Crib Notes With her infant bedding and nursery designs, Wendy Bellissimo ushers in the newest additions with beauty and style.
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Vital Stats:Wendy Bellissimo, 37, founder and designer of Wendy BellissimoMedia Inc.
Company: LosAngeles-based nursery designer; has upscale infant bedding andaccessories lines Wendy Bellissimo and moderately priced WendyBee
2004 ProjectedSales: $3 million
Sampled Goods:When the owners of the home store Bellissimo worked for told her todiscard some sample fabrics, she thought they were gorgeous andkept them. But she didn't touch them until a few months laterwhen the store closed down. Pairing the samples with complementaryfabrics, Bellissimo created 30 pillows, 29 of which she sold to thevery first of the posh Montana Avenue shops she entered in SantaMonica, California. Eventually, the adult collection made it intoretail stores including Macy's and Bed Bath & Beyond.
Baby Love: Herpopular infant line began when Bellissimo purchased a few rolls ofinfant/children's fabric on a whim and began mixing the fabricswith some from the adult collection before a trade show."Because I had never had babies myself and had never lookedinto the baby and kids market, I was truly designing from myheart," says Wendy. Her trade show booth became flooded withpeople interested in the newest creations.
Tailor-Made: Ahighly sought-after nursery
"Mylove for what I did with my adult line came through naturally intothe baby and kids thing."
designer, Bellissimo adds personal touches of what parents love,sometimes expressing their passions or hobbies. Designing actressCatherine Bell's nursery, Bellissimo commissioned a mural of aTuscan countryside with a Ducati motorcycle rider, since theparents-to-be were enthusiasts who had visited Italy's Ducatiracetrack. Now a parent of three, Bellissimo's designs haveevolved. "I know now what works with not just beauty, butfunction."
Booked:Branching out, Bellissimo has published Nesting: Lifestyle Inspirations for Your GrowingFamily. The book includes a DVD and covers everything fromdesign tips to baby showers. Licensing the Wendy Bellissimo namefor every category of her infant line, she'll also be returningto work on the adult line soon.
