Designing talent sashays off runway into homes
Fashion houses are finding lucrative outlets for their furnishings and accessories among homemakers who are already living their brand
Experience has taught one of the world's most successful businessmen, Donald Trump, that "you're generally better off sticking with what you know". But some people just can't help pushing the envelope, among them the current seam of fashion designers crossing over into homeware.
There are no guarantees, even for a name consistently on catwalk trend, that those who wear the frock will also want to sit on its sofa. But enough have done it well, since Ralph Lauren pioneered the concept in the early 1980s.
Christian Lacroix is the latest. He of the iconic international haute couture launched his first eponymous fabrics and accessories in spring 2011 - the same year Diane Von Furstenberg launched a home collection of tableware, bedding, and rugs, and Hermès La Maison debuted at the Milan Furniture Fair. Displaying his trademark flamboyance, the Lacroix collection of extravagant prints, luxurious velvets and satins were soon followed by wallpapers, rugs and now, equally eye-catchingly, a furniture collection for Sicis, the Italian mosaic tile company.
Ed Ng, co-founder of interior design firm AB Concept, sees this transition as a growing trend. "It's a great business opportunity - when one has created a certain language or aesthetic [in fashion], why not add an extra skin for the home? It is a very natural development," he said.
John McLennan, managing director of Indigo Living, agrees that some fashion designers view interiors as a natural extension of their brand. "In some cases it works well and in others it can be a disaster," he said. "For a fashion designer to make it in the interiors market they have to start with a very strong brand such as Ralph Lauren or Armani [both with their own successful furniture and retail brands]. Without this it is a struggle in a crowded market."
McLennan added: "If the fashion brand has a large following and crosses a wide range of garments from casual to formal and everything in between so that people are already 'living' that brand, then the extension into the home is much easier. Ralph Lauren was a genius at this with his first ad campaigns set up as lifestyle shots - furniture and accessories were added to his [fashion] photo shoots right from the start."