BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Sixpenny, a high-end direct-to-consumer brand, is continuing its exploration of new categories and designs with its latest collection, Wild Air.
Among the new items are the brand’s first-ever print for its slip-cover sofa and a line of hand-knotted rugs.
“The initial idea was to create something dramatic and memorable that felt true to Sixpenny‘s obsession with nature, something that could work alongside other pieces and in a variety of spaces,” explained Rob Natale, CEO and chief of design, about the Wild Air design.
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“A floral felt right, but Meryl Streep’s line from The Devil Wears Prada — “Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking” — rang in our ears a bit, so we focused on exploring unexpected floral themes that felt more like paintings.”
The result is “an impressionistic, almost watercolor-esque landscape that is more evocative of a mood than of any particular flower,” he said.
The new rug collection, which is made in Bhadohi, India, of 100% New Zealand wool, “is a gorgeous exploration, but the designs themselves are also interesting little meditations on nature in bloom,” said Natale. Describing the shapes and colors as “verdant and alive and slightly unusual,” the rugs are meant to “make people stop and take notice.”
There are three rug designs: Blossom, which features exploded florals; Wander, with a meandering, ribbonlike border; and Willow, which gives the impression of wind-blown reeds.
Undertaking expansions such as this, said Natale, can be challenging as the company seeks out partners “whose work you admire and who can meet the criteria we have in mind.”
“We try to be very delicate about expansions. In order to do them, we feel we need to bring a point of view, or a certain added value, so that the product and story are worthwhile and add to the conversation.”
Some of the other newer pieces from Sixpenny are within the case goods category, where the brand first explored reclaimed timber — “incredible old wood with incredible history,” said Natale — and has since expanded into travertine and “more beautiful, fresh woods with contemporary finishes.”
Recent launches include a semi-lacquered black North American oak finish for the layered Terra table and its use in the base of the Tango statement chair.
When asked about getting into new categories such as outdoor and office, Natale said the company is exploring them. “I know there’s a way for us to leave a mark on them. We’ll present products when we can offer something substantial and interesting to that conversation.”
Sixpenny is scheduled to open a pop-up shop in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood in September. While not providing specifics on timing and location, Natale said it will feature the full breadth of Sixpenny’s offerings.
Rather than selling Sixpenny’s product through other retailers, as some DTC brands have done, Natale explained: “For now, we like being able to create fully realized Sixpenny spaces. Conceiving of and building spaces top to bottom adds such dimension to the brand and allows us to enhance the story we’re trying to tell.”
Sixpenny’s products are also on display at Natale’s loft in Brooklyn, which serves as a design lab and showroom. The space was recently reimagined with custom flooring and hand-finished details and cabinetry along with the latest Sixpenny products.
Like most companies, Sixpenny has felt the financial impact of tariffs, said Natale. “But behind the scenes it’s far more complex and unpredictable.” Tariffs, he said, have “put such an emphasis on efficiency and on diversification across our entire industry. We knew we wanted to launch rugs, for example, but the constantly shifting ground on tariffs on China made that exploration a much clearer path to follow.”
Sixpenny still has a production facility in China, he said, “and we consider ourselves fortunate to be able to continue to produce the vast majority of our products there ourselves.”
