By Michael Rudnick
ATLANTA–Jane Seymour will soon cover the home from floor to ceiling as she gears up to launch her first rug collection at the International Area Rug Market this week.
The actress and designer has partnered with Rugs America to launch the Jane Seymour Home Collection of area rugs, which is designed to match her existing bedding line. The floor covering line will serve as a complement to her existing home line, which includes a bedding line sold direct and exclusively at Sears’ The Great Indoors chain and a line of direct-sold lighting and home fragrances.
“The rug category is a natural component of the home furnishings business—[Seymour] is in lighting and bed coverings and the next step is to design rugs to match those other lines,” said Aaron Hakimian, vice president of Rugs America.
The Seymour line represents Rugs America’s first step into the licensing universe. “The power of branding inspired us to do so—she has really grabbed the consumers’ attention,” Hakimian said of Seymour. “With Jane Seymour, there is already a proven track record as she already has a successful [home] line.”
The line will consist of four collections corresponding with her existing top-of-bed lines.
The hand-knotted, double-washed wool Coral Canyon collection, which Hakimian described as “tropical, lively, Western, Californian,” will debut at the rug market in Atlanta. This represents the higher end of the lines with a 5-by-8 rug priced at a suggested $899. The collection will be available at retail at the end of February in seven sizes representing 63 SKUs.
The hand-tufted, high-count wool yarn Grand Hotel Collection, which will also launch this week in Atlanta, features a “more simple and plain, but elegant lifestyle look,” Hakimian said. The suggested retail for a 5-by-8 in this collection is $499. The collection will consist of six sizes representing 54 SKUs and will also be available at the end of next month.
The remaining two collections, St. Catherine’s Court, defined as having a “traditional old English look,” and Winding Way, which features a “cottage look,” will be introduced at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market in July, Hakimian said, adding that it is too early to disclose further details.
Rugs America is looking to distribute the collections at department stores, furniture chains and specialty floor covering retailers, Hakimian said, adding that it is too early to reveal more. He said the company is in talks with some retailers about possible exclusive deals.
