The TABLEWARE TODAY Interview... JORGE PÉREZ
Jorge Pérez is one of this industry’s greatest cheerleaders and more knowledgeable advocates. His passion is catchy, his taste exquisite, his creativity boundless. The man with natural flair is our gift to consumers.

You never seem to stop Jorge. You’re like a whirling dervish of ideas. Well I’ve been learning for 18 years at Waterford and three years before that at Bullock’s so I’ve been around the best. Like right now I’m with Carlo Mondavi [the wine scion] who I am accompanying at Waterford events. And then there’s our director of design, Jim O’Leary, who is just remarkable. These people are the real deals. Very few companies have people like Jim who can teach us so much. We have to cherish them. You speak of Jim, the way we should speak of you. Someone who lives, sleeps, and breathes this industry. Someone who is passionate and smart and out there. Waterford bears such a responsibility to this industry and we take it seriously; it’s not just our company at stake, it’s an industry. I’m proud to be with a leading company, a known and respected brand, but the responsibility is a huge one and I do believe if Waterford makes it, the industry makes it. Having said that, Waterford’s challenges are many and well-aired. We’re fortunate to have principals who continue to invest hard-earned dollars into the brand, believers like Peter Cameron. We have a rich history and a rich portfolio. We share some of the same hurdles as other brands in the luxury category, but we have a driving force and the financials to get over those hurdles. We need to plant the seeds today which we will see grow in three to five years. What seeds are being planted by Waterford? I just filmed a Macy’s video for the bridal market. We’re so proud to be their number one company in bridal. We have mere moments to teach these brides lifelong lessons. When I work with brides, I tell them it’s not about today. I ask them to think about how they want to entertain for the rest of their lives. That’s the lesson of the video. Waterford’s product development has been quite fascinating lately. I feel we’re back to our essence when we offered beautiful, functional things, thanks to our product development team headed by our V.P. of marketing Regan Iglesia. One of our largest challenges is selling concepts, selling today’s heirlooms. It’s a challenge talking to young consumers who don’t feel they need their mother’s china and crystal. They want something fun and easy and quick, and our message is thanks to people like Martha Stewart who allow us to elevate beyond the five-piece place setting that you can have pizza on a fine bone china plate. It will not be better, but it will taste better. Go ahead, eat in front of the TV, but do it on a fine product. And product development is reflecting this marketing mind-set? Of course. Like Grafton Street, a new collection of three designs available open stock, our first attempt at open stock. [The tumblers at left are part of the Westland collection.] A bride doesn’t need to buy 12 cups and saucers anymore. It’s about ease-of-use; this collection has no metal banding and it’s microwave- and dishwasher-safe. It’s porcelain made in Limoges and depicts moments from the Georgian period which was when this company was created. And then there’s Ballet which was the brainchild of Jim O’Leary and is Macy’s fastest growing dinnerware pattern. The bride is losing interest in our products, or at least the way we market them. It’s devastating to see young couples register for products that will be around for five minutes. That’s why we’re guaranteeing Waterford stemware will be around for life. We’re guaranteeing that their grandchildren will be able to get their stemware. I think the future looks bright not just for us but for many other companies. I like seeing good management at good companies and I see plenty of that. I like seeing good brands taken over by a good parent company that will continue the legacy, and we see that too. We’re saving the heritage of our industry so grandchildren can know their grandparents had a pattern by Royal Doulton and that that company is still around. At Waterford Wedgwood, our principals are taking great strides to ensure that our products remain alive and well and are not just the fashion of the day. We’re listening. We’re addressing needs with real product that will sell, not just look pretty on a shelf. There’s such an interest in shows on HGTV where people care about entertaining with style. And it all starts with educating consumers. And that’s where you come in. As director of editor relations and special events it’s your job to educate the media and consumers not just what Waterford is about but tabletop in general. That’s right. I believe that editorial is key to our future. We can pay for all the ads we want, but when an editor puts you in the magazine there’s no money you can put on that worth. As far as special events, very few companies host them anymore. We’re proud of ours and understand the enormous benefit. We have design director Jim O’Leary and our very own Lord Wedgwood doing appearances and signings. We have Carlo Mondavi doing wine tastings. We had Jean Moses who set the bridal world on fire for 38 years. Jean just retired, but she was a leader to bridal magazines for years. And now I’m part of so many bridal events with people like Preston Bailey and Sylvia Weinstock and Mindy Weiss. So when a Sylvia Weinstock wedding cake is on display, we make sure it’s on a Waterford cake stand. The role of spokesperson is so different today. It’s talking about trends and wardrobing and wine. There’s so much more to the position, but, really, I look at everyone who works for a company as a spokesperson. Especially ours. I challenge you to take any Waterford employee aside and ask them what they do for a living. Twenty minutes later they’ll still be telling you. When you work for a brand that’s dynamic, that’s desirable. It’s amazing when you think about the Waterford and Wedgwood brands and what they mean to the history of our industry. I focus all of my efforts on the frontline, supporting our people, working with stores and consumers. It feeds me. I didn’t think you were coming up from air on that one. As you know, Amy, I love what I do, just like you do. Is there a favorite part to what you do? Yes. Every time I meet a consumer I don’t know what it is but they feel the need to confess to me every single piece of Waterford they have, without my even asking them. They tell me when and how they got it and what it means to them. That’s my favorite thing and it happens every single day. We think that everyone deserves a piece of Waterford. That’s one of my messages.

You have many messages. It’s one of the things I love most about you. There doesn’t have to be a single approach or a single answer. Where did this love of tabletop come? I do believe that your upbringing dictates your style. I was born in Cuba and came here when I was seven. My grandmother was in our home everyday and I learned from her how to entertain with style. I had a firsthand knowledge of Baccarat because my family had it. I have a great family and great friends with a rich, lively heritage. Every time I do events, I thank all of the mothers and grandmothers because it’s a legacy they’re passing on. Ironically, I didn’t have that legacy. I thought that everyone ate off of chipped plates because that’s all we ever had in my house. Every single plate was chipped. Well you overcame your circumstances and we’re all glad for that. In our lives, we remember the times eating together, certain family functions that commemorate our lives. We at Waterford feel so fortunate that we’re able to celebrate those life moments with consumers. Our products are there for all the key moments in life: the birth of a child; a first Christmas together; a wedding. These are heirlooms that will be kept for the rest of peoples’ lives. If you own a signed piece by Jim O’Leary, or if you’re young and hip and see the Waterford ball drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, or you see the trophies we make for just about every major sporting event, or you get a corporate gift, Waterford is synonymous with pivotal moments in life. We have something for everybody. Waterford really has been a part of our lives, even if we don’t own a Lismore goblet. People like you and me continue the fight to keep management remembering why we’re important. Every new employee of Waterford Wedgwood learns about our products and our history because that’s what put us on the map and that will keep us on the map. People go halfway around the world to see how our product is made at our factory. That’s magic and it doesn’t just happen overnight. I remember my first trip to Waterford. I met people who spent 50 years cutting, who started when they were 12. Passionate people. I remember when Billy George [Waterford’s then CEO] took me out to dinner while I was at Bullock’s and offered me the west coast position. I remember the thrill coming to work for a company I admired so much. Working in this industry has been a dream, especially for a kid who didn’t speak a word of English until I was seven. After graduating from UCLA I remember the day I showed up at Bullock’s looking for a job without any tabletop experience. There was an opening in the crystal buying office and I got the job. I met Marie-Claude Lalique and the principals of every crystal company. These people were my heroes and we can’t forget our heroes. There are still some great people in our industry; sometimes they just have to be reminded how lucky they are to be doing what they do. If they just realized what they held in their hand. Remembering our history and our importance costs nothing. Just push the sales reports aside for a moment and think about the lovely couple who just got married and used your toasting flutes and how it made them feel. If we remember that, I, too, believe those sales reports will take care of themselves. That’s right. We must remember that no one needs anything we make and with that as the starting point we know the job ahead of us. So how does a company that’s often perceived as antiquated remain relevant? Had we had this interview while I was at Bullock’s, we’d be talking about one thing and one thing only, Lismore. Today we have dinnerware, flatware, linens, artglass. We’ve remained relevant by breaking out of the five-piece place setting, by updating Lismore, by producing product that people want, and by working with people who are relevant to today’s consumers. Like Vera Wang and, most recently, Marc Jacobs whose collections launched last month in New York at the Tabletop Show. It’s about attaching our brand to creative designers with their own histories as long as you jump on board with the right ones. Consumers care about labels. Marc Jacobs will get the plate turned over and that will reveal the Waterford backstamp. Thank goodness for people like Vera and Marc making a 250-year-old brand relevant to kids today and keeping Josiah Wedgwood and Waterford’s legacy alive. And that’s the thing. We can never forget that it’s Waterford and Wedgwood we’re selling so we have to be mindful of who we join hands with. When you bring in people with no relevancy, you’re doomed. But Vera was synonymous with weddings and that was a great mix. Marc Jacobs is hot and trending and we’re going to deliver. You mentioned the video you shot for Macy’s. As a major department store resource, how optimistic are you with new directions? Federated has done a great job so far. Tim [Adams], Terry [Lundgren], and I worked together at Bullock’s so it’s nice to see them turn this around. They will be a force to be reckoned with and we’re proud to be along as their number one tabletop vendor. I believe the department store is not dead. There are very few places left where a consumer can get at least 80% of her needs met. You only have to look for one parking spot, not ten. The key is Macy’s investing money in itself and investing in brands. The shopping experience must match the beautiful stores and mesmerize a new generation. Not so easy to mesmerize a seen-it-all generation. No it’s not, but it’s essential. Improving service is essential. Tabletop, unlike ready-to-wear, is not self-service and they must have sales associates educating the customer. They need to create perfect partnerships with vendors; it’s why I shot the video for them. It’s about being competitive. Consumers are smarter today than they ever were and we’ve spent a lifetime telling them they’re always right, so there’s a lot to deliver on. You seem extremely optimistic about this. I think I’m realistic. I do believe there will continue to be some burst bubbles and I do think some companies have yet to hit rock bottom. Others of us are in transition, dusting ourselves off, and gearing up to get going again. Whenever I talk to you, you’re always so clear on the Waterford party line. But it’s not a party line to me. I love this company. I’m true to this company, and we are true to who we are. You know, Amy, at the end of the day our number one category is traditional cut crystal and our number one pattern is Lismore which was the number one design 50 years ago. How many companies can say that? We’re fortunate to not lose sight of who we are. Our name comes first and it always will.