AJ Kids debuts at Manchester Furniture
By Lisa Casinger -- Kids Today, 5/1/2006 12:00:00 AM
Manchester Furniture and designer Alexander Julian debuted AJ Kids at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, N.C., the first foray into youth furniture for the award-winning designer.
"This is something I've wanted to do for a long time and have discussed in depth with several companies," said Alexander Julian. "When I started working with Manchester Furniture last year and saw their youth offerings, it just made sense to do my youth line with them as well."
Two of the groups are inspired by and named after Julian's youngest children, 13-year-old Huston and 11-year-old Lucy. The third group, Colours, is a spin-off of Julian's successful adult collection of the same name, which is a spin-off of his popular menswear collection.
Huston is a versatile, sturdy group with clean lines offered in a dark Merlot or a clear natural finish over a butcher-block pattern. The collection offers myriad configurations, giving kids free reign to be as creative as they want with their room décor. Storage is moveable and useable such as the stackable cubes that can be used together in a sofa-like group or alone and the drawer unit that fits just right under the writing desk. Loft beds feature detachable shelves for a small lamp or alarm clock.
"I have wanted to do this butcher-block pattern for about 12 years now and everyone before Manchester wanted to cover it up, rather than show it off like we are with Huston," Julian said. "It's made from rubberwood, a very popular material in Japan. I like it because it's made from trees that have been spent and no longer produce sap. It's environmentally friendly because it recycles the wood instead of burning it."
Lucy is a whimsically designed collection that features shapely, almost Art Deco silhouettes. It's available in both warm, dark espresso and natural oak and has key pieces like a metal bed, tall floor mirror and a narrow door chest with mirrored door.
Julian describes his daughter, the collection's inspiration, as intelligent and playful and said the furniture collection is like "Lucy in Wonderland."
After the debut of Colours last year, Julian said it "screamed to be a youth group," calling it the "mini-me" collection. Colours for AJ Kids is offered in taupe, hyacinth dawn, aspen white, mint green and obsidian black in a casual relaxed look with louvered doors and cupboard-inspired hardware.
Pieces include panel and canopy beds as well as louvered locker storage units that can be used together or separately.
AJ Kids will ship late this summer. The retail price for the Colours dresser, mirror, bed, and nightstand is about $700; the same pieces in Huston retail for $720 and the same in Lucy for around $900.
Aside from the inspiration gleaned from his own children, Julian saw AJ Kids as a way to build upon his idea of E2, exposure x empowerment, for other children.
"Adults' ideas are often clouded with preconceived notions; kids are clean slates," Julian said. "If you expose them to something intelligent and creative with an interesting design now, I have no doubt they'll think differently about design in the future."
Julian has long been a proponent of this idea. About 25 years ago, he founded The Alexander Julian Foundation for Aesthetic Understanding and Appreciation, which helps build art and education programs for kids through grants and technical assistance.
Colours is offered in five hues, but not pink as Julian doesn't like gender specific shades.
Huston has clean lines, lots of configuration possibilities and an interesting butcher-block wood pattern.
Lucy, named after Julian's daughter, is fun and shapely with sophisticated looks.
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