Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 34
Occupation: Designer and founder of Richard Brendon.
Instagram: @richardbrendonstudio
Hometown: London.
Studio location: London.
Describe what you make: Tableware using traditional crafting methods but with contemporary shapes and designs.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: My first collection, Reflect. If I hadn’t designed this, I wouldn’t have started my brand. It taught me all about the history of British porcelain, led me to Stoke-on-Trent (the center of British ceramics for more than 300 years), and taught me the importance of highly skilled craftspeople who are essential for making products of the highest quality. It also presented me with the opportunity to launch my brand as it attracted some wonderful press attention and secured me my first few wholesale accounts. It’s become one of our signature collections that the brand is really recognized for.
Describe the problem your work solves: Our products are designed to make the everyday exceptional. Never again will a cup of coffee or glass of water be mundane! We also ensure our products are timeless and have longevity, hopefully being passed down through the generations.
Describe the project you are working on now: We work one to two years in advance, so we’re already in the midst of designing new products for launch in 2022-23, including hospitality projects and extensions of existing collections. We also have exciting new collections of bone china and crystal launching as soon as later this year and early next year.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: We’re very excited about our V&A Series, which launched in September and is actually a development of our original Reflect collection. We collaborated with my favourite museum to reimagine four designs from their archives, adding some contemporary and playful twists. There are four saucers, all paired with our signature Reflect cups, and four mugs, shining a light on the golden era of Georgian ceramics and bringing the patterns into the 21st century.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: To start with… coffee! I also like to have some really niche reference books by my side. Two of my favorites are the Encyclopedia of British Pottery Marks and The Golden Age of English Glass 1650-1775.
What you do when you’re not working: I love all things food and drink, including cooking, wine, and cocktail making. In our lockdown at the end of 2020, I started formally learning about wine and took my WSET level 2 exam. I also love exploring the incredible restaurants and bars in London, as well as skiing and watching England play cricket at Lords.
Sources of creative envy: Josiah Spode.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Smartphones. They’re so great for so many things, but life was more peaceful before them!
Concrete or marble? Marble.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember or forget? Remember.
Aliens or ghosts? Ghosts.
Dark or light? Light.
