Ed Hardy Tattoo Looks Transfer to Home

By James Mammarella -- Home Textiles Today, 3/10/2008 12:00:00 AM

Beverly Hills, Calif. —

His creations for apparel, sometimes glitzy, other times glib, have been translated by fashion designer Christian Audigier into styles favored by Hollywood types seeking looks that embrace brash, casual and luxury all at once — and now Ed Hardy's tattoo-inspired art is heading into home furnishings, through the auspices of the appropriately gaudily-named agency Wholly Sheet, based here.

Allan Gordon, who has been importing bed and bath textiles from China since its earliest openings to Western commerce, has created Wholly Sheet, LLC to market the Ed Hardy Home Collection.

The Ed Hardy line is aimed at upstairs channels — department stores and specialty retailers — that are prepared to offer a program with enhanced packaging, bling-fringed products, prices that will make a statement about luxury without scaring away younger consumers, and color, color and still more color.

Gordon and his business partner Ruth Mamane Abergel are showing prototype products that span bed linens, duvet covers, throws and dec pillows, embellished towels and a range of bath accessories.

Gordon told HTT that ideally, the line will be presented at retail with such lux touches as glass case merchandising fixtures. Wholly Sheet has already prepared cigar-box packaging for some of the goods, and is also evolving designs with a younger-than-young look, anticipating that merchants may wish to test a back-to-school take.