Home Fashion Forecast - Summer 2008 - (Page 16)

top tastemakers Umbra’s new design director breaks out of the sleek contemporary box to explore the charm of embellishment, vintage style and handcrafted imperfection. year, including picture frames, clocks, window treatments, kitchenware, tabletop accessories, bathroom accessories, decorative hardware, furniture and wallcoverings. “A big part of Umbra’s aesthetic is to have clean, contemporary design, and we’re still going to have the customer who wants this,” Carr explained. “But I believe the consumer is looking for a little embellishment, a little imperfection, a little more charm—product with a bit of a story—as a complement to the slick and smooth surfaces we have seen so much of over the past decade.” During the next quarter, Umbra plan to explore a new point of view it calls Vintage Industrial. “Think of things from the 1920s and ’30s, such as rough castings that a shoemaker would use to mold forms or old glass bottles with an apothecary look and feel,” Carr said. “It’s a mix of contemporary and vintage with an element of surprise.” Carr’s Mixalabra candle holder, nine single holders mounted on a tray, is intended for a lavish dinner party. design transition Matt Carr After more than two decades on the forefront of casual contemporary home product design, Umbra’s style is evolving in a new direction. Leading the transition is Matt Carr, who recently was named Design Director after seven years with the company. “Umbra’s aesthetic is constantly transforming, as is fashion,” said the 28-year-old Carr, who will guide more than 20 young designers in the creation of some 200 new products a Carr’s own aesthetic incorporates the element of surprise and has been creating quite a buzz for both the designer and the company in recent times. Among his most celebrated product designs are Teatime clock, which pairs vintage teacups with a sleek modern face. “Instead of putting the teacups into a landfill, we reclaimed them and gave them a new purpose,” Carr explained. “Each clock is completely different, so the consumer has the satisfaction of owning a handmade product that their neighbor’s not going to have.” And that, he believes, is key to capturing consumers’ business. “It has to be something original and innovative,” he said of the types of products consumers want to buy. “It’s got to be something that has a sense of timelessness. No one wants to buy something that is going to be disposed of in two or three years. People are looking for sustainable, quality products that can be cherished for decades.” Teatime clock, designed by Umbra Design Director Matt Carr, tells time by way of recycled tea cups. www.umbra.com 16 HOME fashion forecast http://www.umbra.com

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Home Fashion Forecast - Summer 2008 Contents Ad Index Imperfect Tense Style Points: The Green Kitchen Syle Points: Black Beauties Style Points: Outdoor Elegance Top Tastemakers Fashion Folio Trend Essentials Covering the Bases Container Story

Home Fashion Forecast - Summer 2008

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