Garrett Wells & Associates

Led the founding of Casa Ispirata, a separate division of parent company iAtelier Services Corp., through its entire start-up. Now leading the brand through execution of its distribution, sales, marketing and product line expansion plans.

Scope Of Work

• Blueprinting: Architected a multifaceted business strategy that was built around servicing home furnishings retailers and the interior design community.

• Strategic Plan: Authored the brand’s original strategic plan, which included its business operations, product design, development and costing system, SKU system, and distribution, sales and marketing systems.

• Branding: Conducted an in-depth study of the team’s organizational history to build a brand which leveraged core competencies to create differential value and a unique lens through which to design, manufacture and market a product replete with Italian design, American scale and an aura of effortless sophistication.

• Product Design: Authored the brand’s design language and leads design, development and execution of its products. Central to the success of the brand’s launch was building a product line whose designs leverage the organization’s core competencies and operational infrastructure to create differential value.

• Distribution & Sales: Authored the brand’s launch-phase distribution plan. Within the first six months of its 2021 product launch, Casa Ispirata was floored in four top-one hundred home furnishings retailers. The brand continues to grow, currently servicing more than thirty additional retailers and interior designers.

• Cavalletto Home: In 2020, tapped to lead the creation of a second brand, Cavalletto Home, which leverages the business infrastructure built for Casa Ispirata to field an array of products with a design language that is authored by the company’s Italian design team.  

Scope of Work

• Blueprinting: Following a three-month blueprinting process, presented a comprehensive strategic plan, which would outline a ten-year path for Gloster America.

• Branding: Conducted an in-depth study of the brand’s history, its competencies and its strategic differentiators in order to craft a brand persona that was reflective of the brand’s heritage and its position of design leadership. 

• Design Language: In conjunction with the development of a new brand persona, developed a unique design language, which allowed Gloster America to employ its combined roots in British Traditional and Danish design in cementing a proprietary aesthetic. 

• Marketing: Created an expansive marketing plan, which would elevate the perceived value of Gloster America products, distinguish them from competitors, drive differentiation in all channels of distribution and utilize a cost-effective localized marketing asset distribution instrument in doing so.

• Brand & Showroom Launches: Led the September 2014 launch of the new Gloster America brand persona, design language, marketing plan and product introductions at the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market in Chicago. The company won its first best-of-show award for Merchandising Excellence while the new positioning and sales strategy served to open doors with important retailers, driving a 5% increase in year-over-year early-buy orders.

• Product Development: Successfully modified and updated the 2015 season product introductions; Oyster Reef, Pepper Marsh and Wedge. Authored the complete design thesis, product mix and product introduction strategy for the 2016 season.

Scope Of Work

• Blueprinting: Identified key differentiators upon which to build a business platform that would protect and increase the value of the enterprise. Created a business plan that would serve to stabilize the Design Center in an era of tumult, redefine the business model for design centers and position the enterprise for long-term vitality, growth and value capture.

• Branding: Evaluated each facet of the Design Center in the context of its role as the halo brand to World Market Center Las Vegas and Las Vegas Market, as well as its role in the regional marketplace and interior design trade at large. Created an entirely new brand for the Design Center: one that would resonate with its target audience, was aspirational in nature and that served to establish the Design Center as a separate and distinct division of World Market Center Las Vegas.

• Marketing: Led development, implementation and management of Design Center marketing, branding, events and awareness initiatives and their associated budgets. Carefully crafted each form of Design Center communication to the highest of standards in order to properly position the Design Center while also creating a stage to advance the brands of its customers, their position in the marketplace and, ultimately, their sales.

• Leasing: Developed and executed a disciplined four-pillar leasing strategy that created value for Design Center tenants by delivering multiple channels of distribution: the biannual Las Vegas Market, year-round sales to the residential interior design community, year-round sales to the contract and hospitality interior design community and the opportunity to operate a consumer-facing business. This strategy drove occupancy to new highs while allowing for the creation of a comprehensive resource for visitors. In 2011, momentum increased faster than anticipated and, as a result, leasing goals were exceeded by 106%. Tenant attrition declined more than three-fold while the tenant base was enhanced considerably. The net result was a much more valuable enterprise for IMC ownership and a foundation that continues to strengthen and attract new resources.

Scope Of Work

• Blueprinting: Identified core competencies of manufacturing platforms and developed a business and product design strategy that would allow Valtekz composite fabrics to be leveraged beyond traditional upholstery and into casegoods, wallcoverings and the yacht and custom automotive industries.

• Branding: Created a corporate brand identity that established Valtekz as an ultra-premium, aspirational brand whose products appeal to the same affluent end user via multiple channels of distribution. Established Valtekz as an ultra-premium, aspirational brand that would turn a formerly pedestrian vinyl product into a coveted component for some of the most respected names in the home furnishings and yacht industries.

• Marketing: Led design, development and deployment of consistent company-wide marketing vision including collateral, sample books and advertising.  Valtekz was featured in The Wall Street Journal in 2005, House Beautiful in 2006 and 2007 and Traditional Home twice in 2007.

• Product Design: Led design, development, production and launch of more than 349 items across nine collections in three years. In doing so, secured a licensing agreement and developed collections in collaboration with acclaimed interior designer, Celerie Kemble. Products from Celerie’s collections were chosen as the 2007 winner of Interior Design Magazine’s Best of Year award for wallcovering and as a finalist in their Best of Year award for residential upholstery fabric.

• Distribution & Sales: Secured distribution agreements with thirty-one of America’s finest interior design showrooms. Established and sustained relationships with elite customers in the home furnishings and yacht industries including: Baker, Century Furniture, Giorgio Armani SpA, Hickory Chair, Stanley Furniture, Azimut-Benetti SpA, Bertram, Hatteras Yachts, Lazzara Yachts and Viking Yachts.

Led the start-up of Century Furniture’s Century Leisure business unit, which represented the company’s entry into the casual furnishings industry. Led Century Leisure through its initial product introduction into all major categories: teak, mahogany, aluminum, stainless steel and woven. Launched four collections with leading furniture designer, Richard Frinier. Worked closely with the team at Oscar de la Renta on their licensed home furnishings collection with Century and led product development, branding and marketing of the mutual relationship with the House of Chatsworth.  

Scope Of Work

• Blueprinting: Conducted market research and developed and executed a positioning strategy that leveraged Century’s leadership in home interiors across the increasingly transparent threshold separating indoors from out. Developed strong relationships with key manufacturing platforms in Thailand, Honduras and Mexico. Established distribution with existing home furnishings customers and premium retailers in the casual furnishings marketplace.

• Product Development: Led product design and development, working closely with lead designer, Richard Frinier. Launched four collections with Richard, two of which, Archipelago and Andalusia, remain in the company’s product line to this day. Led design, development and launch of the Chatsworth collection in conjunction with Oscar de la Renta and the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire. Led design, development and launch of product additions to the Century Leisure portion of the Oscar de la Renta for Century Furniture collection.