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SAFAVIEH COUTURE
The Story Behind a New
Concept in
Lifestyle Furniture: An interview with Safavieh principals.
WHY HAS SAFAVIEH ADDED "COUTURE" TO ITS NAME?
SAFAVIEH: "We've adapted the
elements that define French haute couture fashion to the world of home
furnishings. Safavieh Couture furniture is made with extreme attention
to detail and workmanship. Silhouette is the defining characteristic of
every piece. Tailoring is artful, with an exceptional dressmaker touch.
And materials are “haute quality" Âchosen with a discerning eye.
"But even the most renowned
couturiers of Paris and Milan have always understood that not every
consumer with great taste and style has the means or patience to wait
for custom-made clothes. Safavieh Couture is inspired by the more
attainable pret-a-porter lines at top couture houses. Our furniture is
fashion-right, in stock and ready for white glove delivery. "
WHAT INSPIRED THE SAFAVIEH
COUTURE FURNITURE COLLECTION?
SAFAVIEH: "With nearly a
dozen retail home furnishings galleries in the most elite residential
enclaves of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, our one-one-one
interactions with design-driven consumers uncovered a void in the
furniture business. The market craved high-style, quality furniture in
tandem with value great enough to motivate the most sophisticated and
knowledgeable consumers to purchase.
"Safavieh Couture was created to
fill that void with design and price points that grab the consumer's attention, stir her emotions and encourage sales, not just of individual
pieces, but entire rooms.
WHAT'S THE BACKSTORY BEHIND
SAFAVIEH COUTURE FURNITURE?
SAFAVIEH: "Our furniture
line began with our first private label furniture developed in 1986 for
sale for our Stamford, CT store customers. These upscale consumers
wanted traditional English and French designs in luxury woods and
finishes. To meet their needs, we built a production team of the finest
artisans in Great Britain and France. Soon, other luxury furniture
stores across the country asked to carry our line with their own private
label branding, and Safavieh's wholesale furniture business grew from
there. Our standards for quality and materials now extend to
manufacturing facilities in Asia and important European furniture
centers to meet consumer demand for transitional and contemporary
designs as well as traditional classics.
"Safavieh began as a wholesaler
of fine rugs, and has been selling a complete range of wholesale
furniture and rugs to a broad range of retail categories for more than
two decades. Now the national distribution network for Safavieh branded
products allows us to support sales of Safavieh Couture furniture
to consumers from coast to coast.
WHAT DISTINGUISHES SAFAVIEH
COUTURE FURNITURE?
SAFAVIEH: "With a design
team that scours the globe to discover trends in color, fabric and
silhouettes, Safavieh Couture furniture is imbued with a distinctive
fashion perspective. We interpret many of our designs from trends first
spied on apparel runways, realizing that consumer purchases for their
homes are now influenced by fashion more quickly than ever before.
"There is no single 'Safavieh
Couture' style: instead, we focus on exquisite details such as metallic,
hand-rubbed and faux finishes. Our fabrics are timeless and classic:
natural leathers and animal hides, organic linen, and luxurious silks
and velvets, but they are also fashion-forward in color and design. We
use beautifully grained marble, fine and repurposed woods, forged iron,
all worked by master craftsmen.
"Most important, we edit trends
to meet the needs of our target consumers and their lifestyle decorating
preferences. "
WHO IS THE SAFAVIEH COUTURE
TARGET CONSUMER?
SAFAVIEH: "Safavieh
Couture furniture targets interior designers and consumers with
sophistication and refined tastes, and also a sense for timeless
fashion. Our consumers have a keen interest in expressing their
personal styles through well edited trends. Safavieh Couture customers
understand the value of fine materials and expert finishing, regardless
of age or income. They want their homes to be an expression of who they
are and how they want to live."
WHAT ARE THE SAFAVIEH COUTURE
LIFESTYLE THEMES?
SAFAVIEH: "Safavieh
Couture encompasses three general lifestyle themes --Traditional,
Contemporary and Transitional -- that consumers can use individually
throughout a home, or that can be layered to create the eclectic look so
popular with today's top designers."
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