Capel Rugs Partners With Kevin O'Brien

September 8, 2010  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in licensing on September 9, 2010

Capel Rugs and fabric designer Kevin O'Brien have announced a new partnership to create a line of fashion-forward area rugs.

The line will feature O'Brien's original designs and will launch officially at the October High Point Furniture Market in Market Square, space 112.

"It's hard to describe how excited we are about working with Kevin," said Cameron Capel, director of national accounts for Capel Rugs, Troy, N.C. "When we first walked into Kevin's High Point showroom last spring, we thought, 'There's something special going on here;' we knew immediately that we wanted to be a part of it."

O'Brien, who began his career as an architect and painter, has worked in the design business for more than 20 years. His Philadelphia studio's designs are known for their unique style and use of natural themes and materials. The company started by creating decorative, hand-painted fabrics and then branched out into top-of-bed products, pillows, furniture, wall art and accessories.

O'Brien's partnership with Capel is his first official licensing partnership in the area rug industry.

"Kevin's creativity and passion make him the perfect person to collaborate with," said Tami Watras, director of merchandising for Capel Rugs. "His innovative use of color and the imagery of his designs are quite different for us and a wonderful departure from anything we've ever done."

"The creative team at Capel is always looking for an interpretation of traditional techniques that is relevant to modern life. It's exactly what everyone is looking for, and it's exactly what we are going to do with them," said O'Brien. "Capel is an American treasure, and I am delighted that we will be allowed to apply our unique design approach to their wide range of possibilities."

This fall, Capel and O'Brien will debut rug collections featuring transitional and contemporary designs constructed using wool and wool/viscose blends.

"The contemporary collection has a hip, downtown vibe, while the transitional designs are more tranquil and serene," said Watras.

"The architect in me always comes out and demands order, but the artist in me says, 'lets toss it and have fun.' The results of this process, or rather, the results that lead to surprise and beauty, can be seen in the Capel line. So you get something bold and fun, yet grounded in structure," O'Brien said.

O'Brien's products are currently carried in stores such as Anthropologie, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, ABC Carpet & Home, Bloomingdales, Gumps and Barneys as well as a number of gift and lifestyle stores.

Both Capel and O'Brien expect the partnership to expand the two companies' distribution, adding new types of stores and customers to their current bases.