Behind the Design: Floral Twist - British Brand Collaboration
Before you get to see them, creating our beautiful glass collections requires lots of hard work behind the scenes! And our collaboration with Duchess China 1888 on the new Floral Twist Collection is no exception.
In this blog post we look at the designing of this very special collaboration that was ten months in the making – a beautiful British brand designer collaboration.
British Brand Designer Collaboration
It all started with a trip to Duchess China 1888 – the only factory in The Potteries, Stoke on Trent, still making English fine bone china. I was given the opportunity to browse the historic china pattern books with many previously unseen designs – an absolute dream experience. I chose the particular and beautiful hand drawn design for Floral Twist, which we think is pansies, because it resonated with my own floral style and it just had so much potential for a modern look.
The red version of the design really drew my in and really resonated with me. Red is also one of my favourite colours, so the pattern really stood out from the others in the book, although there were so many incredible designs. I shared my thoughts with Jason Simms, Director of Duchess China 1888 who was passionate about reviving it together.
Collaboratively, we then took the design as a starting point and began to develop it into a modern day afternoon tea collection. This was the best way to marry the glassware and fine bone china and Floral Twist was born. The name is a play on the heritage angle, a twist on the 1950s.
Translating the Original Design
Once we got a digital copy of the design into the glassware studio here at Emma Britton, we decided how to interpret it for glass. As the original pattern is designed for china, it doesn’t necessarily translate in the same way for glass. Adapting it was a really enjoyable process. I decided to remove the connecting pattern on the original and focus on the floral elements, creating a continuous repeating pattern.
Pattern repeats are a signature part of my glass design style, so the design I chose seemed a natural fit. The fine rimmed simple crystal tumbler allows the emphasis to be on the pattern and not the glass. The result is an elegant drinking vessel that is equally lovely to look at and hold.
Elegant Glassware Shapes
The cocktail glass didn’t need much pattern as it’s so dainty. The shape is a perfect addition to our current range. Ideal for cocktails, champagne, dessert wine, sherry and more. It’s a size we don’t already offer customers and is great to have incorporated into my glass selection. Adding a flower to the base of the tumbler and cocktail glass is a unique detail, it takes longer to make but is so original.
A bud vase is perfect for homegrown stems and the length of the vase allowed us to play with the shapes, letting the flowers fall and breath. Duchess China 1888 also used this concept in their modern interpretations of the heritage pattern on their Floral Twist Teapot and jug.
Working with the design team at Duchess China 1888 to develop the look and feel for the china pieces was a privilege. I chose the tomato red shade to bring boldness and and eye catching pop of colour.
The result is a beautiful modern collection of British made heirloom pieces, perfect for wedding gifts designed to last. Enjoy giving them as gifts and using them daily in your own home.
Online Now
The Floral Twist Collection is now available to order online. It brings together two British brands and our different skills and aesthetics, hand-made and decorated in England. A beautiful range centred around the quintessential English afternoon tea. The heritage appeal of Duchess China 1888 with contemporary Emma Britton glass designs is a seamless match. It’s so prestigious to have created this collection with Duchess China 1888 who’ve made ranges for Fortnum & Mason, The Royal Collection Trust and other luxury brands. And most recently, Capel Salem #weneedwindows with Keith Brymer-Jones, celebrity face of The Great Pottery Throwdown!