Laura Kim teams up with Crate & Barrel for home goods collection

Home and the Culinary arts have become a hot category for fashion lately. Brands and designers are increasingly expanding into the category or making it a strategy from the start. Banana Republic, Peter Som, and La Double J have all branched out into the sector. Even jewelers Guy Bedarida of Marina B. and Jennifer Fisher have tested the waters, adding objet d’arts and seasoning salt to their offerings, respectively. Fisher has also paired up with the Chicago-based home goods giant Crate & Barrel, whose latest fashion industry tie-up is with Monse co-founder, Oscar de la Renta co-creative director and House of Slay member Laura Kim. FashionNetwork.com caught up with Kim to hear about her latest endeavor.

The collection, which bowed this week at Crate & Barrel stores, consists of everything from cooking and baking gadgets, planters and vases, soft goods such as napkins and pillows, and furniture such as the Linus chair named for her paramour.
 
Kim said the opportunity grew from being a customer for years. “The Crate & Barrel store was in the same building as the former Monse office. I would always pop in to grab things if I had a dinner party at home since it seems like you are always missing something before guests arrive—extra wine glasses, bowls, and final touches to the home,” she said over email.
 
A lot of that home entertaining and her quest for healthy and beautiful-looking food was captured on Kim’s Instagram account (@tokibunbun), which she attributes to her mother. “My mom is super into eating healthy and always reminds me to eat my rainbow to get all the vitamins. Through that, I developed a love for color and further understood the importance of it while working for Oscar,” Kim said, adding, “The way we communicate now through photos on social media means color is all the more important. It catches your eye. It happens to be beautiful, colorful food is also healthy.”
 

After meeting the creative team at an event, Kim teamed up with Crate & Barrel. “I fell in love with them immediately. The creative director, Sebastian, has a similar way of working to how I run my team. It was a casual chat to start. We were texting images of things we like, my inspirations, and now the collection is here,” she explained.
 
The Crate & Barrel creative director had similar vibes towards Kim. “We’re excited to partner with Laura Kim on her debut home collection, bringing our customers new products born from our joint team’s unparalleled creativity and design expertise,” said Sebastian Brauer, Senior Vice President of Product Design at Crate & Barrel. “Each piece embodies a signature blend of timeless elegance and modern innovation, coming together as a collection that seamlessly brings fashion home,” he said in a statement.
 

While how it fits the body isn’t typically a consideration for home goods, the rest of the process felt familiar to Kim. “It’s actually very similar to fashion. We have seasons and occasions for the product. You have a creative team, manufacturer, and merchandising and sales team. You build that machine (team), inject your ideas, and see how it develops. You’re able to experiment with textures and designs,” she reflected, adding, “When making this collection, I was able to create things that came from my home life, like the wine stopper inspired by my dog, King, and a plate that was created with the texture from carrots that grew in my garden. It’s things that are meaningful to me that I can incorporate with my everyday life but can also bring joy to the home of the Crate & Barrel customer.”
 
The element of whimsy in the chic wares will surely be eye candy for customers. It’s also got Kim thinking about where to direct this creativity next. “Creating an Oscar de la Renta or Monse home collection would be so fun. For my next project, I want to design lighting with ceramic or metal work,” she said, adding, “This project is really an extension of what I love to do—creating a beautiful moment and experience for people.”