by 20-piece Becki Owens Home x Kuka Home collection will debut at April High Point Market
HIGH POINT — Full-line upholstery manufacturer Kuka Home has signed its first licensing partnership with Southern California-based interior designer and lifestyle influencer Becki Owens.
Set to debut at the April High Point Market, the 20-piece Becki Owens x Kuka Home represents an opportunity for the manufacturer to offer its first consumer-facing brand in the North America marketplace.
It will include both stationary and motion upholstery as well as upholstered beds, dining chairs, accent chairs, ottomans and benches, plus mattresses. Upholstered pieces will be customizable in both leathers and fabrics selected by the retailer, and custom wood finishes will also be available for wood-exposed frames.
Designed by Owens in partnership with Sergio Barrios, Kuka executive vice president of merchandising and product development for Kuka Home North America, the company said the collection embodies Owens’ “clean and inviting style” that aims to “create an exquisitely curated space at retail and in consumers’ homes.”
“Becki Owens’ style perfectly complements Kuka Home’s aesthetic, making this partnership a natural fit,” said Matt Harrison, president of Kuka Home. “We’re excited to offer her look and brand to our valued retail partners. I look forward to seeing the excitement from our partners as they discover the collaboration that Becki Owens and Sergio Barrios have put together with the marketing support from Christina Morrison’s team.”
Owens added that she is pleased to partner with Kuka through this licensing partnership.
“Their commitment to quality craftsmanship and exceptional design made it possible to bring my vision to life,” she said of the opportunity to create spaces where people can gather, entertain and connect. “We curated this collection with that concept in mind.”
For Kuka and its customers, the partnership also means the chance to connect with Owens’ estimated 2.2 million Instagram followers and 10 million monthly Pinterest viewers.
“A benefit for our retailers is that we believe this collection will drive traffic to their store with people that may not already be coming in,” said Morrison, senior marketing manager at Kuka Home. “So her followers can go to a traditional retail store and they will gain traffic from people that they haven’t in the past.”
Harrison agreed that the partnership will help the company reach a new group of consumers.
“Every manufacturer is looking to expand their category footprint and also grow revenue, and I feel like this is a unique way for Kuka to expand our horizon and expand into a category with a brand that we’ve never had before,” he said. “I think it gives us a tremendous opportunity to grow in sales and reach a broader audience that we may not be attracting right now.”
“The whole premise of the brand is to be able to broaden our reach across all categories,” he added.
The partnership also allows Kuka to design, develop, manufacture and market the collection, representing its core strengths as an upholstery manufacturer and supplier with production in Vietnam and Mexico primarily for the U.S. market. Expected to hit retail sometime in early summer, most of the line will be produced in its Vietnam plant, while custom orders will be produced at its facilities in Mexico, which Harrison said just opened last month.
While formal pricing was still being determined when this interview took place, Harrison said that it will be in line with its current price points.
“So it really resonates over our entire customer base,” Harrison said, noting that the collection offers an elevated look and aesthetic within the line. “The reach for this market is medium to medium-high-end retailers.”
At market, the company will be showing the Becki Owens x Kuka Home collection in its showroom in Space 614 of Furniture Plaza.
Thank you for always keeping us up to date with the latest industry news. This is an exciting collaboration for both Becki Owens and Kuka Home. Wishing them all much success in this new venture!