust. During the three-day market, sales on Shoppe Online increased by 35 percent over last season, and the platform’s QR-code technology saw a 30 percent increase over the previous market in activity from the show floor, allowing buyers to easily follow up on favorite brands and products post-market.
Celle, who is a frequent Shoppe Online visitor, is a big fan.
“I love the platform. The way it’s curated – it’s amazing. You can buy Kids, you can buy Library, you can buy Fashion – you can book the sale, close the sale, put in your credit card and it’s done.”
The show has continued to attract new brands each season, targeting an increase of at least 25 percent. First-time exhibitor Felicia Ferrone founded her international company of fine glassware, fferrone, in 2010, which she primarily exhibits at shows in Europe.
“From a commercial perspective,” she said, “this was the best show I have ever done due to the sheer number of highly qualified, high-end retailers who were ready to do business and who really understand and appreciate good design.
“From a design perspective, Shoppe Object truly is curated in its brand selection, which yielded only great products from great companies. As the design director for my own brand, the show gave me so much energy because of the many wonderful designers and makers who inspired me through the great work they exhibited.”
Heading into 2023, Shoppe Object is poised for continued growth at its familiar Pier 36 location, with plans to annex new space that will expand the footprint of their show floor by another 30 percent. The list of brands already contracted to exhibit at the Winter 2023 show includes Areaware, Assouline, Blomus, Caskata, Fog Linen, Mohinders, Phaidon, Saved New York, Studio Carta, and more than 60 brands represented by Aesthetic Movement and Karen Alweil Studio.
As contracts from current exhibitors continue to flow in, the Shoppe Object sales team is preparing to begin the process of contracting new brands beginning Aug. 22.
“Our goal is to continue to show a selection of the best brands in the world, and to continue to expand on our key home and lifestyle categories,” said Renata Bokalo, director of sales. “For the summer show, we sold out more than three months in advance, and for the first time ever we are already close to 50 percent pre-sold for February.
“It’s not just about more brands and more buyers – it’s about attracting the most compelling, inspiring products that will continue to bring the best retailers to our unique and growing market. The show may have just ended, but we are already full speed ahead.”
The next Shoppe Object will take place Feb. 5-7.
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KnIndustrie Presents Serving Trays in Milan
For Milano Design Week, KnIndustrie presented within KitcheN Milano space, in Via De Amicis 45 in Milan, a new collection of design serving trays, a proposal dedicated to table service and the timeless Lady Anne coffee maker in its most chic and refined version. Steel, glass and aluminum are the main
materials of KnIndustrie showcase for Fuorisalone, combined with the unique style that has always distinguished the brand.
Garçon, folded trays by Rodolfo Dordoni
In Rodolfo Dordoni collection of trays for KnIndustrie, the folded steel has a dual function: decorative and functional, that is to contain. The edge looks like a semi-cylinder with an essential design and a clean shape created by the completely smooth appearance of steel. The edge, leitmotif of the collection, represents the distinctive feature of the three serving trays, available in rectangular, square and pentagonal versions. The glossy or satin exterior is in contrast with the matt painted interior available in
different colors.
Shapeless, transparent bread bin
Glass, with its transparency and lightness, is back in KnIndustrie proposals for a design table in the name of minimalism and elegance, even for medium and small objects, but capable of catalysing the attention of diners.
Shapeless is the new bread bin in borosilicate glass, made from a folded and flattened cylinder.
Its particular production process, makes each item different from the other. knIndustrie wants to give importance to an accessory that is often not the protagonist of the table, adding it a unique design and style, thus giving value to the content, that is bread – a simple but important food.
Lady Anne total white
The iconic Lady Anne coffee maker by KnIndustrie, design Lara Caffi, dresses up in white. Made of aluminium, in stone washed finish in the classic version, it is now proposed in the elegant total white version to enrich the table with an object of great elegance and refinement, protagonist during breakfast time, after meal or at any time of the day, perfect to welcome guests in its renewed look.
The shape, which is inspired by the silver coffee sets of the eighteenth century, remains unchanged: the clean line of the body in the shape of a truncated cone is set off by the sinuosity of the ergonomically designed and heat-insulating handle, made of Bakelite with multiple curves, an ornamental element characterizing the project. On the lid the decorative knob always in Bakelite allows it to be easily opened. The circular base has a double bottom. Also Lady Anne “in white” is available in four cup version and it comes with a reducer filter.
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