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The table is the new catwalk: fashionable plates to invest in now
From Jonathan Anderson for Dior to Armani, Ralph Lauren and more, tablescaping is becoming a haute couture pursuit
Functional, yet often a piece of art in its own right, crockery has always been highly collectible, but for a table to look fresh rather than fuddy-duddy, matching sets are out and an eclectic aesthetic is in. Liberty homeware buyer Calum Wild believes a change in society is behind this trend of curating a mix of plates. ‘People are using their table as an inner sanctum, a moment’s pause from the noise of technology and life,’ he says. ‘With this comes the desire to dress it in a way that feels connected to who they are.’
When it comes to that blended mix, bone china is always popular, but porcelain and stoneware are gaining traction for their durability and more contemporary aesthetic. ‘Ceramic is popular, too,’ adds Paola Piccinelli from the Source team at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, which helps guide modern collectors. Ultimately, she believes beautiful things shouldn’t be kept on display in a cabinet, but used and enjoyed. ‘Even a piece of toast can look so elegant on the right plate,’ she declares. ‘We deserve a bit of beauty every day.’
‘Il Viaggio di Nettuno’ charger plate, Ginori 1735
Artist and designer Luke Edward Hall has captivated the world with his Cocteau-esque paintings of muscly Adonises, his quirky interior projects and preppy British fashion for his own brand Chateau Orlando. After first collaborating with iconic 300-year-old Italian porcelain brand Ginori 1735 back in 2019, he’s now added to his ‘Il Viaggio di Nettuno’ collection, bringing distinctive motifs taken from Greco-Roman history and influenced by the Ancient Greek terracottas on display at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. £200, ginori1735.com
’100 Years, 60 Designers & 1 Future’, 1882 Ltd
It is the artistic qualities of plates that is at play in 1882 Ltd’s collection ‘100 Years, 60 Designers & 1 Future’, on show as part of an exhibition of the same name at The Potteries Museum & Gallery until 7 December. Each of the classic bone-china designs features an illustration, graphic or handwritten message by one of 60 creatives, with the roster of names including Giles Deacon, John Pawson, Max Lamb, Bethan Laura Wood, Tom Dixon, Faye Toogood and Sophie Ashby; figuring out the person behind each one is part of the fun. bids open now, 1882ltd.com
Dior Maison, Jonathan Anderson
Jonathan Anderson, the newly crowned creative director of French fashion house Dior, made an arresting choice for the invitation to his debut catwalk show, deciding to resurrect a piece from Dior’s rich heritage of finely crafted homewares: a delicate trompe l’oeil plate from 1975, featuring three uncannily life-like eggs, each carefully slip-cast by hand. The good news is that a larger format of the egg plate and an equally appetising, corresponding croissant version are now available in selected boutiques around the world. price on application, dior.com
‘Harlem Toile de Jouy’, Sheila Bridges for Wedgewood
This fine bone china plate by Wedgwood featuring Sheila Bridges’ ‘Harlem Toile de Jouy’ is now part of the permanent collection at the V&A. The American interior designer wanted to reimagine a traditional 18th century French toile to celebrate Black heritage and culture, using art as a playful yet powerful tool for storytelling and change. From £80, wedgwood.com
‘Ode’, Armani Casa
Inspired by Japanese tableware, the ‘Ode’ dinnerware set has a blue, gently scalloped edge. The dessert plates are decorated with different marine animals, including a turtle, crab and stingray, while the dining and bread plates feature a two-tone wavy stripe and others are plain, allowing for a layered display on the table. £140, armani.com
‘Flower Eye’, Bitossi
Surreal mashups of figurative, botanical, astrological and geometric designs define Bitossi’s distinctive Italian aesthetic. Pieces have been made in the same factory in Tuscany since 1921 and today that heritage combines with an array of young artistic talents. This ‘Flower Eye’ porcelain saucer is a perfect example – with its hypnotic eye and gold trim, it’s a guaranteed dinner party conversation starter. £16, bitossihome.it
‘Tricolore’, Astier de Villatte
The colours of the French flag radiate boldly from the centre of this ‘Tricolore’ plate. Each piece is handmade in Paris and stamped with the Astier de Villatte monogram and the initials of the artisan who crafted it. Approx £94, astierdevillatte.com
‘Faded Peony’, Burleigh x Ralph Lauren
Quintessentially English chintz meets classic Americana in this denim blue design. Intended to be mixed with the prints and patterns from the rest of the range to create a unique table setting, every plate is finished using Burleigh’s centuries-old tissue transfer printing technique using hand-engraved copper rollers. £38, ralphlauren.co.uk
‘Epin Rere’, Yinka Ilori
Named after the Yoruba phrase for ‘my destiny’, ‘Epin Rere’ is a limited-edition collection of ribbed ceramics. Through each stoneware plate’s vivid hand-painted ombre tones and ribbed edges, Ilori seeks to evoke the rippling waters and sunset colours of Lagos’ beaches, paying tribute to his British-Nigerian heritage. £135, shop.yinkailori.com
‘B-Form’, Meissen
The ‘B-Form’ porcelain service was created between 1844 and 1855 by Ernst August Leuteritz. In royal blue with 23-karat gold reliefs and hand-painted floral elements from the Renaissance, Rococo and Baroque periods in its design, it’s a beautiful expression of European dining culture from an era when the bourgeoisie displayed their wealth and status through their table. Approx £1,412, meissen.com
‘Butterfly Parade’, Christian Lacroix
A colourful cluster of butterflies drifts across the delicate plates of this collection, a collaboration between fashion designer Christian Lacroix and Vista Alegre, the renowned Portuguese porcelain manufacturer. Designed to be mixed with other less decorative designs, the ‘Butterfly Parade’ is a fresh take on the traditional. Approx £133, vistaalegre.com
‘Tressages Équestres’, Hermès
The fashion house is forever associated with the equestrian world and the new ‘Tressages Équestres’ porcelain dinner service honours the relationship between horse and rider in the most elegant way. In a fresh, zesty palette, Virginie Jamin’s precise lines offer an abstract yet evocative depiction of the cotton and leather braiding used in harness-making. From £115, hermes.com.
‘Pink Tulip’, Laëtitia Rouget
Citing Grayson Perry, Matisse and Luke Edward Hall as influences, Lisbon-based French artist Laëtitia Rouget refuses to take life too seriously and her brightly coloured stoneware ceramics bring that joyful perspective to the dining table. She illustrates each prototype in her studio, before they are hand-painted by artisans in Portugal. £90, laetitiarouget.com
‘1948’, Jonathan Adler
Named for the temperature at which gold melts, the ‘1948’ collection has a suitably celebratory feel that makes it perfect for festivities, but sturdy enough to withstand everyday life. And why not? The real gold splattered across the surface of each porcelain plate will elevate the most basic of dishes to something extra special. £50, uk.jonathanadler.com
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