London-based designer Richard Brendon brings his own refinements to British bone china, in what he describes as an “archeological” approach to design.
His biography states:
“(Brendon) believes to design truly innovative work, a firm understanding of what has come before is essential. Richard has a particular skill in identifying and distilling the best elements from the past and transforming them into contemporary designs. Through his work, Richard aims to bring a new audience to hand crafted luxury goods, and to help regenerate the incredible industries that make his products.”
We’re profiling two of his sets here, ones that overstate and understate the blue and white design sensibility. The first is from a partnership with Patternity ceramics in Stoke-on-Trent. Titled “Reason,” the designer states the set is inspired by 200 years of British teaware. It’s decorated with a bold stripe pattern in cobalt blue.
The second set, “Details from Willow,” draws from antique willow pattern china with cobalt blue or or gold accents. Brendon’s goal was to take these recognizable patterns and present them in a modern way. The familiar designs are seen on the plate in small glimpses, surrounded by white space. His design has a debt to Robert Dawson’s decades of play with the willow pattern. Dawson initiated the idea of isolating and enlarging parts of the pattern over a decade ago and it has been going viral ever since.
Richard graduated from Kingston University in 2010, with a degree in product and furniture design. Since then, Richard worked with retailers including Liberty, Lane Crawford, Le bon Marché and Bergdorf Goodman. Recently, Richard has collaborated with pattern innovators Patternity and Fortnum & Mason.
Above image: From the “Reason” collaboration between Richard Brendon and Patternity. Photograph courtesy of the designer.
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“Reason” set, a collaboration with Richard Brendon and the Patternity company.
The “Details from Willow” set by Richard Brendon.
Richard Brendon. Photographs courtesy of the designer.
This looks remarkably similar to some of Robert Dawson’s early work.
See https://wkenyon.net/agida.jpg for a comparison.
Regards,
I own a wholesale company in the USA and would like to know if Mr. Brendon’s designs are available for licensing in the USA . We love his work.
David Dewey
We have recently become aware of Richard Brendon’s “Details from Willow”. His work could be viewed as the sincerest form perhaps. However:
The Willow Pattern may be in the public domain but it’s worth noting that Robert Dawson’s designs are still in copyright.
Regards,
Susan Richard,
Mundane Affairs Advisor to Robert Dawson,
Aesthetic Sabotage,
London