The soft goods producer has worked with Williamsburg for more than 12 years, with at least 100 collections in various categories over the years.

Jennifer Sheridan, national sales manager, visited Williamsburg in March to look at a toile sample from the historic collections that she is planning to use in a collection debuting late this year. She said she needed a fresh toile for the line, and had worked with Williamsburg product manager, Lori Williams, to find a piece that would interpret nicely.

The pattern selected, a rich pink floral toile, will serve as the inspiration for the new collection. (Watch a video of the process here.) 

Point-of-purchase materials and hang-tags are co-branded with Williamsburg and the licensees' logos.

"You can just buy a quilt, or you can buy a quilt that's inspired by American history," Sheridan said. "Williamsburg has a true feeling, a true way of life "It's not fussy-formal, it's not country, it's not so old-fashioned. Williamsburg is constantly changing."

Andrea by Sadek produces tabletop and giftware items for the license.

"There are just so many beautiful things to choose from," said Andrea Sadek, vice president. "They have a combination of being beautiful and the potential to be sellable."

President Jim Sadek said the secret to effective product development was that Sadek starts from a different point of view. "Rather than starting from the objects in the museum, we started with our customers and what they want," he said.

That path most recently led the Sadeks to containers for flower arranging. Andrea by Sadek recently unveiled a lineup of flower arranging items — small flower bricks and finger vases — both in white and in Meadowflowers, a floral pattern inspired by a Waverly fabric, which was in turn inspired by a floral fabric in the Colonial Williamsburg collections. The pieces were designed at a small scale to target the gift shop buyer.

Some of the pieces are strict reproductions, while others are more interpretive.

"Williamsburg has been a really fabulous partner," Andrea Sadek said. "They really got the message that we need to make things that can sell and be used every day. Everything (in their line) does not have to be precious," she said, noting that since a lot of sales are generated at the on-site stores, the stores needed items that were easy to pack and transport — giftable items.

Capel is another long-term Williamsburg licensee, according to Mary Clara Capel, director of licensing for the N.C.-based rug producer.

"We have had a nice long relationship with them," Capel said. "Consequently, we have a nice broad product line," of rug designs, which are interpretive rather than strict reproductions. "We get inspirations from (Williamsburg) and make it more contemporary or transitional. We can go off in all different directions.

"It's just mind-blowing to look at these old textiles and to think that they were all hand-done," Capel said. "It's amazing. There's no lack of inspiration when we go to Williamsburg. We are inspired by textiles, old books, architectural details ... it might be a gate or a garden layout. We always have a camera and we just notice things and bounce ideas off of each other."

Global Views is in its sixth year of licensing with the brand, producing a variety of home furnishings and decor items, including furniture, lamps and decorative objects.

"We really tried to go to Williamsburg and be very interpretive," David Gebhart said.

"It's kind of hard to imagine something as anything other than what it actually is, so we really tried to re-imagine those pieces as we went along in a completely different way," he said, noting that one of the company's best-selling pieces is a wall sconce inspired by the balcony of the governor's palace.

"Williamsburg saw us as the fashion element they can use — not just to promote their brand but to use in the retail stores," Gebhart said. "They do rely on us to create the drama that they have at the retail level."

Dallas-based lighting and accessory producer Oriental Accent has worked with the Williamsburg license for six years, according to Lynn Hamilton, vice president.

"Williamsburg really has to be commended — they make it all work," she said, noting the balancing act that has to be maintained with so many licensees including a lot with product categories that cross over.

"It's about the name and it's about the partnerships, because (Colonial Williamsburg) is interested in making this successful. So we get the benefit of their marketing team. They're out there promoting their name, so we don't necessarily have to.

"Another benefit is they're hearing from everybody, and whether they do it by design or not, they'll tell you what's working in the marketplace," Hamilton said. "If Waverly does a fabric, for example, we might transition that into a decorative piece."

Sedgefield joined the Williamsburg stable about two years ago after Virginia Metalcrafters went out of business. Virginia Metalcrafters focused on reproduction brass candlestick and lamp designs, and Sedgefield was able to produce those, as well as add some mixed media to the licensed lamp offerings, according to Terri Thomas, vice president.

"We like the tradition that was there, and we felt like Sedgefield by Adams — being in business for 51 years — we felt that the partnership would be one that would be a good story," she said.

"They are very supportive as a partner," Thomas said. "They are about co-branding and keeping a semblance between all the licensees. They can give you inspiration and direction about a year ahead. They have such a resource in Williamsburg and you can't go through all of it, so they can filter it for you and help determine the best directions in terms of themes or a color story."

The Williamsburg customer is just one piece of the product development strategy, she said. "We try to keep the Williamsburg customer in mind, but also keep in mind more nationally what people may be looking for," Thomas said. "It's very clear that they know their customer. We're getting to know that customer too."

Point-of-purchase materials and hang-tags are co-branded with Williamsburg and the licensees' logos.


There's more on the Williamsburg licensing program here: Williamsburg Keeps It Fresh -- Even 200 Years Later.