| FIRST LOOK: MADCAP COTTAGE DESIGNERS UNVEIL DEBUT RUG COLLECTIONS FOR MOMENI
Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke, the duo behind the wildly successful Madcap Cottage design studio, met with retailers and designers at Momeni's showroom for the High Point launch of their debut rug collection. |
HIGH POINT, N.C. -- High Point Market shoppers went bonkers for Madcap Cottage, the global lifestyle brand that launched a rug collection for Momeni and a line of lighting and accessories for Port 68 at the October 2018 edition of the semi-annual show.
Indeed, John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon, the dynamic design duo behind the brand, were ubiquitous during market week. They headlined seminars, book signings, and a launch party at Momeni's IHFC showroom, where RugNews.com got the scoop from Nixon on Madcap Cottage's irreverent and delightful take on English cottage style (read full story).
"Jason and John are a dynamic team," said Reza Momeni when asked about his company's newest licensing collaboration. "We've been working with them for a year now, and the debut collection is very comprehensive -- tufted, hand-woven, hooked, machine-made, indoor-outdoor.
"But what sets them apart from anyone else in the industry -- and makes them different from any other licensing partner we've worked with -- is that each of their designs is hand water-colored by John. He creates these masterpieces on paper, and they are translated into textiles -- or for us, rugs that are truly original and different from anything else."
Madcap Cottage brings its take on classic British Cottage design to its debut area rug collection by Momeni. Shown, on wall, Think of England's Spencer in yellow and Under a Loggia's Howards End in red.
Reza Momeni sees the collection as serving multiple channels, from brick and mortar to e-commerce. And of course Madcap's retail partners, including One Kings Lane, Calico, and Stein Mart present built-in opportunities. With 33 different designs in the inaugural collection in multiple colorways and sizes, there is ample room to custom tailor programs for customers.
Covering a broad range of patterns from florals to graphics, plaids and stripes, the collection includes washable mats adorned with words or wisdom and quirky sayings which retail at $39. Prices go up from there to hand-tufted wool rugs at $399 in 5x8, in keeping with Madcap Cottage's philosophy of licensed home furnishings that look good and can fit almost any budget. "Their goal is to create things that are aspirational and affordable," Momeni said.
Madcap Cottage, which also launched its first lighting collection at Port 68's showroom, showcased its new Under a Loggia collection rug (UND-2 in green) by Momeni at that space as well.
While many of the area rug designs are reminiscent of Madcap Cottage fabrics for Robert Allen @ Home and Calico Corners, Nixon told RugNews.com that everything in the Momeni launch is inspired by the duo's "far-flung" travels. "The collection offers just the right amount of traditional with a twist. It's an amazing group -- from natural fibers to indoor-outdoor and so much more. It captures a unique sensibility that is anything but boring."
In addition to their launch party and book signings at Momeni, plus a seminar at Market Square, the designers gave retailers plenty of cross-merchandising to see at various High Point venues. Their new rugs anchored several vignettes in the InterHall showroom of Port 68, which also premiered its first licensed collection for Madcap at the fall event, including lighting, accent furniture and accessories.
And a stunning pop-up exhibit for Replacements Ltd. at Suites at Market Square, including a fabric-tented vignette by Nixon and Loecke, walked away with a Best Booth Award. At its SAMS stand at the October 2018 show, which marked Replacements' launch of a designer program, the resellers' decorative objects were paired with Madcap wallpaper, rugs, fabric for Calico, lighting, and accessories.
A tented Replacements Ltd. vignette morphs into an English country house in the heart of Suites at Market Square at Fall High Point Market. The Best Booth Award-winning display features Momeni's green Lake Trail rug over a Hatfield in woven jute, both by Momeni.
What's more, Jason Oliver Nixon debuted his starring role in The Design Network TV series, 'Furniture Geek' during High Point Market, adding even more future sales potential for the rugs. The Design Network (TDN), a sister company of Furnitureland South, offers access to world-class interior designers who host shows on TDN TV, and share their best work and favorite products on the site. Purchases are processed through Furnitureland South, which delivers over $150 million worth of merchandise across the country each year.
"John and I are thrilled to launch our rug collection with Momeni," Nixon said. "They have the capabilities to create any construction, literally, under the sun. Working with the Momeni team to craft the storyline was an absolute joy, and you will see a spirit of sophisticated fun and adventure reflected in the collection. It's all about layering, and this collection perfectly taps that quality."
FIRST LOOK AT THE NEW MOMENI RUGS
Madcap Cottage introduces the Embrace Adventure collection for Momeni, which is hand-tufted of cotton in China. Shown, EMB-2 in pink
The new collections feature a number of constructions from hand-tufted, to hand-woven, hand-hooked and machine-made. Embrace Adventure is a hand-tufted assortment made in China of cotton. Hardwick Hall is a collection inspired by the rush mats used in medieval British castles but these renditions are woven in India in a blend of natural jute, cotton and wool. The Highland Fling collection reworks iconic plaids in Madcap style.
Reworking the rush mats once used in medieval British castles, Madcap Cottage's Hardwick Hall offers woven designs of woven natural jute, cotton and wool.
Other collections include: the Lake Palace, machine-made of polypropylene in Turkey; Lisbon, hand-woven of wool and cotton in India; Palm Beach, also hand-woven in India but of recycled PET fiber for indoor-outdoor applications; Roman Holiday, hand-tufted of wool; Summer Garden, hand-woven of wool in India; and Under a Loggia, hand-hooked of polypropylene in China.
The Montserrat design from the Under a Loggia collection by Madcap Cottage is hand-hooked of polypropylene.