For modern fashion brands, homewares have become an integral part of business. Ralph Lauren led the pack with his New England interiors in the 1980s, and last year opened a 14,000 square foot New York trade showroom dedicated to décor. From Giorgio Armani’s sleek Armani Casa and the luxe Nicole Farhi line to Matthew Williamson cushions and Versace’s Eurotrash glitz, nearly every big house has followed suit.
This autumn, Holt Renfrew brings us Burberry House. Launched in 2002 and overseen by the company’s creative director, Christopher Bailey, it hopes to fill Canadian homes with the Brit house’s check throws, glassware and picture frames, which straddle English countryside and London chic. Meanwhile, Italy’s Bottega Veneta, with an eye on homeware brand extension, just opened a huge store in New York.
“The nature of Bottega Veneta is an accessories house,” says creative director Tomas Maier. “Even the ready-to-wear is treated as an accessory. There’s no handbag family of individual pieces.”
And just like the handbags, products for the home are high quality and highly covetable. Murano glass pieces merge craftsmanship and design, and the house’s signature intrecciato (woven design) shows up in leather candle holders, chargers, trays and napkin rings. For true fashion lovers, whether it’s a vase, cushion or decorative bowl, why own the handbag if the home doesn’t match?
