Design | Lee Broom’s Glam Ceramic Stripe Tease and Balancing Act

LONDON — The Guardian once wrote that prolific London-based designer “Lee Broom is to furniture what Marc Jacobs or Tom Ford are to fashion.” Now celebrating his tenth year in business, Broom has unveiled a superbly glamorous series of four, limited edition vases for British luxury brand Wedgwood.

Inspired by the company’s 250-year heritage, the collaboration playfully nods to the company’s values of design, craftsmanship and innovation, while striping back Wedgwoods’ iconic Jasperware ornamentation. The result is a postmodernist interpretation with bold colored details and glossy finishes.

Broom told Wallpaper he dug through Wedgwood’s archives, looking back on various Jasperware silhouettes, to inform his designs to ensure the collaboration simultaneously looks Broom and Wedgewood.

“I wanted to retain the very classic Wedgwood silhouette but strip back the ornamentation. This immediately gave the vase a very contemporary feel. I then looked at combining the graphic stripes with postmodern elements, such as introducing vibrant colours and high gloss lacquered textures which starkly juxtapose the very matte biscuit finish of the traditional Jasperware.”

In particular, his pieces were informed by the monochrome stripes of the iconic Panther Vase, the Telegraph writes.

The stark matte Panther stripe, which was first introduced in the late 18th century, is applied to all and juxtaposed with glossy lacquered postmodern elements in vivid shades.

Broom, known for deriving his glam modern design from fashion, set up his own label in 2007, Dezeen writes. Broom has completed a variety of furniture and lighting collections as well as curated retail, hospitality and residential interiors.

Broom, who said he was contacted by Wedgwood three years ago, told the Telegraph:

‘I’ve been working with Wedgwood on this for a couple of years. I don’t often do collaborations, but this felt right. I’m so happy with the connection between our two brands: the Britishness of it all, one contemporary, one heritage, with references to historical manufacturing.’

The collection will launch exclusively at London department store Harrods March 2017.

Read Wallpaper’s entire interview with Broom.

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