Hollingsworth Opens Store

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 12/12/2005 12:00:00 AM

Coral Gables, Fla. —

Veteran designer/product developer Victor Hollingsworth has opened a home décor store here on the fabled Miracle Mile.

VH Home Collection had a soft opening the day after Thanksgiving and will celebrate its official grand opening in February.

“I’m the stockman, housekeeper, window washer and floor scrubber. It’s like the good old days at ABC when we had no one working for us,” Hollingsworth joked.

VH Home Collection is merchandised around a decorator point of view. The rear of the store features a custom, special order workshop stocked with a line of raw silk fabrics from India. These are used to fabricate pillows, table linens, duvet covers and draperies.

The front of the store features a private label line of home textiles designed by Hollingsworth as well as a feature bed from Anichini, Sferra Bros. and CGG Home Fashions. The store also carries special order books from each with quick-ship merchandise.

Kookon is VH Home’s supplier for dec pillows, throws, towels, robes and silk sleepwear. Table linens come from Avon Home Fashions and the high-end French label Beauville.

The store also carries rugs and broadloom samples from Couristan, as well as selected line of chairs from Sam Morre and metal beds from Benicia. Lamps and mirrors are supplied by Bebette Holland.

In addition, Hollingsworth has stocked the store with antique finds from the 1920s.

“I’ve always had a second home in Miami, and Coral Gables is 15 minutes away. This is an old community that’s well-established, extremely affluent and conservative. These are people who appreciate quality product,” Hollingsworth said.

Hollingsworth spent the first 10 years of his career at Macy’s and the next two at Burdine’s before moving to the supplier side of the business. For the past seven years, he’s been an independent contractor, a course he will continue to pursue.

He said he was inspired to open the store because the most fashion-forward of his designs don’t always make it into retail.

“I wanted an outlet for all of the wonderful stuff that only winds up in a sample sale,” he said. “With my connections in India and Europe, I’m able to do small buys and short runs. I can have product couriered to me in four days.”