SUMMER 2018
FEATURE
Alessi Accelerating Matteo Alessi
Growth in North America
Alessi, the distinguished Italian brand best known for design and manufacturing of spirited, art-grade kitchenware and tabletop accessories, is taking steps to broaden and deepen its presence in North America. According to Matteo Alessi, one of the family members responsible for defining strategic direction and guiding the Alessi evolution in the United States and across the globe, the debut of Alessi’s new 8th floor, 2,922-square-foot showroom and U.S. headquarters at Forty One Madison is the perfect catalyst for driving growth, especially with an eye to the hospitality industry. A 2017 restructuring has better positioned the company to create bespoke items that serve the specific needs of hospitality clients. And there’s already been a payoff. Delta Airlines has signed Alessi to be the provider of all in-flight dining serviceware for premium class cabins, a job that requires compliance with strict limitations including the weight and size of the furnishings.
Bavero Castiglioni
“It’s no secret that you can elevate an experience with design,” said
categories, it can be a complex catalog to manage and merchandise.
Alessi. “As we focus more on expanding our hospitality business, it’s
So, the formable showroom can easily be reconfigured to showcase
important for us to be visible to key decision-makers like the chefs,
the right products for each buyer meeting.
restaurateurs and hoteliers that frequent Forty One Madison. We want to make it easy for them.”
Since Giovanni Alessi (Matteo’s great-grandfather) founded the company in 1921, the family-led business has become synonymous
The showroom uses simple and flexible fixtures to display its designs.
with quality design and limitless creativity. Equally important to the
With more than 3,000 products in the brand’s portfolio across many
look, feel, and functionality of a product is the “why” behind it. Each
Alessi+Delta Collection 2 WWW.41MADISON.COM
Alessi+Delta Collection On the cover: sketch by Achille Castiglioni of the Dry flatware
THE DESTINY OF
Dinnerware
Warren Shoulberg, Joe Derochowski and Patti Carpenter are retail industry experts who understand consumer trends. As panelists for this year’s breakfast seminar, “Changing the Dinnerware Destiny,” they served up valuable insights and advice on how the tabletop market can reinvent itself for the future. Shoulberg, a contributing editor at The Robin Report and Progressive Business Media, reprised his role as moderator and kicked off the session by discussing a market dichotomy identified in exclusive NPD research conducted in partnership with Forty One Madison: Generation X represents the most-likely-to-buy Bavero Castiglioni
segment for tabletop products, but millennials, large in numbers, remain the greatest unmet opportunity.
piece is intended to engage consumers on a
Joe Derochowski, home industry analyst for NPD,
deeper level by evoking emotion and curiosity.
suggested that the contrast creates a sweet spot for
The integrity of a design is never compromised in the manufacturing process; corners are never cut to simplify steps in production. While Alessi is famous for collaborating with design giants such as Marcel Wanders, Philippe Starck and the late Michael Graves, the hope is that consumers make purchasing decisions because they like and understand an item and not because they are buying a brand name.
the industry. Also, he views millennials as a core market – embarking on marriage and buying their first homes. Trend forecaster and designer Patti Carpenter added that millennials tend to favor a “casual” lifestyle. She advised that brands adapt to demand for products that are functional yet decorative.
Though Shoulberg suggested “boomers are done,” sending laughter through the crowd, Carpenter assured him that this is far from true and, along with Derochowski, the trio offered perspectives worth repeating: •
Branding: Today, branding is less about shaping a status symbol identity and more about aligning your message with the core values of your customers. Consumers want products that are an expression of themselves and that help to share their personal story.
•
Trusting the tribe: Consumers are doing their own research but are also basing purchasing decisions on social media. Brands should utilize online platforms to engage with their customers.
•
Personalization: Consumers want tabletop that will create a conversation; and across generations they are considering colors, prints and patterns.
•
Creating an experience: Consumers are seeking a “selfie moment,” so they’re shopping for tableware with this in mind, some opting for showier backdrops for their meals and others preferring that their food and drink stand out.
The Alessi showroom is open daily, though appointments are recommended.
Seminar speakers Joe Derochowski, Warren Shoulberg and Patti Carpenter with Forty One Madison director and senior vice president Kristi Forbes.
FORTY ONE MADISON 3
SEMINAR
DISCOVERING
FAMILY TIES
The Jay family: Judah, Kalman, Barbara, Michael, Harry and David.
“Respect is the glue” that binds together the family behma of The Jay Companies. That’s according to Michael Jay, whose grandparents founded the fullservice provider of tableware and home décor in 1955. Erna and Paul Jay arrived in the United States from Poland as Holocaust survivors knowing few people and speaking little English. What Paul did know was the tabletop industry, having imported goods from Portugal and Italy prior to World War II. So the couple leveraged this experience and knowledge and began importing to their new homeland fine European housewares starting with the delicate and ornate Capadimonte porcelains from Naples. Eventually their business grew, fueled by an increasing consumer market with an appetite for quality goods and competitive prices. Erna and Paul person-
The Jay Companies showroom
ally traveled to all corners of the world with an unerring eye for sourcing exactly that caliber of merchandise while building partnerships with leading retailers throughout
Erna and Paul Jay
North America. It helped, too, that they had the grit, imagination and determination to create an enterprise that promised future opportunity and could be passed on to their descendants. In 1969 their son Harry joined the business. Under his leadership it has continuously broadened its range of products, services and distribution channels. And, just as his parents groomed him to take the reins, Harry has prepared the third generation of Jays – his sons Michael, David, Kalman, Judah, daughter Rachel, and son-in-law Adrian – to step into
between lower and upper floors of the mart. The space was totally renovated, yielding a spanking new look at this past Spring Market.
management roles that are keeping The Jay Companies as vibrant and
What began seemingly as a modest mom-and-pop operation has exploded
successful as ever. Each sibling is responsible for a different business line.
into a titan of tableware that is still ably run by a tight-knit family. “We
The company portfolio includes eight brands – American Atelier, Caribbean Joe, Charge It!, Fifth Avenue Crystal, Stylesetter, and licenses
admire each other for what our strengths are, respect one another for what we each bring to the table, and know that our success is based on
Elle Decor, Fitz & Floyd, and Isaac Mizrahi – plus dozens of private label
our confidence in one another,” said Michael. As for his outlook on what
brands created for a number of top retailers. Its offerings in 20 product
the next generation of family in the business looks like: “We’re living in
categories comprise a whopping total of more than 2,500 SKUs – a scale
times where we don’t know what tomorrow brings for anyone. The goal is
that demands every inch of the full-floor, 10,000 square-foot showroom
to keep doing what we’re doing, and with luck, hopefully someone from
and headquarters at Forty One Madison. Its location is primo on the highly
our family will be here 20 years from now answering the same question in
trafficked 12th floor, where visitors transfer to elevators ferrying them
another interview.”
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WHAT’S ON YOUR TABLE?
WHAT’S ON YOUR
T A B L E ? Iris Dankner approaches every day as a holiday. A breast cancer survivor for 21 years, the interior designer has combined her passion for design and a dedication to raising awareness of the disease with the 2008 creation of Holiday House. A decorator showhouse unlike others, Holiday House emphasizes tablescapes and the dining and entertaining experience while raising funds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. A design dynamo, Dankner is constantly on the move – dreaming up new concepts and traveling the globe. Her overseas jaunts inspire her tablesettings, with most of her dinnerware purchased on trips and Iris Dankner
providing reminders of cherished experiences.
Dankner prefers to use simple, all-white china or neutral dinner plates so that the food takes center stage. Her choice for her New York City home is “Dauville” from Canvas Home, and she opted for the platinumedged version. Depending on the occasion, Black and Gold place setting
she peppers in some of her
plates from Fitz & Floyd, an Annieglass butter dish and vintage
favorite foreign
“Aperto” gold-plated Towle flatware.
finds: votive
For Dankner, flowers and candles reign supreme when treating
candles from
a tabletop. “My go-to centerpieces are always fresh flowers,
Belize, and
whether they be white blooms, roses, orchids or hydrangeas,”
from Guatemala
said Dankner. She also recommends adding in pops of color
a carved-wood
and plenty of texture to capture guests’ interest. “One of my
salt cellar that
pro tips is mixing high/low, luxury/casual on a table. For
holds a trio
example, I pair my platinum-trimmed Canvas Home plates with
of seasonings. She adds a
Formal Canvas Home setting
Pier One chargers,” she said.
woven napkin from Mexico. For special occasions and holidays, she dresses up a
For the Holiday House founder, life is to be celebrated; this is
place setting with black and gold, including gold charger plates, “Rondelle” salad
clearly reflected when family or friends join her at the table. FORTY ONE MADISON 5
DISPLAYS
DISPLAY’S THE THING: Kuhl-Linscomb
On-trend blue and white tableware makes for a stylish setting.
It’s said that “Everything is Bigger in Texas.” So it’s no wonder that Houston-based design and lifestyle store Kuhl-Linscomb extends over two city blocks. The brainchild of Pam Kuhl-Linscomb, department store buyer turned interior designer, and husband Dan Linscomb, their namesake enterprise was established with a vision to offer new, highly coveted brands to Houston that were otherwise unavailable. Throughout her career, Pam sourced furniture and home accessories from far-flung locales around the world in an effort to bring unique products to Houston’s doorstep. The concept for a retail operation was the outgrowth of her interior design practice, and their first store opened at the Decorative Center of Houston in 1994. A second location was added in 2001, and in 2003 the couple merged the two to create a mega hub of curated goods at the crossroads of One of the numerous entrances to Kuhl-Linscomb. 6 WWW.41MADISON.COM
NEW YORK TABLETOP SHOW ® I OCTOBER 9 – 12, 2018 I APRIL 2 – 5, 2019
River Oaks and Montrose, the center of the city’s affluent art scene.
DISPLAYS
Tabletop displays are accessories with florals, vintage fixtures and more.
Kuhl-Linscomb practically deserves its own zip code. It’s well-described as a campus, studded with numerous repurposed mid-century homes that create a self-contained neighborhood of design and lifestyle. While a full range of merchandise in the home category – furniture, rugs, lighting, bedding and bath – are offered, tabletop
Founders Pam Kuhl-Linscomb and Dan Linscomb pose with their rescue dog, George Bailey.
is its crown jewel. “The spaces of each of the five showrooms are intimate, with a genuine home-like feeling. Inspirational slice-of-life vignettes are at each twist and turn,” Pam said. “We layer in an array of merchandise into the room settings, and it allows for a seamless shopping experience that invites our customers in and encourages them to stay.” Pam and Dan’s passion for entertaining is reflected in their priority treatment of the tabletop department: It’s stocked with formal and informal wares and brands that are familiar household names but are also one-of-a-kind finds. Displays are tastefully accessorized with florals, vintage fixtures and other nuanced touches. The store has become a magnet for clientele who enjoy at-home dining and entertaining – a hotspot resource for Houston’s most esteemed hosts and hostesses. “In this department, our displays are known for being creative and memorable – like every meal shared with friends should be,” Pam said. “Our tables showcase the endless possible combinations we can put together to cater to any need: formal or informal, modern or transitional, disposable or heirloom.” Visiting a store that arms customers with a map upon arrival may seem daunting. But Pam, Dan and the entire Kuhl-Linscomb team have created an unparalleled experience that is anything but. It’s bigger, but it’s also beyond better. Tabletop settings are at the forefront of the store’s many displays. N Y N O W® I A U G U S T 1 2 – 1 5 , 2 0 1 8
FORTY ONE MADISON 7
SHOWROOM S
The Forty One Scene Renowned fashion icon Hiroko Koshino was on hand to celebrate her new collection at Nikko.
Linda Motley of Fort Worth-based store P.S. The Letter and Wayne Ingalls of Paramount Sales & Marketing check out the new Richard Ginori designs.
Canvas Home director of sales Susie Giovinazzo showed Natasha Mander, Naomi Phan and Natalia Owen of Gilt.com the newest collection.
Jewelry designer Lauren Harper and Andy Pickard Morgan, president of Pickard China, display Harper’s new designs at the brand’s 125th anniversary celebration.
Macy’s buyer Jill Raponi examined a new Laurie Gates creation as the designer and Gibson vice president Ken Cook stood watch.
Enjoying the Lenox party: Bill Rudin, Lenox CMO Michele Barbone and CEO Katrina Helmkamp.
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Orrefors Kosta Boda president Matt Jones met with Lawrence and Marsha Dautch of Jenss Decor.
Fiskars Living president Michael Craig caught up with Sarah Bergman and Bruno Bergman of Crystal Classics at the company’s showroom party.
Batia Mograby of L’Ideale Gifts worked with Betty Demeri at Reed & Barton.
Renowned designer Michael Wainwright demonstrated the art of pottery at the Lenox party with blogger Tikaa Cone.
SHOWROOMS
Toasting the opening of the Revol showroom: AJ Carpenter, Amélie Keromnes and Ben Tally with Forty One Madison’s Kristi Forbes.
Royal Doulton and Royal Albert brand director Laura Villipiano walked Connie Kim and Vicky Luh of Zola.com through the collections at Fiskars Living.
Ercuis and Raynaud export manager Isabelle Ferrer met with Catherine Lerer-Anderson, division buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue, at Rosenthal.
Holiday House designer Jaime Walters placed the final touches on her stylish spring-themed lobby display.”
Maria Angela Guerra, a buyer for Mexico-based Cartref, discussed the latest Crystalite Bohemia launches with Crystalite sales manager Lubor Cerva.
Samantha Weiss and Jessica Church of One Kings Lane learned about the Spode “Maui” series from Portmeirion Group sales director Lisa Zambrano.
Jens Menke, Alessi national sales manager, showed QVC buyers Dana Diamond and Mark Callahan the brand’s new home fragrance launch: The Five Seasons.
Surbhi Sahni, pastry chef and wife of prolific NYC chef Hemant Mathur, and her colleagues Lisa Ainbinder and Victor Forlenza of Forlenza & Associates met with Russell Mandia of Bauscher Hepp to discuss tableware for the chef ’s new restaurant, Saar Indian Bistro, which opened in April. FORTY ONE MADISON 9
SHOWROOM S
The Forty One Scene Chef and author Abraham Conlon signed a copy of his new book, The Adventures of Fat Rice: Recipes from the Chicago Restaurant Inspired by Macau, for Overstock.com’s Stephanie Sims during his guest appearance at Robinson Home Products.
At Kiyasa Group, CEO Kiana Bahadorzadeh and sales representative Susan Goldstein worked with Dress Your Table’s Jenny Zafir and Malky Gestetner.
Lisa Zwanziger of Moser Crystal met with Inside Weddings executive creative director Art Scangas and editor-in-chief Walt Shepard.
Silvia Aizenman and Ariana Aizenman of Costa Rica-based boutique La Maison 718 worked with Melvin Medina at Christofle.
TJX Companies buyer Malcolm Beckwith joined Davide Sereni, general manager of Bormioli Rocco, at the showroom’s cocktail party.
LSA International vice president Robert Jackson showed new designs to Cici Liu of Wayfair and Perigold’s Samantha Brooks and Carrie Richards.
Homeworld Business senior associate editor Megan Salzano and Lotus 823 chief strategy officer Rachel Litner were all smiles checking out the new collections at Vista Alegre.
The Euro Ceramica team – Emily Coning, Jessica Fendrych, Joanna Marjieh and owner Nicolas Marjieh – worked with Katie Hedinger and Kerry Gibson-Morris of Zulily.
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Eva Zucker of Ten Strawberry Street hosted Stein Mart buyer Liz Boyd.
At Deshoulières, Virginie de Toustain reviewed the latest designs with Tailored Home owner Starr Osborne.
The Macy’s team – Lindsay Zak and Betsy Poirier – admired new designs at Villeroy & Boch with brand president Lisa Knierim and Isabelle von Boch.
MATCH president David Reiss and sales manager Julia Hinton met with Food52’s Jojo Feld and Casey Simring.
Sarah Saeli and Mary Fitzgerald of Cottages & Gardens chatted with Liz Kirst and Andie Jodko at Juliska.
Rachel Chadwick of Supper Magazine met with Arianna Gershon, PR representative for Hermès.
Paul Wojcik of Mottahedeh worked with Flower magazine style director Amanda Fowler.
Nicole Dillon and Ilyse Shapiro of Bergdorf Goodman got down to business with L’OBJET’s Maureen Farrell, Carol Boucher and Laura Heemer.
FORTY ONE MADISON 11
SEMINAR
Interior Monologue founder Tanya Zaben explored William Yeoward Crystal during her 41 Madison Instagram takeover.
NEW YORK TABLETOP MARKET® October 9 – 12, 2018 April 2 – 5, 2019 (dates subject to change)
41 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010-2202 212-686 -1203 www.41madison.com A RUDIN BUILDING
www.41madison.com
/company/forty-one-madison /fortyonemadison @41madison #tabletopny #41madison
THANK YOU FROM KRISTI AND THE FORTY ONE MADISON TEAM: The invigorating spirit of spring was visible from the moment the doors opened at the New York Tabletop Market. The building was buzzing with energy and showrooms were bustling with leading brands, retailers, designers, chefs, restaurateurs and press. In collaboration with Holiday House, lobby tablescapes greeted guests with a festive and colorful entertaining theme; and there’s more to come from this fantastic partnership! Addressing the future of tabletop, the breakfast seminar emphasized the importance of creating product that helps consumers tell a story and highlighted abundant selling opportunities for all generations at various life moments: when millennials are purchasing their first homes or when boomers are likely downsizing and remodeling. Retailers were charged with continuing to be adaptable and authentic in order to remain relevant and break through the noise in the market. Entertaining casually continues to be a trend, but casual can mean beautiful and has taken on a whole new meaning. These lifestyle changes and challenges present our industry with uniquely exciting opportunities to innovate and reshape the future of tabletop. Thank you all for such a warm welcome and for making my first New York Tabletop Show as director a success. I look forward to many markets together!
Kristi