Shoppe Object keeps refining role of putting artisan makers in front of High Point audience
After two years of appearances at High Point Market, Shoppe Object is continuing to evolve its approach to bringing artisans to market.
HIGH POINT — The evolution of High Point Market is intersecting with and influencing how Shoppe Object — the curated installation featuring a mix of local and international artisans — moves forward.
“We started this two years ago, not knowing what it could be or feel like,” said Jesse James, founder and show director. Shoppe Object, which got its start in New York, came to High Point to address a niche need within the well-established home furnishings community, bringing in a fine-tuned assortment of about 100 exhibitors focused on home décor and furnishings.
Although High Point attendees “are people who have come with a plan of attack,” James said, “we realized the artisan maker is resonating with the core design audience.” Shoppe Object, he said, “adds a layer that hasn’t existed at High Point.”
Now, James said, “the focus coming out of market is how best to bring that knowledge forward. This is a changing market,” he pointed out, with its share of both unknowns and opportunities.
“We’re trying to be here for the audience that sees High Point as a critical part of their business,” he said, which includes retailers offering a full range of home goods as well as designers. Brands within Shoppe Object represent “the poetry” these buyers can add to their assortment.
This year’s edition of Shoppe Object is a combination of past vendors and about 20% new ones, explained James. For the makers who are showing in the space on the third floor of Market Square, it’s about more than just introducing themselves to the retail and design community. It’s also, said James, about networking with other entrepreneurs. “They appreciate the opportunity to meet and support each other,” he said.
Shoppe Object serves as well as a launch pad for brands, noted James. “We want, long-term, to create a point of entry to bring brands to this market to see what fits.” After that, he said, the next possible step would be to transition them into a more permanent space.
Among the new brands at High Point this market is FDB Mobler, part of a nine-nameplate consortium of Danish brands under Rosendahl Design Group. Thomas Perez, CEO of Rosendahl, said the addition of FDB Mobler is helping them “present the whole story” of home furnishings with FDB’s furniture joining ceramics, tabletop, clocks and more. “Lighting is the next step,” said Perez about their growth strategy.
As a brand founded in 1942, Perez said FDB Mobler has proven its resilience and its popularity, selling more than a million of its signature minimalist chairs over that period.
Meanwhile, returning brand Raleigh Adams out of Boone, N.C., presented its line of outdoor products, including planter boxes and mirrors made from poplar tree bark and new this year, concrete spheres aged “to look as if they’ve been out in the wild,” said Adams.
Demonstrations and opportunities to participate with exhibiting brands also are part of the Shoppe Object experience. At Vessel Candle Studio, show attendees have the opportunity to create their own scent, while artisans from Seagrove Potters in North Carolina are showcasing their pieces, selling finished work and doing live demonstrations.
The international presence is quite strong within Shoppe Object, which has drawn vendors from Indonesia, Japan, Chile, Peru, South Africa and elsewhere.
Italian candle brand Meloria by Graziani based in Pisa, first experienced Shoppe Object through its New York show before making a leap to High Point this spring. Francesca Ricci noted her daughter, who is president of the U.S. division, is the seventh generation for the company that dates to 1805.
“We wanted the experience and the quality of Shoppe Object,” said Ricci about their decision to come to High Point. And while she noted that candles may not be what furniture buyers typically look for, with the increasing emphasis on designers and home accents as part High Point Market, “we hope this is a good fit,” she said.
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