Designer Graves looking to add licenses

-- Home Textiles Today, 10/18/2004 1:29:00 PM

PRINCETON , N.J. — The Michael Graves Design Group wants to expand its brand into new product areas including domestics, residential furniture, flooring, kitchen cabinetry, bath fixtures and other building products.

The studio, which works cooperatively with architect Michael Graves' firm, Michael Graves & Associates (MGA), recently launched new collections for Delta Faucet, Progress Lighting and a group of kitchenware and tabletop items for Dansk that the group characterizes an "oven-to-tabletop" product line. In the mass market, Graves offers kitchen, decorative accessories and cleaning supplies exclusively through Target. It is now seeking additional licensees.

"It has always been our intention to create a lifestyle statement with our product business," Karen Nichols, principal and managing partner ofboth the design group and MGA. "Internally, we refer to this business strategy as 'the house and everything in it,' even though we don't restrict ourselves to residential products, given our extensive experience with hospitality, office and educational facilities."