Olivia Caponigro
Schumacher Director of Licensing, Finished Goods & Furniture
“I oversee licensing collaborations (such as the Matouk Schumacher collection) as well as product development for our home accessories and furniture portfolio at Schumacher.”
Time with FSCO: 6 years
Michaela Lynch: What does the feeling of home mean to you?
Olivia Caponigro: The feeling of home for me is a blend of comfort, self-expression, safety, and an outlet for creativity.
ML: On the topic of expression, how do you think your work empowers and inspires the design community at large?
OC: Launching new product categories at Schumacher (including furniture, pillows, rugs, and more) empowers designers to add Schumacher into their client’s homes aside from just fabric and wallpapers. New product = endless possibilities for inspiration!
ML: And for yourself, how have you been empowered to be an entrepreneur in your role?
OC: My role, and team, closely resembles that of a start-up within a company that’s been around for 132 years. Almost everything we are doing and launching in my department is completely new for the company. Therefore, we are extremely entrepreneurial because we are always developing new categories and strategies.
ML: In 12 words or less, how would you describe your team & the FSCO community as a whole?
OC: Innovative. Creative. Kind. Hard-working. Resourceful. Nimble. I could go on and on...
ML: Is there a Schumacher pattern, PF design, or Backdrop color that sticks out to you the most?
OC: This might be the hardest question; we have 15k patterns to choose from! Two of my favorite Schumacher patterns are Toile De Fleur and Morris. I’ve also been eyeing Backdrop’s Weekend Upstate. If I didn’t live in a rental, I’d be using this one in my bedroom for sure!
ML: What has been the most exciting project you’ve worked on since starting here?
OC: There have been so many! The projects that stick out to me the most are the ones that have taken longer to come to fruition, one being the Schumacher Editions Dining Collection. I’ve been working on that project since the Fall of 2019, so having worked on it for almost 2.5 years, it is beyond exciting finally getting to see the product launch and watching the inquiries come in from designers and clients!
ML: And finally, people may not know that you started here as an intern in 2014. How have you grown in your professional life since being at FSCO?
OC: I started out on the Marketing team for my first three and a half years at Schumacher, first as the Creative Services Assistant, then Junior Marketing Manager, and finally as Brand Manager. As Schumacher was gearing up to launch its first licensing collaboration with Williams Sonoma, there became a need for a new position and team dedicated specifically to home accessories and brand-to-brand licensing partnerships. I was really excited about the goals of the new position and team, so I applied internally and formally moved over to create the Finished Goods Team in March of 2019. Fast forward three years (wow!) and I’m now the Director of Licensing, Finished Goods, & Furniture and oversee a team of six. The executives at FSCO are so great about listening to employees’ interests/goals and helping them transition to new roles to garner their success.
