Powell Teams with LittleMissMatched™

Furniture World Magazine

Powell Co. announced its partnership with Miss Matched Inc. to produce a licensed line of youth furniture based on the popular tween property LittleMissMatched and will debut at next month’s High Point Market. The case goods, accent and occasional furniture importer will produce two collections under the LittleMissMatched brand, each of which allows multiple choices of color and pattern mixing by the consumer. LittleMissMatched broke ground in apparel merchandising when it first introduced boldy colored mismatched socks, sold not in pairs but in sets of three. The popular brand has since expanded as a lifestyle property with licensed lines of sleepwear, swimwear, bedding, gloves, toys and books. LittleMissMatched enjoys a huge following among kids, especially girls ages 8 to 13. “We’ve taken LittleMissMatched’s core design philosophy that ‘nothing matches but anything goes’ and translated it into the world of youth bedroom furniture,” said Anne Russell, vice president of merchandising for Powell Co. “Today’s tween girl wants her bedroom to be fun, fashionable and ultimately transformable. Our LittleMissMatched collections allow her to make her room entirely her own, and encourage her to express her individuality.” Each of the Powell groups, LittleMissMatched Metal and LittleMissMatched Wood, incorporate the LittleMissMatched Zany polka dot and stripe patterns and color scheme. LittleMissMatched Metal, a white metal collection, features 23 SKUs with reversible panels of LittleMissMatched’s trademark polka dots, stripes and solid colors. The panels may be easily and infinitely removed and switched around, so girls can create their own color and pattern “KomboNations.” The group contains several different bed and loft options, including a whimsical new Rotating Twin Headboard. Powell has also addressed tween girls’ ever-changing need for workspace with several innovative pieces, including a Rolling Work Station, which folds a chair and storage drawer neatly into a desk for maximum use of space, and a Storage with Pull-Out Desk, which folds the entire workspace away behind doors when not in use. Powell’s LittleMissMatched Wood group, also in white, features reversible panels that peek through circular motifs to show a splash of color or pattern. It’s up to each girl to select polka dots, stripes or solids — or a combination thereof — and she can change her mind as often as she likes. Clear panels are also included so girls can place photos of their friends or idols in the spaces if they wish. To further encourage creativity, LittleMissMatched Wood is surfaced in dry erase material, so girls can continually decorate their furniture with artwork, poetry or doodles. “Never before have kids been given permission to be as creative as they want to be, to redecorate their rooms as often as they like,” said Jonah Staw, co-founder and CEO of LittleMissMatched. “That’s what this line is about – creating truly innovative products to meet the needs of kids today, while satisfying the requirements of parents.” ABOUT POWELL COMPANY Founded in 1968, Powell Company has been a leading importer of design-driven, high-quality furnishings. Powell has long been regarded for its service-oriented culture, broad product offerings, multiple sourcing and delivery options and enjoys a reputation for reliability, integrity and honesty among its customers and peers in the home furnishings industry. Powell was acquired by Sun Capital Partners in 2007. ABOUT MISS MATCHED, INC. Founded in San Francisco by three friends with diverse backgrounds in marketing, literature and apparel, LittleMissMatched™ is a lifestyle brand focused on creativity and individuality with a mission to give kids permission to express themselves. In a world of over-sexualization of kids today, LittleMissMatched is wholesome fun, and is mom-approved and kid-loved, with a target audience age between 8 and 13. The brand has been licensed into a wide range of products, including swimwear, pajamas, sleepwear, bedding, flip-flops, jewelry, change purses, books, dolls and skateboards. The LittleMissMatched flagship store is located at FAO Schwarz on 5th Avenue in New York City.