This french cafe is named ‘La Corde à Linge’ (meaning the clothes line) as it’s located in the old wash houses in Strasbourg, France. The name sets the theme for the concept and strategy behind the interior design and also the graphic design of the menus and marketing collateral. The concept for the company is based on haberdashery, laundry and a clothes workshop with the use of related props to enhance the theme, such as spindles of cotton, clothing patterns, pegs and hangers.

The interior has been designed with an industrial feel, emulating a garment factory. There are also Art Deco influences in the design of the interior along with the branding, through the use of typefaces and graphic design elements from the 30’s. These are used for branding elements on the menu, website and signage. I could imagine this design strategy working very well for a cafe housed in an industrial space here in Melbourne. The combination of industrial, cool theme and art deco are all design concepts people seem to love, especially in the city areas.

Celebrities are establishing their own brands, especially in the homewares market. They initially have the recognition through what they do but then they develop their personal brand around who they are and what they represent. They become a powerful marketing tool endorsing all sorts of products. Customers trust a high profile person when it comes to buying homewares, especially if the brand is already linked to their profession.

It’s very easy for someone like Jamie Durie, who we have grown to trust as a television host and producer of his landscaping shows, to create his own successful line of merchandised product called PATIO. He’s got our backyard covered not only through landscaping and design but now also with a new outdoor lifestyle range.

Alex Perry, has made his first step into a design medium beyond clothing. He’s just unveiled a rug collection which is a perfect match in his branding evolution as he represents style and design.

Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and a swag of other celebrity chefs have branded cookware. This has been driven by the massive popularity of the cooking shows on TV, like MasterChef.

These new celebrity brands that are entering the homewares market are just a natural extension of what they already do.