E.J. Victor to host High Point panel on high-end market

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, October 9, 2012

Ellen Gefen

HIGH POINT — E.J. Victor will host a panel discussion during the High Point Market on how the high end is shifting as consumers redefine their concept of luxury.

Manufacturers, retailers and designers must respond to the changes, according to the company, a producer of luxury brand collections including Ralph Lauren Furniture, Newport Mansions and the newly announced Aerin collection by Aerin Lauder that will debut next year.

Allison Paladino	Jack Fhillips
Cecelia Berber-Thayer	Sarah Kammlah

The panel, moderated by Ellen Gefen, host of Home Fashion report and editor of thehome.com, is set for 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, in the E.J. Victor showroom at 116 S. Lindsay St. Panelists include Palm Beach, Fla.-based interior designers Allison Paladino and Jack Fhillips, who will introduce a new collection with E.J. Victor this market, along with Cecelia Berber-Thayer and Sarah Kammlah, creators of the Berber.Kammlah Collection.

E.J. Victor President John Jokinen said the event is open to all retailers, interior designers and media at market. There is no charge to attend. Light refreshments will be served and seating is limited. Reservations are not required, but appreciated. For more information or to RSVP, email erikab@ejvictor.com.

In a press release, the company quoted Jeff Peterson, executive director of Architectural Digest, in describing how the luxury market is changing. He said consumers "are placing greater priority on quality of life than they are the material things they surround themselves with. This doesn't mean that luxury consumers are less interested in beautiful things, but they may not be as interested in having as many of those things as they were in the past.

"As a result, high-end retailers who have been able to survive the recession have had to make adjustments, and high-end manufacturers are targeting the interior design community in a much more concentrated way now," Peterson said.

"There's no question that with fewer and fewer stores available to display product, and the growing expense of design centers across the country, our business is continuing to evolve further toward serving the interior design trade," said Jokinen, "and we are continually searching for new ways to partner with interior designers with value-added services.

"This event was conceived to bring together leading interior and product designers - each of whom is transforming the luxury market with fresh attitude and design sense - to share their unique insights into the key trends and the changing needs of high-end consumers with retailers and other designers."