Fast Talk: The Brand Called Me

Design Is a Backdrop

Kelly Hoppen

Interior designer
London

For a long time, people joked about my notion of creating a harmonious way of living. I almost began to feel paranoid that they didn't understand my work. For many years, I think people were throwing away everything that gave their homes character because they were just following trends, not really understanding what it was that they wanted.

But more people are realizing they need to live in homes that are reflections of who they are and the way they want to live. My style and products -- which I'd describe as purist, not minimalist -- create a backdrop for people to put their own identity into the design. If my clients are happy in their environments, then people who come into their homes are going to feel at ease. What I do is create a feeling in the home that enables people to be who they are.

My retail line, which includes furniture, bed linens, and paint, kind of evolved. Because I started as a designer, I was already buying products for people, and I really knew what they wanted. At first we bought things and worked it into our look. Now we're making and designing most of it ourselves. By the middle of this year, there will be many more products that are physically designed in our studio.

We've also opened a school in London to teach the Kelly Hoppen design philosophy. Luckily, I'm never lost for ideas. My brain moves faster than my capability to create.

Kelly Hoppen continues designing interiors for private clients. Her home products are available in her London flagship store and in the United States at some Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus stores.

Harvesting a Fresh Market

Andrea Immer

Master sommelier and author
Napa Valley, California

This whole thing started for me when I realized there was a need to communicate that wine is not solely a luxury product understood and appreciated by an elite few. My point of departure with my first book was to put wine in the same kind of plain language that I'd use if I were doing a live tasting. I've loved seeing the topic of wine hit mainstream publications that aren't written just for gourmands. Hopefully, with things like my books, my wine column for Esquire, and the television shows, I've been part of that.

My relationship with Target started when somebody read my book and thought we both had a reputation for being fun, playful, and user-friendly. It's a partnership that has gone far beyond licensing my name. I still work very closely with them on developing all their wine merchandise, which has my name on it. I'll give them ideas about flavor and body style that I want to communicate, and they turn those into extraordinary graphics that explain the concepts without overloading you.

So far, I haven't felt any major limitations in being too closely tied to Target. The customer we're targeting is the same. Still, I'm lucky to have outreach in other outlets beyond retail. I've got my books, and I'm releasing a wine-tasting DVD this month. About 88% of the wine drunk in this country is consumed by just 12% of those of legal drinking age. The rest of the population isn't missing from that number, there's just always been some sort of barrier they've been facing. That may just be a lack of knowledge or comfort with the product.

Andrea Immer, one of 13 women in the world to hold the Master Sommelier title, is also the dean of wine studies at the French Culinary Institute. She is the author of four books about wine.