Top Stories » Expert Columns » Profiles & Trends

Portuguese Designers and Manufacturers Team Up for Success
In its second showing, the Portuguese design show IN’NOVA – Innovative Solutions for Table and Living proved it could lift its country’s textile and tabletop manufacturers to new heights by providing them access to a world of marketing, design, and production resources to improve their production processes and profits. The show, held in Lisbon Sept. 9–11, 2004, doubled in size mostly due to a large contingent of textile companies, and lived up to its innovative namesake by debuting new trends for 2005, exhibiting high-quality designs that rival those of its European counterparts, and offering clear presentations from companies vying for a position in the global market.

Deep Roots
Portuguese ceramics comprise an industry of tradition. Most companies are decades (if not centuries) old, and are run by generations of families with a deep-rooted dedication to their craft. While many worldwide ceramics producers have sped ahead to machine-operated, high-output mass production, the Portuguese may well be said to have lumbered along in their craft, holding steadfast to their traditional approach. While their inability or resistance to adapt to the world’s way of operating may have held the industry back, it has also aided them in the long run. The Portuguese still hold to high-quality production, intense attention to detail, and traditional approaches that make their output truly artisan.
Still, one of the missions of the Portuguese Industrial Association, the Lisbon International Trade Fair (FIL), and the Portuguese Trade Commission (ICEP) is to bring this artisan industry into the global playing field. For the past few years, the government agencies have worked to boost the company’s focus on sophistication, creativity, and design by creating partnerships between design schools and companies. The project allows young designers to develop products at an industrial level and companies to benefit from more direct contact with a new generation of industrial designers.
At the same time, ICEP is promoting Portuguese products via special presentations to potential markets from London to Moscow to Dubai to New York. A wide range of buyers were invited to the IN’NOVA event, including a large contingent from new markets in Slovenia, Russia, the United States, and Dubai.
Another route to global marketing is the trade associations’ creation of the PortugalTradePT seal — a branding image granted to companies who are certified by the Portuguese Trade Commission as being companies selected for their creativity, excellence, and innovation. For more information, send email to gabinete.marcas@icep.pt.

2005 Trends
More promotion comes from IN’NOVA’s affiliation with The Nelly Rodi Agency, a Paris-based style agency that presented 2005 trends at the show and simultaneously stimulated creativity in the Portuguese companies working in the tabletop, textiles, and decorative categories. The agency presented four themes: Luxuriance, Elegance, Opulence, and Resurgence.
Luxuriance includes naturally inspired products with a contemporary edge. Patterns are graphic and inspired by the shapes in nature with green highlights as the dominant color. Elegance is filled with the subtleties of the Greco-Roman era, a small touch of the 18th century with imperial styles, and even glimpses of the 1930’s. Colors here include black, white-gold, and silver.
The Far East influences the Opulence trend with a reconciliation of East and West in contemporary designs that bring arabesque elements of earlier times forward. And finally, Resurgence captures the continued trend toward nostalgic references, mainly those of the 1950’s with bold geometric patterns, creative uses of colors, and abstract forms.

Product Introductions
As the dedication to innovation seeps through to the manufacturing processes, companies with a long tradition of Portuguese ceramics are making changes. One of the most noticeable changes came from Bordallo Pinheiro, Lda (fabordalopinheiro.pt), a 120-year-old ceramics company famous for its figural sculptures, tiles, and serveware. Three new designs with contemporary shapes and decal decoration were introduced to accent the more intricate tabletop patterns. Two everyday dinnerware patterns and one holiday theme were also introduced. The basis of the introduction was to allow a more utilitarian use of the company’s designs. For example, Kitchen-garden is a range of solid whiteware and cabbage-decal dinnerware that complements Pinheiro’s signature cabbage-leaf designs.
Grestel, a manufacturer working closely with U.S. tableware designer/importer Casafina, fashioned a new 55-mm. stoneware serving platter that’s bound to have success in the U.S. entertaining market. A significant achievement in stoneware, the oversized platter design is decorated in a rustic sponge-marble design. Casafina will coordinate the design with a new collection of Polka Dot-patterned bakeware.
Cutipol’s combination of black resin and matte-finished stainless steel flatware makes sitting down to daily dinner a sophisticated experience. The new Goa pattern illustrates the continued innovation of Portuguese manufacturers as it extends beyond the traditional uses of resin to create informal patterns. This new line can truly transcend the everyday and rise to the occasion of extraordinary.
Portuguese manufacturers also delve further into the kitchen with cutlery and cookware. Silampos brings its 18/10 stainless steel cookware to the table with a stone cooking surface. The Stone Griller is made from a specially formulated Italian stone (Granito) fashioned in a rectangular form on a stainless steel stand with a heat source beneath.
Portuguese glass manufacturers are instilling innovation in the category through the excellent use of colors, contemporary shapes, and transformations of glassware through fusion and sandblasting techniques.
Arte Fosco not only brings fresh colors to glass with bold new shapes, but also includes a range of frosted serveware in interesting shapes and patterns. Made in the famous Marinha Grande glass region, the glassworks company makes glass come alive with waves of frosted serveware ready to decorate any table. Another Marinha Grande company, Vetricor, is able to bring resilient shades of blue, orange, and green to glassware, while fusing additional colors to make a bold statement for the table and home.
Transforme (transforme.com.pt) creates innovative uses for plate glass or flat glass by combining full sheets of glass or other materials with cut, fused, and reformed glass into eye-catching works of art for the table and home. The fused designs tell a story of traditional artisans with a retro feel reminiscent of the 50’s. Geometric patterns and organic shapes lend a textured appearance to the serveware and decorative home décor. The company also developed Starganica, a line of glass door knobs and cabinet knobs that add an elegant dimension to any kitchen.
Freitas & Dores, Lda is bringing its silver and pewter accessories into the modern age with collections such as ID — a new range of pewter serveware and accessories designed with the contemporary market in mind. Matching glass with pewter is one element of the collection, along with modern foot designs on serving platters and candle-scapes.
With the inclusion of a large contingent of textile companies, the Portuguese marketplace set the image of a well-dressed table with ease. The Portuguese textiles industry is comprised of more than 200 companies located in the north of the country and was responsible for about 813.5 million Euros in 2002 or about 17 percent of the country’s exports. It is the most updated sector of Portuguese trade, as evidenced by the designs at the show. The U.S. is the greatest consumer of Portuguese textiles, with 28.8 percent of the total exports heading our way.
New introductions were subtle and soft — the quality of design and fabrication were the most qualitative statements. Portuguese linen and cotton creations are themselves works of art. A few interesting notes included marvão, a new brand from Jotabe (imported by Canadian-based Prima Linea Marketing/nadinemtl@sympatico.ca). Designer Cristina Marvão translated these nature-inspired designs to the table with rubber applications on linen (like a T-shirt decal). The collection, which includes Sugar Roses, Vanilla & Chocolate Straws, Pepper, and Ice, is comprised of geometric translations of the subject matter applied in small doses across intricately woven linen. Jotabe also created INNOVAR, an everyday line of home textiles in three different “moods” that range from playful to sophisticated. Matching bed linens, kitchen accessories, and bath linens are available for both lines.

Table Talk
We’ve taken a detour from our monthly poll this issue to provide you with a fun promotional tip and statistical information to help serve your business. Tabletop Takes will continue in 2005 with a more streamlined look, a new name, product galleries, industry insights and tips, as well as guest columnists to help better serve your business. We really want to receive your comments on Table Talk, so please contact Senior Editor Michelle Moran with any suggestions or comments you might have at 239-992-2404, or mmoran@gourmetretailer.com.

Signed with Love
The following promotional idea from Dianna Burke, owner of Libertyville, Ill.-based Someone’s in the Kitchen, provides your customers with a way to personalize their tabletop purchases and help you increase your sales. Burke experienced a boost in sales of specialty serving platters by simply arming her customers with a Sharpie.
She explained, “When my customers purchase platters, I recommend they take a ‘Sharpie’ and write a little something special on the back. For example, ‘Uncle Bob & Aunt Sue, Congratulations on 50 wonderful years of Marriage! Love, Fred & Susan.’ They really love the idea and the special sentiment.”
The serving platters Burke carries emanate from a variety of sources and include small rectangular and oval shapes from France and oversized Italian pieces. All require hand washing, which further protects the signed sentiments.
“I actually got this idea from my Acacia Cutting & Cheese Boards over Mother’s Day. I had one customer write to his wife, ‘You are my number 1 Cheese!’ Cute, huh? The wife came back and bought what we call a ‘Sandwich Board’ and wrote a special sentiment to him for a golf trip he was taking on a yacht with his brothers and brothers-in-law,” Burke said. “This idea has helped increase turns of the more expensive items and truly makes us stand out as a ‘Specialty Store’ that offers customer service — which is the key, I believe, to success.”

The Dish
Oneida to Close New York Flatware Factory Q1 2005
Oneida Ltd. has decided to cease operation of its flatware factory in Sherrill, N.Y., by the first quarter of the 2005 calendar year. Oneida reported a second-quarter net loss of $48.3 million, which included nonrecurring charges of approximately $45.5 million, of which an approximately $34-million charge was attributable to the factory closing.
Oneida is closing its Sherrill flatware factory due to unsustainably high operating costs that have heavily contributed to substantial losses within the company. Oneida will continue to market the affected products through the use of independent suppliers. This outsourcing will eliminate the majority of the related losses. The company anticipates this transition will occur with no interruption in product flow to the marketplace.

Zrike Signs On New Florida Sales Reps
Tools For Living, Inc. of Coral Springs, Fla., will handle all of The Zrike Company’s brands — Zrike®, Woolrich®, Waverly®, Tracy Porter®, National GeographicTM Home Collection, Könitz®, Guy Degrenne®, Christopher Radko®, and Jonathan Adler Happy HomeTM — in Florida. Product groups include dinnerware and accessories, glassware, flatware, and giftware. Tools For Living replaces The Alexander Collection.

iittala Designers Visit Tacoma Glass Museum
In October, Tacoma, Ore.-based Museum of Glass hosted the Finnish Team consisting of Professor Oiva Toikka, a designer, and Arto Lahtinen, a glass blower, together with the American Team of glass blowers from the Museum’s Hot Shop. This joint American-Finnish Team will create iittala’s glass birds in the heart of the great American Studio that Dale Chiluly inspired. Nuutajarvi Glass Factory founded in 1793 outside of Helsinki, Finland, has hosted Tacoma-born glass artist Dale Chiluly and his crew several times in recent summers. The American Goldfinch Bird created by Toikka to celebrate his visit to Tacoma and the Northwest will be available at the Museum Gift Shop and other area iittala dealers. First created in 1973, Oiva Toikka’s iittala birds have since grown to become an international success. Over the past 30 years, Toikka has created hundreds of birds of different types, shapes, and sizes.

Colorful Presentations at IFDA/NY
Color visionaries Doty Horn and Kenneth Charbonneau provided wide-ranging predictions of what’s coming in color during a recent International Furnishings & Design Association program, “Insider’s Guide to the Business of Color,” held in Amtico’s street-level showroom in the NY Design Center.
Horn, Benjamin Moore’s director of color & design, believes that colors will cool down, metals will warm up, and laminates are back. Benjamin Moore is predicting a mix between the safe and the adventurous — expressionism, vibrant but muted, neutrals married to liquid silver and brown.
“But, be ready for some tasteful glitz. We need something that makes us feel good,” said Charbonneau, color marketing consultant and past president of the Color Marketing Group. “All kinds of colors are out there, as long as they’re not artificial.”
One of the country’s leading color authorities, Charbonneau expects upcoming designs to be grounded in the classics, with the return of turquoise and Chinese Export Blue. He also says grey is coming back and warns the industry to brace for “Fashion Victim Pink.”

Industry Events at Your Fingertips
Throw away your desktop calendars and toss aside your date books . . . Design-Calendar, a new interactive Web site (www.design-calendar.com) tracks industry-related events and happenings — everything from product launches, to lectures, exhibits, and trade shows. Design-Calendar was created by Brooklyn-based PR agency Novità Communications to be a central source for event information, serving all the industry players from manufacturers, to designers, architects, public relations agencies, trade show coordinators, event planners, cultural institutions, design press, and professional associations.
Design-Calendar enables users to quickly and easily navigate its database of events. Information about events can be found in a variety of ways. Users can see what is happening by selecting a specific day or month or by searching for a topic-specific event.
Access to Design-Calendar will be free until November 15, 2004. Past then, current listings will remain available to all, but only subscribers will have complete access to future events and search functions.
For more information, log onto www.design-calendar.com, send e-mail to info@design-calendar.com, or call 718-783-3160.

Atlanta Gift Fair Provides Value-priced Merchandise
The winter 2005 Gift Fair in Atlanta will introduce Atlanta General Merchandise Expo, a new section that will cater to retailers seeking value-priced merchandise. The division’s premiere will feature more than 100 booths throughout 10,000 net square feet of space at the Georgia World Congress Center. The fair, occupying 120,000 net square feet, will run January 14–17, 2005, welcoming some 750 exhibitors and an expected 12,000 retailers.
The Atlanta General Merchandise Expo will feature jewelry, fashion accessories, seasonal product, premium items, off-price clothing, surplus goods, leather goods, fragrances, toys, and personal care items.
With the addition of Atlanta General Merchandise Expo, the Gift Fair in Atlanta co-produced by George Little Management, LLC (GLM®) and Urban Expositions will feature a total of 10 well-defined product sections — Accent in Atlanta, American Country, Atlanta General Merchandise Expo, At Home, Cash & Carry, General Gift, Handmade®, Outdoor Elements, Personal Style, Resort, and Tabletop & Housewares. Show hours are
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. from Friday, January 14th through Sunday, January 16th and
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 17th. For buyer information, call 800-272-SHOW (7469), or 914-421-3206. The fax is 914-948-6194. Additional information and buyer registration is available online at www.thegift
fairinatlanta.com.

Seattle Gift Show Sees Positive Growth
The Northwest’s largest gift and accessories market received a boost in buyers this year as retail store registration for the August 2004 show increased five percent. Nearly 12,800 attendees stocking shelves in anticipation of the fourth quarter shopped the 1,390 booths.
The 149th semi-annual Seattle Gift Show will take place Jan. 29 – Feb. 2, 2005, at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center and will be held in cooperation with the permanent showrooms located in the Seattle Gift Center. For more information, call 415-346-4965, or visit www.seattlegift.com.

National Bridal Group Creates Web Site For Brides
In an effort to help independent stores with national bridal registry sales, National Bridal Services (NBS) has created www.NationalBridal.com. This cooperative marketing effort unites leading tabletop and giftware vendors with independent retailers under one new Internet site. The site will be supported by TV commercials reaching 80 percent of all U.S. households. NationalBridal.com will also be advertised on Google and in bridal magazines.
When a bride enters her zip code, the leading independent store and services in her area will appear on the next screen. Click on a particular store and an ad will appear for that store with a link to their site. After entering her Sweepstakes Registration for a free diamond pendant, the bride will receive an e-mail from NBS with contact information on the store and services in her area, and the store will receive the bride’s contact information. For more information on this developing program, contact NBS at 804-288-1220.