Michaels and Jonathan Adler unveil an exclusive and crafty collab
Michaels, the arts and crafts seller, on Thursday unveiled an exclusive and wide-ranging collaboration with high-end home décor designer and potter Jonathan Adler that not only elevates the retailer’s offerings in a chic, stylish, yet affordable way, but also caters to younger consumers’ desire for personalization and self-expression.
The Jonathan Adler x Michaels collection, which lands in stores and online on April 17, spans home décor such as throw pillows, decorative vases, photo frames and table settings, exclusive crafting kits, and partyware and games, with many products featuring Adler’s signature style of bold, glamorous patterns and vibrant pops of color.
While items from Adler’s eponymous luxury brand (which was acquired in 2025) are pricey— ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars each — the partnership with Michaels intentionally makes the brand much more accessible to shoppers, with prices starting at $10 and going up to $300 for large wall mirrors.
“A big part of the value equation for us with this partnership was that we wanted to make sure it had the Jonathan design and quality aesthetic but at the Michaels-ized pricepoint,” Stacey Shively, Michaels’ chief merchandising officer, told Bagable.com.
“One of the most expensive item in the collection, for example, is the Mahjong set for $199,” she said. A variety of throw pillows are priced at $39.99 to $59.99.
“All of the pieces are meant to last, and maybe be passed on to someone else,” Shively said.
Customers can also choose between finished products and “unfinished” products, such as a vase from the collection that features a blueprint of an iconic Jonathan Adler design that they can then personalize by coloring it on their own.
“We have solid wood trays in the collection that you can paint on or add your own diamond art to,” she said. “This will really appeal to younger customers.”
For Adler, teaming up with Michaels organically made sense, he said.
“I am a potter, first and foremost,” Adler told Bagable.com. “I started my career 30 years ago as a craft person making stuff. I’ve had a wild ride, but throughout my career, I’ve always been a maker and craftsperson.”
“Michaels is sort of the Mecca of making. So it just seemed like the perfect marriage,” Adler said. “There is a Yiddish word ‘Beshert,’ which means ‘meant to be.’ This kind of feels ‘Beshert’ to me.”
Adler hopes the DIY aspect of the collection appeals to younger consumers.
“That’s the idea. Stop doomscrolling and make something,” he said.
In the catbird seat
Michaels is sitting in a sweet spot, ready to capture more market share and become the dominant destination for art and crafting needs after the recent demise of two rivals Joann and Party City.
And it’s moving fast.
Last year, the retailer acquired Joann's intellectual property and private label brands and significantly expanded its fabric, yarn and sewing business in a bid to win over Joann’s customers. Then Michaels jumped in after Party City’s exit to fill the void for party essentials by significantly ramping up its balloon offerings and party supplies, two of Party City’s most-popular sellers.
Just last month, Michaels, which operates more than 1,200 stores in the U.S., announced it was cutting prices on more than 3,000 items to entice more shoppers. Surprising its customers with unexpected collaborations appears to be another way to pull in new and repeat customers.
“Sometimes you need a different reason for why a customer comes in your door. I thought we really needed an amazing collaboration that is the DNA of Michaels and the DNA of who we want to be in the future,” said Shively. “This partnership isn’t about just putting a designer brand on a basic product. The foundation of it has to be pottery, which is Jonathan’s story, and then the DIY aspect, which appeals both to younger and multigenerational consumers.”
Shively said the collaboration with Adler will be ongoing. “As long as we can keep creating this magic together, we’re going to keep making it happen,” she said.
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