Many of today's parents are looking to extend their modern home decor into the baby's nursery, so they're seeking contemporary
designs that showcase bold prints and patterns in an array of eye-catching colors. Other parents are still yearning for more
traditional styles and softer color palettes. Regardless of their designer preferences, today's moms agree that they're looking
for convenience and affordability, especially when it comes to gift giving.
Christiane Lemieux, founder and creative director of DwellStudio, a contemporary brand that typically sells at the specialty
store level, recently launched DwellStudio for Target. She says a lot of thought went into the packaging since gift giving
is a major part of the baby experience. A stylish and sophisticated gift bag is now available for moms on the go. "We wanted
the Target guest to be able to grab the boxes off the shelf and put them right in the gift bag and go," says Lemieux, a new
mom herself.
DwellStudio for Target's colorful collection of bedding, nursery furniture, and baby layette was introduced in January. The
line makes gift giving affordable with suggested retails that range from $3 for a pair of booties to $80 for a three-piece
crib set. Prior to the Target launch, the DwellStudio team received lots of feedback from supporters who were asking for better
pricing.
Lemieux believes Target is the ideal home for DwellStudio, since both brands are renowned for their design vision and recognize
the importance of remaining ahead of the curve. "The timing was serendipitous because they recognized that they wanted something
with our contemporary take in baby and we were finally ready," says Lemieux. "Target understands the value of design and its
ability to execute matches our ability, so we can create great product in a short time frame." DwellStudio's arrangement with Target actually represents more of a partnership than a traditional licensing agreement. DwellStudio
not only designs product specifically for Target, but in some cases actually supplies the items. However, DwellStudio does
have more traditional licenses with Graham & Brown (wall art) and fatboy (modern beanbag seating). At press time, DwellStudio
was in discussions for other licensing deals.
For the Target line, DwellStudio drew inspiration from what was working at the specialty-store level. "We interpret our designs
to work in a big-box setting, but still manage to maintain the design integrity," says Lemieux. With shelf appeal in mind,
colors and scale are often adjusted.
"We are really excited about the initial reception," she adds, noting that Target supported the launch with a national advertising
campaign, strategic press outreach, online support, circulars, and other marketing initiatives.
Bold stripes, polka dots, and energetic all-over prints make up the Zutano brand, a vibrant collection of baby apparel and
accessories that is distributed in specialty stores worldwide. The collection, which was created by designer and art director
Uli Belenky and her husband Michael, a photographer, was established approximately 20 years ago when the Belenkys were expecting
their first child.
Nap time
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Zutano, which already has a stationery and gift wrap license, will soon introduce a new member of the family. A bedding collection
is expected in the second half of 2008. Described as "fresh and vibrant," the Zutano bedding brand will feature a series of
mix-and-match looks that will be sure to tell a somewhat eclectic story. "When you look across all of the infant and toddler
programs, there's nothing that looks like Zutano," says Jonathan Breiter, executive vice president of The Betesh Group, which
operates a company called Bananafish that will manufacture the Zutano bedding.
As of press time, the collection was still in the early phases of development, so details were not available, but the Zutano
line will debut through a well-known retailer outside of the specialty-store market.
