(Copyright Financial Times Ltd. 2007. All rights reserved.) Over the past few years the words "good taste" and "Christmas decorations" have rarely been mentioned in the same breath. Yes, you could hunt down traditional door-wreaths and elegant, -coloured- glass tree decorations but, too often, the selection on offer at stores was kitsch, garish and, frankly, a bit tacky. The vivid neon trees on sale at the Selfridges department store in London last year are among the unhappy ghosts of Christmas past. This year, however, retailers are answering demand for better designs and homeowners are responding by splashing out increasing sums in their quest for quality.
Even families whose festive fripperies have become heritage pieces, handed down though the generations, are seeking unusual new examples for their collections. "I overheard a woman in a shop in Surrey (England) saying 'I really don't need any more but I simply must have this one,' " says Piers Croke, sales director of Gisela Graham, a -London-based Christmas decoration specialist. Which ornament tempted this discerning shopper? An item from the company's Rose Ball collection, which is based on Austrian artist Silke Leffler's illustrations for Der Blumenbal , a children's book published in Vienna. Fantastical insect waiters with tiny champagne glasses and flower fairies made from a delicate mix of metal, resin, fabric and paper typify the range.
Each year Gisela Graham supplies 2,500 different creations to top stores such as Berlin's KDW (Kaufhaus des Westens), Bon Marche in Paris, Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, David James in Australia and Liberty, Harrods, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and General Trading Company in London. About half are designed in-house, with innovations introduced annually across 16 themed ranges, including Nordic, woodland, fantasy, traditional and "high-style".
Of this year's more unusual tree adornments, Croke picks Angels a la Mode - "elongated domestic goddesses" - and Santa and the Forest Fairies - "very strange and lovely". These, along with the Rose Ball decorations, retail for up to Pounds 8 each. Multiply that by 20 or 40 (depending on the size of tree to be trimmed) and costs quickly escalate. "People think of Christmas decorations as household gods - genii loci - or family heirlooms that you add to when you find something wonderful but we're well aware that it's discretionary spending so our designs have to be original and lovely," says Croke.
Stores in the UK and US have traditionally sourced their lines at trade events such as the annual international gift fairs in Atlanta and Harrogate, northern England. But retail buyers are increasingly ordering "exclusives" or specifying precise colours to raise the style stakes. "Homeowners - particularly couples and families with older children - are looking for decorations that will suit their living environment," says Geraldine James, a buying manager at Selfridges. "They expect to see individual and exclusive lines here, which is why about 30 per cent of our 2,000 designs are exclusive."
Natural materials have moved up the agenda. Twiggy stars and woodland creatures made of bark and painted feathers are among the more organic designs available, while Nordic-style pieces in bright red-and-white painted wood or felt are similarly craft-inspired.
Of the lines selected at trade fairs, James highlights those from Ohio-based Katherine's Collection because "they look hand made, although they are actually manufactured in India and the Far East." She has also picked designs from Department 56 and Midwest of Cannon Falls, both in Minnesota.
The search for something special led James to the Czech Republic, where she commissioned hand-painted, mouth-blown glass baubles. These are made by Ornex, which has also produced contemporary ornaments with "a boudoir look" conceived by fashion designer Lulu Guinness.
John Lewis, the British department store chain, similarly stipulates its requirements to manufacturers based in the UK, India, the Czech Republic and the Far East. "They develop designs to fit into our specific themes," says Sara Allbright, assistant buyer for seasonal events. And customers' current preferences for home furnishings are kept in mind when devising them. This year's selection includes a fabric oriental parasol, 1920s-style Asian mannequins with fabric skirts and a golden Turkish knot. Clip-on birds and flowers, such as a fabric poinsettia, are also proving popular. "People are looking for decorations that work in different contexts," says Allbright. "They want to hang them from vases or mantelpieces, use them in table arrangements or clip them on to presents."
Given the quest for individuality, it's no surprise that the vintage 1940s and 1950s examples amassed over the past year by Julie Hassan, a buyer for Liberty's Regent Street store in London, were snapped up within days of being displayed. Still, latecomers have a choice of 800 decorations including 10 exclusives by US designer Jay Strongwater. These hand-blown glass creations are set with crystals, hand-painted with enamel and cost from Pounds 90 to Pounds 395 each. "I was mesmerised by them," says Hassan. "They're elegant, timeless and beautiful."
As at John Lewis, the company's festive lines are in keeping with furnishings sold in the store. Even homeowners with minimalist, monochrome interiors will find that a selection of black, silver, crystal and white pieces chime perfectly with their monochrome cushions or Fornasetti plates and stools.
At Harrods, designer Natalie Sarabella's baubles, embellished with Swarovski crystals and ribbons, sell for Pounds 329 each. But buyer Bernie Jones defends their expense. "Sarabella decorations are incredibly labour-intensive to make because they are hand-painted, hand-blown glass with each measuring about 50cm in diameter." She imports the designs from the US, where the artist has a cult following. "People are willing to invest in quality pieces that will last a lifetime," she says.
"Spending on decorations is up by at least 10 per cent this year," Jones adds. "People are either going for highly decorated, collectable designs or very simple ones such as crystal snowflakes or glass droplets that easily fit into a modern aesthetic."
It's a similar story at US stores. "Each year we offer customers some collectable Christmas selections unique to Saks," says buyer Lisa -Zampardi. "For the past 19 years we've offered a special, hand- painted mouth-blown glass ornament from Italy and we also have an exclusive New York ornament from Sarabella Creations."
As for colour, white and silver are this year's front-runners at Harrods, followed by traditional red, gold and green. But at Scandinavian homewares store Iittala the rich blue and deep red hues and designs - trees, flowers, animals, birds - are influenced by Nordic and Russian folk-lore. "I was trying to create a fairytale world," explains graphic designer Klaus Haapaniemi, who devised them. "The colours come from a Scandinavian heritage while the geometric patterns and motifs derive from eastern Europe."
"People always want gold, red and silver but, above all, they're looking for bright, fun and highly individual decorations," says Polly Dickens, creative director of The Conran Shop, where the range includes vivid pink toadstools, crystal-studded shoes, poodles, squirrels and owls that cost up to Pounds 24.95.
"People are looking for special, one-off, extraordinary pieces to add to their collections and rarely put together a co-ordinated look in my experience," she adds. One of the first designs to sell out at her London store was an unconventional bright green sequined wreath, suggesting that even the most commited of design aficionados can relax a little when it comes to seasonal glitz.
"The important thing is that decorations look magical and add sparkle to a room rather than looking overly tasteful," James concludes.
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