How homeware has become the most important category for fashion brands – WWD

Home is the place where the heart – and the money – are.

The homeware sector is expected to reach a market value of more than $200 billion by the end of 2031 with a compound annual growth rate of 5 percent from 2021 to 2031, according to market research firm Fact.MR.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the fashion industry has made a quick profit and invested in home goods as a substitute for expanding growth at a time when the whole world was closed.

Even after the quarantines are over, the homewares category remains stronger than ever with more and more brands and retailers entering the sector.

At.Kollektive — a design project comprised of designers Natacha Ramsay-Levi, Bianca Saunders, Isaac Reina, Kostas Murkudis and architect Bernard Dubois — will launch its custom-made e-commerce store in January, followed by a physical retail store opening in June.

The collective was brought together by Ecco Leather, an extension arm of Ecco, the Danish shoe manufacturer and retailer, tasking each designer with developing a capsule collection comprising ready-to-wear, footwear/accessories and a designer piece.

“Fashion designers are people with a very close relationship with culture and society, maybe that’s why we have an excellent opportunity to expand our field of creation, it’s a playful and fun change,” Reina told WWD, adding that “it’s always very stimulating to change the field of work.” to new territory.

“In my personal case, I am developing small leather items for the home to enrich our range and our general offer, I am very attracted to this category because it is still a field with many forms and functionalities to explore,” said Reina.

Designer Murkudis has been experimenting with glass from a young age — which initially started with objects that were part of exhibitions and videos in the context of fashion.

New Zealand-born fashion designer Emilia Wickstead opened her London homeware store in December following the success of her brand. Items in her line include heavy crystal water and wine vessels hand-blown in Tuscany by master glassmakers for Giberto Venezia; embroidered geometric tablecloths made in Tuscany by her mother, Angela Wickstead; porcelain plates, made in Limoges, France by heritage maker Leglé, and silver-plated flatware handcrafted in small batches in Sheffield, England.

Australian accessories brand Poppy Lissiman is extending its range of homewares until June; Swimwear brand Oceanus is launching embroidered cushions, and Paul Smith, who has shown no signs of slowing down, is already expanding his home fragrance and homewares collections.

However, it is the smaller brands that nurture the idea of ​​housewares by adding a spiritual touch to it.

“I feel that our fashion and beauty customers want the whole lifestyle. People are spending more time at home and want their home furnishings to match the cool fashion and beauty brands they have,” said Joanna Nicole, founder of online Oxygen Boutique, which carries Farm Rio, MZ Skin, Emma Lucky Rocks and more.

In 2021, Nicole moved into the homewares market to create a 360° world for her customers. She is on the lookout for new homeware brands and will expand her own collection, Cacuro, which combines crystals with ceramics.

Mariella Tandy, founder of luxury jewelry brand Alemdara, specializes in symbols of good luck and protection with the use of the evil eye and hamsa hand that appear in each piece.

Tandy started making bowls and trays during quarantine as a means of procrastination because she was spending so much time with her family cooking. The idea quickly turned into a sold-out edition within the first 24 hours online.

“Customer feedback has been that they like the multi-purpose aspect of our products – in particular our small bowls can be used for everything from a jewelery storage bowl to a serving dish,” said Tandy, adding that this has led to an increase in requests for custom orders for weddings and baby showers.

Cocktail napkins have also become a hit with Alemdara’s customers — in 2023, the line is expanding, and the brand is launching jewelry boxes in the first quarter of the new year.