Jun 26, 2012

Brobe Wins The Next Big Thing Contest

Dallas Market Center recently announced The Next Big Thing winner, Brobe. The Next Big Thing is a national search for the best new products from throughout the country.

The winner was announced during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market on Saturday, June 23 and awarded a prize package worth more than $12,500 including $2,500 cash, exhibit space at the January 2013 Total Home & Gift Market, a feature profile in one of Dallas Market Center’s award-winning publications, and consultations from leading industry experts regarding branding, public relations, visual merchandising and much more. This year’s judges were Andrea Lillo, senior editor, Home Furnishings News; Carol Hicks Bolton, owner, Antiquities Laboratoire de Design; Deric Salser, founder, IV Pole Pals and former The Next Big Thing winner; and Rawlins Gilliland, retail consultant.

“Congratulations to Allison Schickel and her company Brobe,” said Bill Winsor, president and CEO, Dallas Market Center. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce Brobe to the marketplace and look forward to working with them over the next several months as they build on their success.”

Brobe was selected from three contest finalists including Accessory ConnectzTM and PotBraTM. The finalists received travel, hotel and exhibit space to show their products during Market. To learn more about this year’s finalists go to http://www.dallasmarketcenter.com/contests/thing/.

The Brobe was selected based on a combination of judges’ feedback as well as popular vote via Dallas Market Center’s Know It All blog.

Brobe is a robe with a built-in bra for personal and medical use. There are three types of Brobes: The Original “O” Brobe for extra support and coverage, the Mommy Brobe for the nursing mother, and the Recovery Brobe that helps women who have undergone mastectomy or breast reconstruction. Lined with drainage vials and pockets for ice packs, the Recovery Brobe helps create a more comfortable recovery.

Allison Schickel of Austin, Texas, had the idea of the Brobe in 2004. Schickel partnered with a local seamstress and started designing the original “O” Brobe followed by the Mommy Brobe, for the nursing mother. Schickel then recognized that women who are overcoming breast cancer would greatly benefit from the product and developed the Recovery Brobe in 2011. In 2012, Schickel partnered with Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Austin to donate 10 percent of the proceeds from the Recovery Brobe to breast cancer research. For more information, visit www.thebrobe.com.

Dallas Market Center hosts The Next Big Thing, now entering its sixth edition, during the June Total Home & Gift Market. Information regarding next year’s contest will be available on its website in early January 2013. For additional information on The Next Big Thing, visit Dallas Market Center’s website at www.dallasmarketcenter.com or email thenextbigthing@mcmcmail.com.

About Dallas Market Center
Founded in 1957, Dallas Market Center is the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace. Within its marketplace of more than five million square feet, retailers from around the globe source products ranging from home furnishings, gifts, decorative accessories and lighting to textiles, fashion accessories and men’s, western, women’s and children’s apparel. With more than 50 markets each year attended by more than 200,000 retail buyers from all 50 states and 78 countries, Dallas Market Center offers hundreds of events and seminars geared toward helping retailers expand business and increase profits. As a result, more than $8 billion in estimated wholesale transactions are conducted annually within the Dallas Market Center complex. The Dallas Market Center website is available at www.dallasmarketcenter.com.