Photo / Joanne Dugan

Photo / Joanne Dugan

BIOGRAPHY

Paula Zanger has a deep understanding of branded product design combined with actual product development of materials:  precious metals, leather, textiles, gemstones, paper, porcelain, crystal, glass and organic sustainable concepts.  Prior to her professional design positions and developing Orange HOWELL®, Paula's licensed surface designs of the 1990's became multi-million selling licensed surface designs in several home and gift categories. 

With her vast experience in product development and design of home, gift and jewelry products Paula has proven retail sales of her upscale licensed programs of $14M dinnerware, $8M wallpaper, $8M stationery.  Her strength is in understanding and innovating technical production processes of manufacturers to develop beautifully innovative products encompassing dinnerware, glassware, serveware, flatware, bedding, fabrics, wallpaper, decorative pillows, accessories and paper products.

As Creative Director of Lunt Silversmiths, Ms. Zanger strengthened brand's perception in an attempt to innovate the 107-year-old American luxury brand to be sold to Reed & Barton.  Licenses included: Oscar de la Renta, New York Botanical Garden, MFA, Boston, Disney, and Eric Carle.  Lunt Silversmiths was the exclusive manufacturer of sterling silverware for U.S. Embassies around the world.
 Prior to Lunt Paula was mentored by Robert Bentley, V.P. of A.G.T.A in his rarified gemstone world.

During 2007 she consulted for Whole Foods Market creating a relevant lifestyle brand for the Luxury Organic Home arena, combining her product development and design experience with the ever “greening” societal shift. 

In 2006 she expanded Vera Wang’s dinnerware designs by extending the collections into giftware for the Wedgwood - Waterford Vera Wang license. 

 

Ms. Zanger, a University of Wisconsin - Madison alumna, participated in the Human Ecology (Home Ec.) accelerated program at the Fashion Institute of New York.  After graduation stayed in New York City, landing a job as a textile designer on "Fashion Avenue".  In the mid 1980s, she opened ZAOT & SOFASOMA, a furniture / fabric boutique that refurbished found furniture and created luxury textiles for architects and interior designers such as Clodaugh, Eric Hilton, Lucien Rees-Roberts and Steven Harris Architects.  Several hand-printed pillow collections were designed exclusively for Barneys New York, abc home, Fellisimo, Archetype, Civilization Clodaugh, Ross & Williams (on St. Marks!) and and the influential Furniture of the 20th Century.

At present, Paula Zanger's project, Orange HOWELL® designs, develops and markets luminous gifts of quality American craftsmanship to celebrate Homes, Holidays, Weddings & LOVE.  Founded in 2009 all items are specifically handmade in New England H.U.B. zones, for a new Americana.  Clients include Neiman Marcus, Brooks Brothers, abc home, The Daughters of the American Revolution, The Plaza Hotel, The Beverly Wilshire, The Ritz-Carlton, The Little Nell, specialty stores and fine jewelers.  Orange HOWELL is Paula Zanger's great-grandfather's given name, a spirited “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son”, Welsh, Quaker, Hoosier, American Farmer.

Paula Zanger > Resume pdf