US. Origins Natural Resources (part of the Estée Lauder Companies) has signed a licensing agreement with the award-winning fine jewellery and accessories designer Lisa Jenks.
New-York based Jenks has been creating her signature jewellery since 1987 and is well known for her modern primitive style in sterling silver and gold, as well as her flatware and tabletop collections.
The multi-year agreement establishes Jenks as the specialty items design collaborator and spokesperson for the new “Lisa Jenks for Origins” Collection slated for launch this autumn, and limited to Origins retail stores.
However, the company confirmed to The Moodie Report.com that there were no “immediate plans” to offer the new Jenks line to travel retail doors at this time.
“We have always admired the ageless and understated uniqueness and beauty of Lisa’s creations,” commented Origins President Daria Myers. “Her signature style of a whimsical mix of primitive and ancestral markings joined with the simplicity and spirituality of design aesthetic naturally reflect core values that Origins embraces.”
“I’m delighted to partner with a respected brand like Origins which has consistently balanced nature and beauty, the old and the new,” said Jenks. “To further my design mission of drawing inspiration from ancient cultures, collaborating with a brand that taps these same cultures for wellness and beauty products is an ideal fit. I look forward to the future with Origins and the next generation of specialty items and designs.”
“We’re so intrigued that the “Lisa Jenks for Origins” design aesthetic can be applied to other categories for the brand,” added Director of Marketing for Origins Gift and Home Products Paul Cona. “The Jenks partnership supports our strategy to add an element of exclusivity to our retail stores so that our consumers can come to Origins as a venue of discovery and newness.”
Origins has made clear its intention to diversify into different yet complementary fields. Last year, to coincide with its new Cocoa Therapy range (The Moodie Report.com, 8 August 2004), it offered a range of dark chocolate bars and hot chocolate developed by renowned French chocolatier Jacques Torres, known as “˜Mr Chocolate’ in New York where he is based.
The items are free of preservatives and artificial flavours, in line with the wellness image of Origins.
That association with Torres marked the start of the brand’s “guest editor” programme, in which Origins will associate with celebrities in different fields in an attempt to attract younger customers.
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