The organiser of the Interiors design trade show has inked a new partnership with House of Fraser and celebrity designer Mary Portas to provide up and coming designers with a new channel into the retail market.
 
The trio are giving 20 up and coming designers the opportunity to pitch their designs and products live at the Interiors show to head buyer of House of Fraser, Peter Cross, and representatives from Mary Portas’ company Yellow Door. The successful winner will have their products sold through the dedicated Mary Portas shop within House of Fraser stores across the country.
 
Interiors marketing manager at UBM Sam Fisher said the Mary Portas area at House of Fraser is expanding out of fashion to include homeware products and accessories and is looking to attract new designers into the retail stores. The Mary Portas shop was launched at the Oxford Street House of Fraser store in London in August. The shop is now being expanded across several of the retailer’s stores in the UK.
 
Those wanting to pitch to House and Fraser and Mary Portas have to apply by 6 January via the Interiors show website. Each of the 20 candidates chosen from that list will get up to 20 minutes to pitch live at the show.
 
“We’ve never done anything like this before – we have a new designers competition but this is a significant opportunity to have products showcased in retail stores,” Fisher said.
 
The House of Fraser/Mary Portas partnership is the one of several initiatives planned for the next edition of Interiors at The NEC from 22 to 25 January 2012.
 
Interiors is also being given new branding and will feature several fresh sections in a bid to give visitors more reasons to attend the show. Among the new areas planned is a Design Village, which will include a local pub and bespoke meeting place for visitors as well as seminar theatre and demonstration area curated by Designblock.
 
Got a news story for Exhibition News? Email us: exhibitionnews@mashmedia.net