Home textiles brand Lexington takes the timeless elegance of American East Coast spirit and combines it with the freshness of vivid colours and patterns. With the brand already present in high-end retail stores in London including Fenwick, Harrods, Selfridges, and most recently John Lewis, Lexington is now widening its scope within the UK. Victoria Noakes discovers more...
The small town of Lexington just outside Boston on the East Coast of America is home to typical white-painted New England houses made from cedar wood, with white picket fencing stretching across long sandy beaches. Finding inspiration on their visits here – alongside the university culture of nearby Harvard and Yale – Scandinavian husband and wife team, Tommy and Kristina Lindhe, founded the Lexington lifestyle brand in 1997.
“New England is more than just a location – it is a lifestyle. We spotted a gap in the market for New England-style products, which are light, fresh and natural, and then mixed it with classic Scandinavian design,” says creative director, Kristina.
Lexington provides a complete design concept for home textiles, and today is represented in 17 countries by more than 900 retailers. Its collection consists of duvets, pillowcases, sheets, bedspreads, blankets, throws, table linen and other different accessories. Every item stays true to the American tradition of superior craftsmanship and is produced to a high standard using premium materials, design, workmanship and packaging.
Lexington prides itself on being a unique international New England lifestyle brand, and it offers four seasonal collections a year – taking its cue from the cycles of the fashion industry. Its core values are quality, heritage, sustainability and a casual bohemian luxury style. The brand brings fresh inspiration throughout the year whilst maintaining loyalty within its customer base from its recognisable style.
"Lexington’s exciting future plans include a capital budget for a London flagship store set for next year and the possible introduction of a franchise or a number of its own concept retail stores"
Lexington’s spring collection is influenced by the burst of colour that the season brings and the Hamptons – a popular seaside resort found in a group of villages and hamlets in the towns of Southampton and East Hampton, in the South Fork of Long Island, New York. The Hamptons are historical summer colonies of the American Northeast, and contain some of the most expensive residential properties in the US.
“Many people would say that Lexington design is blue and white stripes or checks, but that is not necessarily the case. The most popular bed linen style this spring has an intense pink colour, and we also have red, yellow, blue and green mixes in madras checks and a printed flower spring bedding. We are constantly changing – never static or boring,” Kristina adds.
Despite being an all-round international lifestyle brand with strong fashion credentials, in the UK Lexington’s main focus for this year is on its offering for the home. Its plan is to attract more key retailers such as House of Fraser and other high-end stores.
From this month, Lexington will be present in John Lewis’ Oxford Street store and on its website, as well as in Peter Jones stores, which are owned by John Lewis. Items from Lexington’s Icon range including bedspreads and shams in 100% soft, washed cotton in basic colours such as white, navy, olive green and black, and brighter accents of light pink and various blue shades, will be available from the two retail stores.
“Lexington is seeing great growth in the UK and Ireland, with 121% growth from 2011-2012 despite the challenging retail climate. We are looking for further premium independent stockists which offer great brand alliances, and in return Lexington provides professional retail support with merchandising and product selection,” says Peter Cutress, UK and Ireland sales director.
“The company’s aim is to position itself as one of the strongest luxury lifestyle brands in the market, with continued longevity and demand. There will be heavy investment in fixtures and furniture to secure stronger brand presence than our competitors in store. What is more, Lexington’s exciting future plans include a capital budget for a London flagship store set for next year and the possible introduction of a franchise or a number of its own concept retail stores.”
This article was featured in the March issue of Furniture News magazine – read similar profiles every month here.
