About

Phillips Collection Company Profile 2013

“Have we met before?”
“Why, no, I don’t believe we have.”
“Oh, you’re gonna love us.”
For thirty years, Mark and Julie Phillips have displayed a striking skill for discovery, from one-of-a-kind treasures to new trends. Starting in Southeast Asia and continuing on to Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Pacific Rim, they’ve searched the world for exciting products for their design-oriented customers. Today, Phillips Collection continues to define global style for the contemporary market. With the same spirit of innovation, they discover design and designers, and match them with an incredible range of production resources developed over decades of travel.

Every piece a conversation...
It all started nearly fifty years ago, when Larry and Sherry Phillips decided to fulfill a long-held desire to travel the world. It changed their lives forever, and they left their New York business to become collectors and dealers of ancient Asian art. When their entrepreneur son Mark married a young Romanian architect named Julie, the couple joined them in their travels. Together, they created a company dedicated to bringing beautifully designed antiques, artifacts and hand-crafted objects to the interior design trade. Intrepid explorers and adventurers, they grew the Phillips Collection into an important design resource, searching the globe to discover the beautiful, the unusual and the unique.

When son Jason joined the business after graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Industrial Design, it was the start of a new era. Jason made his mark by taking the traditional skills and natural materials that Phillips Collection was known for, and utilizing them to create innovative contemporary home furnishings. Jason has received numerous accolades for his work, and is the youngest person to receive the both the ARTS award for Product Designer of the Year, and the Pinnacle Award given by the American Society of Furniture Designers.

The circle was completed when daughter Jessica joined the company to develop the hospitality division. With a Master’s degree from Columbia University, she had worked for the Discovery Channel and for a high profile New York marketing firm before finding her place in the family business.

For Phillips Collection the past was about discovery, and discovery became the signature of the company. Starting in Southeast Asia, and continuing on to Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Pacific Rim, we searched the world for the unusual, the intriguing and the beautiful. Along the way, we became trend-makers, defining global style and creating a new market for unique home decor.

Today, it’s all about the conversation. The conversation is between old and new, organic and industrial, raw and refined, form and materials, craftsmanship and concepts. The conversation is what creates the ongoing evolution of a company rooted in design, which references the past but looks to the future.

The conversation is also between Phillips Collection and its customers. By turning showrooms into galleries, creating the best photography and presentation in the marketplace, providing world-class customer service, and reaching out to customers through both old and new media and distribution channels, we are continually seeking to provide access and facilitate meaningful dialogue.

Finally, it’s about an ongoing interaction between the organization and the environment. A commitment to sustainability is an important part of the company’s philosophy. An on-going partnership with the Sustainable Furniture Council has resulted in a range of products created around renewable resources and green technology. Long-term relationships with artisan producers sustain communities and preserve traditional skills. These conversations are at the heart of Phillips Collection’s growth and success.

The future of Phillips Collection is collaboration. As we embrace the opportunity to collaborate with customers via social media, we raise the bar in meeting and surpassing their expectations. Collaborating with suppliers allows us to customize products and continually improve delivery, quality and performance. Collaborating with the design community allows us to innovate and to incorporate meaningful feedback on trends and desires.

Our future is clearly on-line. We have a mandate to be a leader in social media and on-line marketing, as we have been in the past through design, presentation and sourcing. Through the interactive, collaborative nature of these technologies, we have the ability to develop new ways of doing business, new ways of serving our customers, and new ways of innovating.