New York – Celebrity Secret Licensing Celebrates 10 Yearsy Anniversary in household chores with the launch of a new ceramic table top collection designed by artist Lynette Reed.
The Bella Vita collection conveys the sense of the beautiful life through artisan ceramics featuring black and white floral prints embossed on an open stock assortment that includes cereal bowl, pasta bowl, dinner plate and mug.
The collection, like all other items from the Secret Celebrity house lineup, is exclusive to TJX Cos. Which includes HomeGoods, TJMaxx, and Marshall’s.
Lisa Camarata and Kathy Siu, who previously worked together in the clothing and beauty industry, founded Secret Celebrity Licensing over a decade ago. Neither Cammarata nor Sio had any experience or knowledge of the home decor business, but they did establish relationships with retailers through their previous work with brands like Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, Revlon, and “an opportunity in home goods products has been identified,” according to Cammarata.
But what does the name Secret Celebrity mean? Cammarata explained: While in a bar watching a Red Sox game many years ago, Cammarata, whose family has ties to the Red Sox, had a conversation with a well-known actor who was equally invested in the game. When the actor asked her about her identity, she jokingly replied that she was a “secret celebrity.”
The secret celebrity bar joke was the inspiration behind the new company name. Instead of combining Cammarata and Sio’s last names or using their initials, they decided on “Secret Celebrity”. “We let people assume what that means,” Seo said, and that sparked many conversations.
After coming out of the apparel business, Secret Celebrity launched her business with home textiles such as decorative pillows, throws and table linens. Lighting and trays invaded but were less successful with those classes and eventually dropped them. Candles have also been on display since their inception, including Reed’s earthenware designs that Cammarata described as “modern and timeless.” She added that they were well received by clients.
When Cammarata and Sio decided to introduce a tabletop combo to the variety, they again turned to Reed, who created drawings of sunflowers, heart, dragonfly, and poppies. The products hit shelves a few weeks ago at “consumer friendly” retail prices that range from $3.99 to $6.99 per item. Home SKUs that are soft as table linens complete the range.
“We are very happy with the way it went with the launch, which was a part of our candles that were bestsellers,” said Seo.
Secret Celebrity also works closely with designer Celerie Kemble of Kemble Interiors, who has created a branded “Celerie by Celerie Kemble” line for Secret Celebrity that includes soft and hard homes and caters to the design needs of the most sophisticated shopper. Decorative pillows, throws and table linens have been a hit so far, Camaratta said, “and as we head into 2023 with Celery.”
“We love celery,” Cammarata said. “She’s been a fantastic partner, both professionally and creatively, since the beginning of our business.” Secret Celebrity renewed its license with Kemble for another year.
