Gish sheds California for Barbados

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 8/30/2004 12:00:00 AM

BARBADOS, WEST INDIES —

Ann Gish, Inc. has moved its offices to facilities here while retaining warehousing in Newbury Park, Calif.

"I wanted a bit slower life and this just seemed to fit," explained Gish who designs her luxury bedding collection and Ready-to-Bed by Ann Gish, a more popularly priced line.

An unexpected change for Gish is that she has discontinued her custom program for the luxury bedding. It is partly the result of having lost all her fabrics during the move from California to Barbados where she had planned to operate the custom business.

Instead, she explained, she has opened another factory in China in partnership with the people who produced the Ready-to-Bed program in the past few years. As a result, there will be standardized sizes in the luxury program with a consistent level of fabrics and fabrications, she related.

A key change is that prices for the luxury line will drop 15 percent or more. The merchandise will be stocked in California and will begin shipping by the end of September.

Gish emphasized that all custom orders now on hand will be filled from the special production in China where she will oversee the work.

The company is maintaining its showrooms at 200 Lexington Ave. in New York, as well as its High Point, N.C., and Atlanta showrooms.