Donghia Furnishings Relaunch by Kravet, May 2021
It’s he-ere! That’s right. The Donghia furnishings relaunch by Kravet will take place this month (May 2021).
As we shared in our February 23rd blog post, industry leader Kravet has acquired the iconic Donghia line of luxury furnishings, making it the latest among their family of brands.
And now, the time has come for the highly anticipated relaunch this month: “Donghia will introduce 450 fabrics, all but 30 of which are pulled from the company’s existing style library. Complementing this selection are more than 50 wallcoverings, including metallic grasscloths, a signature of the line.” (BusinessOfHome.com)
Bringing some 16 years of experience with the eponymous line, most recently as executive vice president of showrooms, Doug Garfinkle has been named Donghia’s creative director. “I really feel that I understand the Donghia brand,” Garfinkle exclaimed. “I would say it’s what most closely aligns with my personal aesthetic, so it feels like an exciting and natural fit in that regard.”
The Donghia Brand Returns in May
Under Garfinkle’s guidance, great strides have been made to return this well-loved brand to the fine furnishings marketplace. “We’ve been working with a huge team to bring the line back to market,” he said, “which we’ll do in May. It’s a multifaceted launch because we have furniture, lighting, accessories, wallcoverings, and textiles, all of which will be live on a new website for Donghia and in 15 Kravet showrooms in the U.S., London, and Paris.”
Perhaps most importantly, Garfinkle explained, “We inherited all the Donghia SKUs and did a complete analysis of the history of sales. Like a recipe, we added where we thought there was a need.”
As for distribution, “Beyond the [immediate] plans in May, we’re expanding our domestic and international ambitions. Domestically, there will be more representation through our showrooms, hopefully expanding to all of our showrooms eventually, which will be a larger distribution than the Donghia brand has ever had. We’ll also target select agent showrooms as well in areas where there aren’t existing Kravet showrooms.”
Further, he said, “We’re hearing from clients that there are certain styles they’re passionate about and would love to see come back. Our collective goal is to restore Donghia to this iconic lifestyle brand that it was, and can be again, and then to continue that legacy.”
For those unfamiliar with Alberto Donghia and his legacy, this YouTube documentary offers insight into a designer who created glamorous interiors and furnishings for prominent figures and celebrities in the 70s and 80, before his unfortunate death at 50.
Get in touch with TD Fall today to discover more about this iconic line, as well as the Donghia furnishings relaunch by Kravet.