ASHEVILLE, N.C.–Biltmore’s licensing division, including core brands Biltmore For Your Home and Biltmore Chateau Reserve, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2010.
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Biltmore House and gardens were constructed in 1895 for George W. Vanderbilt, who decorated his home with a unique combination of high fashion decor, artifacts from his world travels and regional folk art.
Diana Cecil Pickering, vice chairman of the board and Vanderbilt’s great-granddaughter, founded Biltmore’s licensing program and first introduced the Biltmore brand to prospective partners at High Point Furniture Market in April, 1990.
“It was overwhelming at first,” Pickering said. “There were so many great people, products and potential partnerships to explore, but I knew we were in the right place to really make things happen.”
Today, Biltmore’s licensing division is comprised of 50 active partners that offer Biltmore’s estate-inspired furniture, bedding, tabletop, cookware, custom frames, accessories, cabinetry, flooring, outdoor decor and other products for the home and garden. Partners include Belk, Sarreid/Encore, Capel Rugs, Larson-Juhl, Anderson Flooring, Habersham and Executive Kitchens.
As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, Biltmore will open The Biltmore Legacy in May 2010, an exhibition in the new Antler Hill Village showcasing the Vanderbilt family, historic objects and furnishings from Biltmore House, as well as licensed products. The new showcase will be the first exhibition to illustrate the creative process behind Biltmore’s licensed products.