What do Millennials want..?
Italian Countryside, Mikasa
Ono, Thomas
Lifetime Brands has reinvented its 20-year-old design – this new modern mix-and-match stoneware range is focused on layering with four new colours (slate, grey, tan and blue), glass additions and relevant Millennial-friendly pieces like small appetizer bowls. It features scrolls, fluted bands and column-like details.
New collection Ono puts emphasis on the essentials – clever and multi-functional, casual yet suitable for any occasion. The striking grooved relief is not just there to provide a visual or sensory ‘wow’ factor but also has a functional use; the saucers for example can be used for any sized cup thanks to the grooves and cn also serve as practical covers for different-sized bowls. The porcelain is chip-resistant and dishwasher/microwave-safe.
www.lifetimebrands.com
www.thomas-porzellan.de
Designed for inpromptu dinners and casual brunches, this design-oriented piece is elegant, contemporary and yet practical and space-saving. “This is what entertaining looks like today. It’s clean and contemporary and cuts across generations. It save space, doubles up, yet is a luxury item offering an informal way of being formal,” says Liz Nightingale, executive director of marketing for Christofle in the US. “Millennials have small spaces, yet want beautiful things and have the disposable income to afford them.” Similarly embodying the essence of modern dining culture are two recently-launched collections from German luxury brand Fuerstenberg. Designed with the Millennial in mind, for those who consciously choose to own fewer things, Seven from Sieger by Fuerstenberg is a 7-piece multi-functional collection for everyday with each product able to be used in any number of different ways and combinations. “Today, consumers have smaller homes yet still have big disposable incomes and enjoy luxury – Seven fits this, it’s for them,” says Florian Marquardt, director for international sales at Fuerstenberg. Also aimed at cutting back to the essentials, Fuerstenberg has launched Omnia for Spring 2016 (being unveiled in the US at the April
2016 Market), a service comprising a dinner plate, breakfast plate, side dish, bowl and cup. “With Omnia, Fuerstenberg takes another major step towards the future by presenting porcelain that fits our contemporary way of life,” say the brand. New collection Ono from Thomas similarly puts emphasis on the essentials with a stripped-back range that is clever, multi-functional and suitable for any occasion. “The sophisticated concept means Ono functions with a reduced selection of items, creating more space in the cupboard,” say Thomas. As Sherri Crisenbery at Lenox says, “Millennials are more practical about tableware and look for items that are multi-purpose and versatile, not just for storage and space-saving but also so they fit into a variety of different entertaining styles and functions”.
Vive la versatility In fact, versatility takes centrestage in Millennial tabletop demands; this consumer group not only want products that perform various functions but collections that have been designed to be mixed and matched, dressed up or down. Sherri continues: “Versatility is extremely key to fit a variety of different entertaining styles and functions. What’s also important to Millennials are unique styling options.
Mood, Christofle Shaking up the classic codes of table setting, Mood is a streamlined, contemporary egg-shaped decorative object with a compact shape in mirror-polished steel with a walnut wood interior that holds a silver-plated service of flatware for six (24 pieces). Both functional and decorative, it is also spacesaving yet elegant.
www.christofle.com
“The new generation aren’t constrained by tradition and don’t feel they have to collect a whole set or have exactly matching pieces. They expect great design, fashion in tableware and the highest quality. It has to be versatile enough to offer multiple uses and of course it needs to be dishwasher-safe. They are also very aware of the features and benefits of the product and will happily compare and shop around for exactly what they want.” Phil Atherton, group sales & marketing director, Portmeirion Group “Millennials are attracted to tableware that speaks to their casual lifestyles, but with products that have great style and functionality. Millennials are more practical about tableware and look for items that are multipurpose to satisfy multiple meals and occasions. They dress their tables to impress but in a more relaxed presentation of the most essential of items. Millennials like unique styling options.” Sherri Crisenbery, VP of Lenox “Dining and entertaining is much less formal; consumers need products they can ‘dress up’ for entertaining but can also deliver for a night on the sofa in front of the TV.” Robert Levien, European product designer TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 31