Jun 15, 2009

Two’s Company Founder Bobbie Gottlieb at 7 W New York

New York – 7 W New York® hosted Bobbie Gottlieb, founder of Two’s Company and entrepreneur extraordinaire, for their popular Designer Day on Tuesday, June 9th. The lively presentation was followed by a Q + A session and reception in celebration of the company’s fortieth anniversary.

Attendees learned about Two’s Company’s humble beginnings, their plans for the future, and Gottlieb’s outlook on trends for 2010 and beyond. This Designer Day proved to be especially timely and of value to the audience. As Bobbie put it, “This is a good time to reboot and develop a plan in order to stay relevant in a changed and changing environment.”

The design guru was truly an inspiration to everyone in attendance with her motivational account of not just Two’s Company’s rich history, but of a woman’s success in a time of gender inequality. In 1969 Gottlieb and her husband, Bob Gottlieb, started the brand as a means of making money to pay for their three sons’ college educations. Their first products were inflatable replicas of popular consumer products, such as Pepsi cans and Heinz ketchup bottles, an idea influenced by the works of Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg. From there, Two’s Company moved on to design household gift items, leading the company to become the venerable brand it is today. After Gottlieb’s husband passed away in the late 1970s she was left to run the family business herself. Never one to give up, Gottlieb, who had no formal business education, took a few small business classes at Harvard University and rose to the challenge of running the company on her own. With determination and a remarkable entrepreneurial spirit, she is now not only C.E.O. of an incredibly successful company, but is a true trend maker and watcher.

Trends Gottlieb Shared:

• Happy Hues: vibrantly colored home accessories that keep consumers optimistic in uncertain economic times.
• Superheros: products inspired by this comic book theme recall Two’s Company’s pop-art roots.
• Second Life: pieces made from renewable materials while not compromising on design.
• Timeless Traditional: objets d’art and other home accessories that focus on old-fashioned elegance, as seen in Two’s Company’s haute couture line Tozai Home.
• Small Wonders: little products that make a big difference, precious yet at a low price point.

It is certain that Bobbie Gottlieb is still on the top of her game. After 40 years, Two’s Company remains an industry “company to watch,” a true trend setter and success story.

Next up on the 7 W Designer Day schedule:

September 21
Build Your Project from the Ground Up: The Decorative and Oriental Rug as Design Inspiration Moderated by Roderick N. Shade, renowned Harlem-based designer, founder of the acclaimed Harlem United Show House and celebrated author of Harlem Style: Designing for the New Urban Aesthetic, the panel of well-known designers and dealers will discuss the aesthetic impact and increased efficiency of selecting the carpet at the beginning of the design process, rather than leaving it to the end as an afterthought.

November 10
The Rising Stars of Interior Design
Join the International Furnishings & Design Association (IFDA) and 7 W as Jamie Drake introduces and moderates a panel of young rising stars of interior design as they discuss their passions, inspirations and design directions.

Jamie Drake, inducted into the Interior Designers Hall of Fame in 2003, occupies a special niche among New York designers for his brilliant use of bold vibrant colors and striking mix of genre. As the moderator of the fourth and final 7 W quarterly designer series, Drake will share a few of his own “secrets” on what it takes to become one of the best in the business.

7 W NEW YORK® is a wholesale mart building, catering to the buyers of Home Décor, Table Top, Giftware, Textiles, Decorative Accessories, Fine Arts and related industry. Its daily hours of operation are Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm with extended hours during special market weeks. 7 W New York is a trademark of MMPI.

MMPI is the world’s leading owner and operator of showroom buildings and trade show facilities, bringing buyers and sellers together in more than 300 market events, trade and consumer shows and conferences each year. MMPI manages The Merchandise Mart and 350 West Mart Center in Chicago; Market Square, the Suites at Market Square, Hamilton Market, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza and the National Furniture Mart in High Point, N.C.; the Architects & Designers Building and 7 W New York in New York; the Boston Design Center in Boston; the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles; and the Washington Design Center in Washington D.C.

VORNADO REALTY TRUST, owners of MMPI, based in New York City, is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO.