Agassi, Graf to Highlight Kreiss Showroom Opening at Vegas Market

January 2, 2007  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Las Vegas on January 2007 High-end design-trade vendor Kreiss will use a collaboration with international husband-and-wife international tennis stars Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf to highlight its debut to the furniture retail channel at this month’s Las Vegas market.

In addition to the new collection and showroom, Kreiss looks to expand distribution in select markets by offering exclusive gallery opportunities to a limited number of retailers.

The “Agassi Graf Collection” is the centerpiece of Kreiss’ new showroom at the World Market Center’s Building B, located in space 100 of the new building’s first floor. The 68-year-old, family-owned company already has 20 existing trade-only showrooms. Typically known for a “California Look” blending classic elegance with casual comfort, Kreiss will offer Las Vegas market buyers a mix of custom handmade furniture, unique accessories, fabrics and fine linens. Other style themes will include contemporary, Neoclassical, Mediterranean for a diverse, transitional offering.

The Kreiss family will co-host a ribbon cutting ceremony in the new showroom Monday, Jan. 29, with Agassi and Graf, both residents of Las Vegas, and the company’s partners in the new Agassi Graf Collection. Designers are invited to attend the opening and preview the new pieces.

The new collection combines Agassi and Graf’s design sensibilities, and features pieces for the dining room, living room and poolside; complete with a novelty tennis-ball chair for indoor-outdoor use.

Kreiss, Agassi and Graf go back a ways. The first piece of furniture Andre Agassi bought after he won his first major tournament, Wimbledon in 1992, was a Kreiss sofa. In the following years, he and his wife, Stefanie Graf, became ardent devotees of the Kreiss aesthetic. The couple had long discussed designing a custom collection with Kreiss for their own home. Instead Agassi, Graf and the Kreiss family decided to launch a furniture line for the public, together as partners.

“It felt like a natural extension of our long-standing relationship,” says Mike Kreiss, president of Kreiss. The collection’s goal? Capture a dynamic couple’s indomitable energy and spirit while remaining true to the classic Kreiss style.

“When looking at furniture, I look for comfort and subtle elegance, something that’s luxurious but not opulent,” Agassi said. “Stefanie likes streamlined design, modular pieces that define symmetry. We love the softness of the woven leather and the strength of the steel and synthetic rattan. The color palette is distinctly us--the chocolate brown and ecru hues are contemporary and warm. While the collection is chic and sophisticated, the strength and texture of the materials lend themselves to an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. In fact, Kreiss upholsteries are known for their refined quality so we trusted that they could work with us to develop an indoor and outdoor collection that would stand the test of time, weather and children.”

The entire collection is currently available for pre-order in Kreiss’ 20 other showrooms.