by TAMPA, Fla. — Ashley Furniture has launched a new leather collection that is now available to shop online and in stores nationwide.
To officially introduce the collection, Ashley made its inaugural debut at Miami Art Week last week in Miami Beach, Florida, at the annual Scope Art Show, marking the first-ever furniture retailer exhibit at the art fair. Ashley also partnered with international collage artist Clare Celeste to create an immersive exhibit highlighting the delicate balance between nature and nurture while showcasing its new product line.
The Ashley exhibit showcased the retailer’s Emilia sofa, a new modular design from the Ashley collection, as the singular centerpiece of the exhibit — a powerful statement, bringing intentionality to the space and creating an environment that exhibits the sofa as the “artwork.” The warm brown Caramel leather tone of the Emilia sofa complemented Clare’s vibrant flora and fauna artwork, and Ashley’s branded orange accents added a captivating pop of color to the overall composition.
Clare Celeste is an American artist based in Berlin who brings thousands of hand-cut images of flora and fauna together into lush and intricate compositions that span from works on paper to immersive installations. Celeste was born in 1982 in Bangkok and has been assimilating to different cultures and environments her entire life — having lived in Brazil, the U.S., Italy, Honduras, Argentina, and Germany.
Her collages reflect her many impressions of nature and allow for her to pull together naturalist imagery from across the globe and create a cohesive visual story.
“Home brings people together, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have teamed up with Ashley, a new type of collaboration for me, as it allowed me to reunite with my own family,” she said. “Being based in Berlin full time, I had not seen my mother in six months and my sister in just over a year. This partnership with Ashley was more than an art exhibit for me; it was a reunion and ultimate coming home.”
Attendees of the Scope Art Show got an exclusive first look at Ashley’s new leather collection and could scan QR codes to shop online in real time. Guests were also encouraged to capture photos with the immersive art experience highlighting the balance of nature and nurture in your home.
“Miami Art Week is a pioneering force in the art world and a must-visit for those interested in immersive, cutting-edge experiences,” said Kelly Davis, Ashley vice president of marketing strategy. “We wanted to develop a uniquely innovative shopping experience to launch our new leather collection by integrating our furniture, for the very first time, into an iconic art exhibit. As we develop more live, experiential opportunities in 2024, we will continue to aim for unique and memorable shopping experiences.”
Ashley’s new collection offers 10 new groups of top-grain and genuine leather products available in an array of styles, colors and finishes. Prices start at $599.99.
New leather offerings include additions from the Amiata, Belziani, Carianna, Emilia, Genoa and Lombardia collections.
