CREAM OF BRITISH DESIGN TALENT CREATES EXCLUSIVE HOMEWARES RANGE FOR EBAY EXPRESS

eBay Express has handpicked five of Britain’s brightest and most talented young home wares designers to create the eBay Exclusives range – a new range of ten must-have items that will bring a touch of class to any home.

Selected with leading graduate talent-spotters, New Designers, the collection is being sold exclusively on eBay Express (www.ebayexpress.co.uk). The new site brings Britain’s biggest high street to every desktop and is already home to sellers offering everything from cutting-edge design and fashion, to beauty and gadgets.

The eBay Express home wares range – which includes dinnerware, mugs and home accessories – will be sold in limited editions during December 2006. Delivery will be guaranteed in time for Christmas for those looking to bag a unique gift. The items start from just £12, making leading-edge design available even on a budget.

The designers who have created the exclusive range (comprising everything from dog bowls to flying ducks) are:

• Jethro Macey, 25, based in Falmouth: who has designed coat hooks, based on the famous “flying ducks” – guaranteed to liven up any hallway
• Charlotte Tangye, 31, based in Manchester: has created quirky shoe racks – the stylish way to take control of unruly footwear and keep it from getting underfoot
• Sylvie Fuller, 29, based in London: has designed latte mugs that bring classic French “boudoir style” illustration bang-up-to date
• Gary James Birks, 26, based in Stoke on Trent: Gary (who is currently working for Wedgwood on a placement) has created the trendiest cat and dog bowls going – ideal for pets that want to be stylish
• Leanne Rostron, 25, based in Manchester: Leanne’s striking black and white dinner plates and side plates make an eye-catching addition to any home

Richard Ambrose of eBay Express adds: “We are enabling millions to have the satisfaction of buying direct from designers and makers from across the UK and making tomorrow’s design classics available today. From unique one off’s to small boutiques, eBay Express is fast-becoming the best place to buy not just big-brand items that you might find on any high street, but also unique items direct from makers and small boutiques.

We are home to thousands of boutiques and designers and the eBay Express Exclusives collection showcases the very best of them.”

ENDS

For further information please call:

For interviews with spokespeople:

All of the designers are available for interview – as are spokespeople from eBay Express.
Contact the eBay press office team at Seventy Seven PR on 020 7492 0999 or ebay@77pr.com

About eBay: founded in 1995, eBay pioneers communities built on commerce, sustained by trust, and inspired by opportunity. eBay enables ecommerce on a local, national and international basis with an array of websites – including the eBay Marketplace, PayPal, Skype, Kijiji, Rent.com, Shopping.com – that bring together millions of buyers and sellers every day.

· eBay.co.uk hit the 15 million users milestone in May 2006.
· eBay.co.uk has achieved the ten million live listings landmark, meaning there are more than ten million items for sale on the site at any one time*

The number of eBay.co.uk's Unique visitors reached 12.1 million in August 2006*
eBay.co.uk's reach was 45.28 % in August 2006* (reach is the % of all active internet users within that month that visited eBay.co.uk)

* Nielsen Net Ratings, August 2006

About New Designers:

New Designers is the foremost event in graduate design showcasing the work, energy and talent of some 4,000 young designers every July in the Business Design Centre, London, UK. This event of 21 years standing, brings together a prestigious design audience of over 17,000 visitors together with the next generation of designers to hit the market.

newdesignersonline.co.uk. is a comprehensive online directory of new design talent which has evolved from the New Designers main event. All the designers for this eBay Exclusives range have been carefully selected from newdesignersonline.co.uk. This design directory provides an invaluable resource for the media, recruitment agencies, retail buyers and anyone interested in emerging design talent.