RHS to partner West Design Products for first RHS art and craft licence
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced its first licence for art and craft products. It is partnering with West Design Products, an industry leading, family-owned manufacturer, distributor and innovator of quality art, craft, stationery, toy and education products,
The RHS and West Design Products are planning a range that is engaging and beautifully designed but also very useful and practical. The first products in the new agreement, launching in spring 2024, will include items for both adults and children. The partnership will be launching with 23 products in the adult range, which will include:
- soft craft kits: embroidery kits, cross-stitch hoop kits and embroidery hoop decoration kits
- papercraft: scrapbooks
- art sets: four painting by numbers sets, three A5 case bound sketchbooks and two packs of three stapled A5 sketchbooks
There will also be a range specifically aimed at children, which will include four A4 painting by numbers sets, one colouring roll, and one 8” x 8” scrapbook. The children’s range will also offer four hard craft kits: a flower press, a bird house, a bug hotel and a mini ceramic window garden.
A double-sided floor standing display unit (FSDU) is also being made available to house the full range.
The launch range is being unveiled at Top Drawer, the UK’s premium design-led retail show, at Olympia in London from Sunday 14January.
The next phase of the launch will take place in autumn/winter 2024 and will include kits for sewing, embroidery, macrame, quilting, wall hanging, patches, crocheting, flower press, and much more, along with papercraft for children. Many more products are planned for 2025.
The colourful and uplifting imagery of beautiful plants and birds used in both the packaging and the products themselves has taken its inspiration from the RHS Lindley Collections, the world’s finest collection of botanical art. All items will highlight the RHS branding and logo.
Like all West Design Products’ items, these products are designed to appeal to a wide age and skill range. Product launches will begin from 1 May 2024 at a number of high street retail outlets, as well as independent art, craft, and gift shops, and garden centres.
A family owned and run business, West Design Products serves the UK, European and global markets with UK-manufactured and imported products that it designs in-house. The company operates out of three sites, with its HQ and distribution centre in Kent, a creative design hub in Dorset and a UK manufacturing site in Devon. The A5 sketchbooks will be manufactured in-house at the Devon site.
West Design Products exclusively distributes some of the finest brands, from art, craft and stationery products to toys and education, from around the world. It also has a strong background in licensed products for a number of leading UK leisure, tourism and heritage brands.
Both the company’s Devon and Dorset sites use solar panels. Where possible, the company uses paper from sustainable sources and FSC-certified products, recycles cardboard and aims to reduce plastic content in its products and packaging.
Jo Bray Managing Director – Sales and Marketing, West Design Products, says: “We are thrilled to have produced this marvellous range for the UK’s favourite gardening charity. It has been a delight to work with this prestigious brand and its unmatched design assets on a range of products that we are certain will be enormously popular with art and craft enthusiasts across the UK.”
Cathy Snow, Licensing Manager, RHS, says: “It is important that we work with a company with a genuine passion for the art and craft industry on our first major foray into this product category. West Design Products is the perfect partner, bringing expertise, experience and exceptional design skills to a range that will appeal to people who love art and craft – whatever their skill levels.”
