Do you remember where you were when the Berlin Wall came tumbling down? How about the fall of these other icons: Enron, AIG, General Motors. . . the list goes on.
Names like Stiffel (the Chicago lamp company that went out of business in 2000) and Pennsylvania House have been casualties of a changing industry; but I think the announcement that Waterford/Wedgewood filed for bankruptcy rocked the world of home furnishings as few others would.
What does it mean when a company that has been in continuous business since the 1700s, a company whose name has stood for the epitome of elegance and refinement across the world for generations, can no longer continue operations? Had they overreached, spread themselves too thin? Or is it that the marketplace itself has undergone a change? Have their customers evaporated with a changing world view? And what is that view, anyway? Perhaps it doesn’t incorporate the desire to purchase the gorgeous vase shown above for $9500.
Even the fine china set is going by the wayside. Anyone that has recently checked out bridal registries knows that many fewer young bridal couples, regardless of status or income, pick out formal china and crystal these days. And I know that comfortable, casual furniture is what most people are looking for. Maybe we’re changing into a world that’s meant for use, not merely for show. It’s a tall order to do that without losing the meaning of quality and refinement; but then, every generation has had their challenges.
