Franco extends Mumm to bedding

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 11/11/2002 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK —

Franco Manufacturing has teamed up with Debbie Mumm again to bring the well-known illustrator's Americana-inspired designs to bedding.

The new Debbie Mumm collection debuted during the home textiles market last month and features two quilt designs and three top-of-bed ensembles, including embroidered sheet sets, shams, comforters and bedskirts. A line of printed flannel sheets is also new. The bedding represents an expansion of the Mumm license for Franco, which also produces Mumm-licensed kitchen textiles.

Mumm, based in Spokane, WA, originally got her start in 1986 designing quilts and publishing books about them. Eventually, Mumm started designing and illustrating her own fabrics.

In addition to her partnership with Franco, Mumm has licensed her name and designs to over 40 companies, including Zak Designs for dinnerware, Leanin Tree for greeting cards, Boston Warehouse for ceramics, Applejack for wall art, Imperial Home Décor Group for wallcovering and Saturday Knight Ltd. for a line of bath accessories.

"Over the last couple of years, we've really started to expand into home products," said Jeanne Chouteau-Adams, director of marketing for Debbie Mumm Inc., which already has an established reputation in the gift market.

The new looks are all aimed at the specialty and department store levels. And, like all of Mumm's art, they depict sweet, idealized images of America's past and Americana country looks with a modern color palette.

The ensembles include In Full Bloom Roses, with a simple border of illustrated red trailing rosebuds; In Full Bloom Mixed Bouquet, with a lavender, blue and yellow palette in a combination of florals, mini-prints and stripes; and Lavender Garden, with a plaid and floral border, checked accent pattern in lavender, green and cream. The construction of all the ensembles is a 200-count polyester/cotton blend. The printed flannel bedding offering, Igloo Village, features snowmen, penguins and a puppy. Retail prices for the flannel bedding range from $29.99 for a twin to $69.99 for a king. All of the products are manufactured and sourced from overseas.

Two quilts, Crazy Heart and Beautiful Butterflies, were also displayed during market, both of which are 100 percent cotton patchwork. The former features multi-colored hearts, checks and floral borders, while the latter is made up of butterfly blocks using mini-prints in a palette of lavenders and greens.

According to Choteau-Adams, a complete lifestyle look is the plan, as both the bedding and bath lines are meant to coordinate. "We're really focusing on doing the whole room with Debbie Mumm, whether it's the bedroom or bathroom," she said. Choteau-Adams characterized Mumm's typical customer as being a female between the ages of 25 and 55 who works outside the home and whose income falls between $40,000 and $60,000 annually.