Designer Austin Allen James Shares Inspiration with Storytelling

November 14, 2023  by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

This special event will be held on Jan 13, from 4-5 pm in StyleCraft’s Dallas Showroom at the World Trade Center Space 608 and will feature a meet and greet and poetry reading from Austin Allen James, who will share several of his published poems, while sharing the design inspiration of “Instinctive Field Verse” behind his lifestyle collection.

StyleCraft’s Storytelling hospitality event will feature Austin’s full product collection. The  Lifestyle Collection first debuted in the spring of 2023, and soon, Austin will celebrate his largest expansion with 125 - 150 designs.

James shares, “Celebrating more than three decades of experience in fine art, I am incredibly proud of how we have successfully translated my designs into creative compositions, fine art, and more than 100 designs for esteemed home furnishings manufacturer StyleCraft. The designs spread across categories including furniture, case goods, lighting, accessories, pillows, artwork, mirrors & wall decor.  There are surprises ahead for 2024 market participants.”

He continued, “The AAJ collection with StyleCraft is an evolution. Currently, the collection has a coastal vibe. Through time and experimentation, the line will evolve from out-of-the-gate practical design to empirical, visionary design and back again. The abstraction helps me find the practical. I will always maintain the intention of beauty, harmony, and function.”

The success of Austin’s collaboration has grown, not only in the number of objects, but in product categories as well, and is now expanded into a fully realized lifestyle collection.  Austin’s lifelong passion and love of color, words, phrases, and objects has led to his experimenting with paint and design to become a professional artist, poet, object designer, and trendsetter.

“I began working with the incredible team at StyleCraft in 2018 to develop an original art collaboration. We have expanded our licensed collaboration with our 2023 Spring launch that featured 90+ SKUs including furniture, case goods, lighting, accessories, pillows, artwork, mirrors & wall decor. For January 2024, we will likely have 120-150 SKUs.  We are always designing forward,” James said.

He concluded, “StyleCraft and I desired some base hit designs from the get-go. I aimed for simple designs with ease of function and beauty. Through time, the designs have developed items that maintain ease of function and the unexpected. Design is a process; It takes time, wild ideas, experimentation, and a dose of pragmatism. As the line continues to develop, I want to incorporate the “never quite seen before” intention, iteration, and consideration that Instinctive Field Verse allows.

StyleCraft will feature Austin Allen James x StyleCraft Lifestyle Collection at each of their Winter 2024 Markets. Visit them at Dallas Market on January 11-16, in the World Trade Center, Space 608, at Atlanta Market on January 16-22, in Americas Mart, Bldg 1, Space 11D1 and at Las Vegas Market, on January 28 - February 1, in World Market Center, Bldg A, Space A352.

(For buyers going to the Winter Markets who want to experience the Austin Allen James x StyleCraft Lifestyle Collection, click on this link to preview the newest collection in advance of markets.)