Jun 25, 2007

Franz Collection Introduces Summer 2007 Fine Porcelain Home Accessories & Tabletop

San Francisco – Franz Collection Inc. announced today the addition of 60 new porcelain, fine tabletop and decorative accent pieces to its stylish collections. The additions, including exclusive new additions from Kathy Ireland Home by Franz, are sure to please porcelain connoisseurs and home decorators with unique creativity and innovative design.

The summer 2007 Franz Collection introductions will debut at the Dallas Gift and Home trade show in June and subsequently at all of the major and regional gift shows across the United States. The talented Franz designers have once again created pieces of exquisite quality and unparalleled artistry. Additionally, the designers have worked to expand and enhance the popular Kathy Ireland Home by Franz offerings. The inspired collections from the partnership include the delightful “Dogwood Dreams” and “Azalea Allure.” These pieces from the Kathy Ireland Home by Franz collections continue to reflect and be inspired by the endless beauty of nature.

“Franz Collection Inc. is honored to continue offering porcelain enthusiasts the most elegant and unique collections of fine porcelain with our new Summer Collection,” said Francis Chen, Founder and CEO, Franz Collection Inc. “With more selections from our talented artists and creative partners, we continue to create the finest quality porcelain and jewelry for our customers.”

The porcelain Summer 2007 products include:

• Kathy Ireland Home by Franz Dogwood Dreams – Featuring exquisite dogwoods floral designs in subtle yellows contrasted against a burgundy background to create a stunning combination, this collection reinforces the grace and style of the Franz Collection’s hand sculptured, hand painted porcelains. From the ornamental plate to the sculptured candleholder, this collection’s beauty will stand out for years to come.
• Kathy Ireland Home by Franz Azalea Allure – This unique and innovative collection is certain to bring beauty and charm to any home. The delightful pieces appeal to all consumers with their use of soft colors and delicate azaleas highlighted throughout the pieces. The collection features a stunning vase, teapot, sugar jar and cup saucer with matching spoon in addition to other tabletop items. This collections marks the fifth from the dynamic Kathy Ireland partnership.
• Iridescence – This new tabletop collection emphasizes the simple beauty of nature by intertwining vines and flowers accented by the statuesque kingfisher. The charming collection includes a cup saucer with a matching spoon, creamer, sugar jar, teapot, platter, vase and candleholder.
• Holiday Beginnings – Due to overwhelming success from the January introduction of this collection, The Franz Collection is adding ten new pieces to the seasonal collection. The chickadee design’s attractive appeal and inviting, festive colors offer an excellent addition to home decor all winter season. The collection boasts traditional holly and ivy designs creatively matched with the sweet chickadee to give a unique glimpse of a winter nature setting to the consumer.

As a part of the impressive introduction for Summer 2007, Franz is introducing innovative new additions to current collections. These introductions include ornate pieces from the Long Tail Hummingbird, Paradise Calling, Island Beauty, Bamboo Songbird, Papillion, Jungle Beauties, with the ever popular Giraffes, and Kathy Ireland by Franz Southern Splendor Collection and Luminescence Peacock Collections. The pieces vary from vases to ornamental platters, each complementing the existing collections in a distinct and fashionable way.

The new pieces capture the precise Franz craftsmanship and artistry and are designed to stand out in a home and reflect the beauty nature inspires. Additional new tabletop introductions include a stunning array of functional art for the home. Specific pieces that are new to the Franz Collection this season include:

• Red Spotted Purple & Question Mark Cup & Saucer Sets – The first series of their kind, these sets are larger than past cups and saucers from the Franz Collection. The detailed floral decor only enhances the ornate and authentic butterflies.
• Designer Gallery Limited Edition Collection: Among the new introductions joining the limited edition pieces are the Blue Poppy large ornamental basket, the large Lily designed vase and a new ornamental platter for the flagship Papillion line. There are only 2,000 of each of these additions to the Designer Gallery Collection bringing lovely colors into home decor.
• Pretty Peitie Ornamental Baskets – A first for the Franz Collection, these floral ornamental baskets bring a new look to serving dishes as well as fresh decor into the home. In orchid, iris and gladiola collections, these delicate baskets are perfect for serving treats throughout the year.

Franz Collection Accolades

The Franz Collection was nominated in the tabletop category for the prestigious 17th Annual ARTS Award, the premier home decorative accessories industry award.

The ARTS Awards, the “Oscars” of the home decor industry, nominated the Franz Collection in the inaugural year for the tabletop category of the ARTS Awards in 2006. Nominated by retailers and other industry officials, finalists are judged on portfolios consisting of company history, philosophy, product development, marketing, merchandising and customer relations.

Treat Yourself to Award-Winning Collections

In 2005, Franz Collection Inc received the National Gold Award of Excellence for its Lady Bug Collection of fine porcelain tableware. President Chen Shui Bian presented the award to Francis Chen, President and Founder of the Franz Collection. This prestigious award marks the highest honor for products made by domestic Taiwanese enterprises. The award is based on innovation, design, quality, market position and brand awareness.

The Franz Collection Inc. has also been awarded the 2005 Decorative Candle and Accessory of the Year Award from the National Association of Gift & Collectible Dealers (NALED) for its Lady Bug Collection. The NALED awards were presented at the 2005 Summer Chicago Gift & Home Market Show and honor the best products, companies and achievements in the gift and collectibles industry.

About Franz Collection Inc.

Founded in June 2002, Franz Collection Inc. is headquartered in downtown San Francisco. The company designs, creates and markets a variety of functional decorative accessories including porcelain tabletop, vases and decorative accents, and introduced a line of premium jewelry for Spring 2004.

Items by Franz Collection Inc. are sold in the United States to a variety of gift and specialty stores, decorative accessory stores and specialty department stores throughout the continental United States and Hawaii. Franz Collection pieces arrive in individual gift boxes. Suggested retail prices range from $12.50 for porcelain spoons to $500.00 for vases in the Designer Gallery Collection.

For catalog requests and sales and marketing inquires, please contact Shonnie Bilin, vice president and chief operating officer, at 847-364-6540. You can also franzcollection.com for more information.