Charter Members

It was 1984 when the Accent on Design division of the New York International Gift Fair opened to the trade with 161 exhibitors. The venue was the "piers," or the Passenger Ship Terminals on the Hudson River. Today, Accent on Design features some 200 exhibitors in the Javits Convention Center, and this summer the division celebrates its 20th anniversary, sporting a new look from the creative mind of designer Karim Rashid.

Of the original exhibitors, ten are still with Accent on Design: Creative Candles, Eigen Arts, the Projects division of Markuse Corp., Sassafras Enterprises, The Sarut Group, TAG (Trade Associates Group), Textillery Weavers, Umbra, Walker Dunham, and Zelco Industries.

For their contributions to our industry, by providing a continuing supply of creative, contemporary product to an ever-demanding consumer market, Gifts & Decorative Accessories honors the ten "charter members" of Accent on Design with its 2004 Industry Achievement Award.

Five of the ten honorees were profiled in the May issue, the remaining five profiles begin here.

Kansas City, Missouri

Like so many companies in the gift and home decor industries, Creative Candles grew from humble beginnings. In this case, it was the basement of the home of architect Duane Benton and his wife, Nancy. The year was 1961, and their motivation to get into the wax and wicks business was to fill a void in the marketplace: hand-dipped taper candles. Tall tapers have since become the company's signature product, augmented by a vast array of candle shapes, sizes, colors, and fragrances. After nearly 40 years, the Bentons sold their company in 1998 to two men they had known for 25 years, Richard "Butch" Keuser and Michael Halpern. The new partners' combined skills — Michael's in finance and Butch's in manufacturing — have kept Creative Candles on its successful path, while using the formulas and handcrafted techniques the Bentons developed. "We participate in international commerce, from New Zealand to Japan to Indonesia," says Butch. "With ever-increasing competition, it's even more important to show the quality of your product to your potential customer. Accent on Design is a means to accomplishing that."

Brooklyn, New York

It was 1979 when Alan Ceppos and Frederic Rambaud introduced Sarut (derived from the names of Alan's grandparents Sadie, Arch, and Ruth) to the fashion industry. Three years later, they dipped a toe into the gift market with the Cosmic Star Finder, a device to identify constellations (now called Stellarscope, and still the company's number-one seller). The rest, as they say, is history. Today, The Sarut Group is comprised of two divisions, Sarut NYC and CityLimit, a distributor of hip gift items and decorative accessories, acquired by the pair in 1997. Sarut NYC's lineup includes astronomy-related merchandise, Zen-oriented items, and home fragrance products. In 2000, the Group moved from its Greenwich Village location to a 7,500-square-foot headquarters in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. A full time staff of 14 keeps product rolling out to retailers. Sarut was also the recipient of the first Accent on Design product award, in 1984, for its "table basse" (coffee table). "Without Accent on Design, we wouldn't be where we're at," says Frederic. "Simple as that."

San Francisco

Patricia Walker founded her handbag and cosmetic case manufacturing company in 1978, and quickly established its reputation for sharp, clean design. Walker bags incorporate an array of fabrics and materials in their construction, but are particularly well-known for using a synthetic mesh material that comes in a wide range of colors. The bags are designed in-house and manufactured to order in San Francisco. Patricia has since passed away, but the business remains very much in the family: her daughter Evie Dunham Parker is now president, and her granddaughter Marion Dunham has also joined the staff. Walker bags are sold at Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) stores in New York and San Francisco, as well as in shops all around the world, and are regularly featured in fashion magazines, on television, and in catalogs. "We are proud to be among the ten original exhibitors of Accent on Design," says Evie. "The show creates a beautiful atmosphere to showcase our products. It is our busiest and most profitable show."

Toronto, Canada/Buffalo, New York

It started in 1979 with a printed window shade that graphic designer Paul Rowan had created for himself. At the same time, a call from his boyhood friend Les Mandelbaum, then an industrial hardware manufacturer looking for someone to design a catalog, led to the two forming Umbra. Paul had the product, Les had the warehouse, and the pair were ready to follow a dream of producing well-designed, beautifully crafted, affordable housewares. Exhibiting at trade shows resulted in quick distribution for the window shade, and in 1982, Umbra launched the first of 100 clock designs with fresh, modern looks utilizing all kinds of materials, including the vinyl used in the original window shades. In 1999, the company introduced U+, a more upscale studio collection of home objects, which is exhibited at Accent on Design. Today, Umbra has more than 450 employees working in two main facilities: a 500,000-square-foot building in Buffalo, and a 160,000-square-foot space in Toronto. "There would be no Umbra without design," says the company. And there would be a very different Umbra without Accent on Design.

Mt. Vernon, New York

The "itty bitty booklight" is an icon of smart design and the winner of nine awards over its lifetime. It's a product of Zelco, a company founded in 1976 by Noel and Adele Zeller in the basement of their home. Today the company is still run by the family, with the addition of the Zeller daughters, Nicole and Gabrielle. Besides its Mt. Vernon headquarters, Zelco Industries has facilities in Italy, Hong Kong, and China, and distributes its products to more than 30 countries. The Zeller family and their close-knit team research, design, develop, and market a wide range of products including flashlights, lanterns, clocks, lighting, book lights, health and beauty items, computer peripherals, weather instruments, gourmet items, and travel products. "Accent on Design has been an important venue for Zelco," say Noel and Adele, "By showcasing its products to a targeted segment of the very large, general gift market. And the many awards given to Zelco by Accent on Design have highlighted Zelco's achievements to a critical group of dealers and buyers."