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Dinner Guests

Bessie Nestoras -- Gifts and Dec, 3/31/2011 5:22:48 AM

Pixo is part of the new Format collection in the Studio Line. Rosentha. 210.804.8000. www.rosenthalusa.comThis season tabletop manufacturers shake things up. Traditional patterns get an update and plates get shapelier, giving customers a chance to spice things up at the dinner table.
How do you keep things interesting at the dinner table? If you're having a party, you'll be sure to invite the most interesting people, right? While the most important guest is the food, the first guest should be the plates. The dinnerware sets the mood for the dinner party. And manufacturers continue to offer interesting patterns and shapes to help get things going.
"Food and the intake of food are a clear expression of the image we have of ourselves as individuals. Today, someone who spends more time and lavishes more attention on the preparation of food also values a suitable presentation," says Kai Steffan, creative director at Villeroy & Boch.

The New Traditional
Table dinnerware collection by Paola Navone. Reichenbach. 011.49.36601.880. www.porzellanmanufaktur.net      Even though the tabletop industry finds itself in transition - formal dinnerware is taking on a new role and look - it's transitional dinnerware that is driving the market: casual looks that can go from every night to a holiday dinner. "Human nature finds something comforting in sitting down and breaking bread," says Josephine Dillon, vice president/general manager of Richard Ginori. The company's new collections by Paola Navone, Ginori's artistic director, takes old Ginori shapes and modernizes them with funky designs. The result is a young, fresh new traditional look for a younger customer.Folkware dinner collection. Richard Ginori. 212.213.6884. www.richardginori1735.com
     "There are calls for the new traditional and the modern looks, but [also] new takes on dinnerware for the bride," says Hugh Biber, senior vp/global design director, tabletop for Lifetime Brands. Last market, Mikasa introduced Parchment, a simple fine china pattern featuring a gray border and scrollwork detail. For the upcoming season, the company has updated the design to feature an oversized scroll detail. "It's a cleaned up version of the original and is a little less formal. [...] We're trying to reach out to the new traditional bride," says Biber.
     Like Mikasa, Spode is giving more consideration to new traditional. Its new dinnerware is more contemporary. The designs and details are rooted in traditional patterns, but updated, giving the table a younger, fresher look. "The artwork has been taken from the archives and updated," says Paul Murawski, vice president marketing, Portmeirion Group.

Take Shape
     One of the recurring trends spotted at the Ambiente fair in Frankfurt this past winter was shape. Tabletop manufacturers are breaking the mold and offering scalloped shaped plates. Square shapes have been a staple for some time now. In fact, Villeroy & Boch's New Wave continues to be a top seller, and this season the company has played with its shape. The wave is now done in a round format.
Nectar dinnerware on the new Impression shape. Spode through Portmeirion Group. 203.729.8255. www.portmeirion-usa.com      The scalloped shapes that are making their way into the market add a new dimension - and look - to the table. Jasper Conran's Baroque White for Wedgwood takes inspiration from the designer's flagship store in London. According to Wedgwood's design team the Baroque silhouette appears very contemporary, but still reminds one of its architectural heritage.White or cream dinnerware tops the list in purchases. Bianco dinnerware. Vietri. 919.732.5933. www.vietri.com
     German manufacturer, Reichenbach, also offers a uniquely shaped plate with its Taste collection by Paola Navone. It comes in a simple white pattern, as well as with a blue border and a stitched blue border.
     Spode, long known for its traditional patterns, offers a new shape called Impression. It is used on three of its new dinnerware collections: Nectar, Sophia and Lucia. And Spode goes even further by giving its traditional floral and bird themes a facelift by placing them on this new shape, giving the collections a modern feel.

Pattern Play
     From birds to florals, traditional motifs continue to be important in dinnerware. But current trends also drive what's presented on the table. Global influences are dominating the home, so it's no surprise they are influencing dinnerware. Ikat fabrics and Kilim rugs have been an important design trend that tabletop designers are bringing to the table.
Parchment features an updated scroll design. Mikasa through Lifetime Brands. 516.740.6723. www.lifetimebrands.com     Jasper Conran's Kilim giftware collection for Wedgwood is inspired by these traditional patterns. The collection comes in five colors with a myriad of patterning.
     Portuguese tabletop company Spal Porcelanas showcased Zulu at Ambiente. This pattern takes on a tribal look. And Paola Navone's dinnerware pattern for Richard Ginori is Folkware, which like its namesake, has a folkloric appeal with its bright colors and ethnic-influenced patterns. Navone found inspiration in Eastern European embroidery, Balkan fabrics and colors used in matrioska dolls.
     The past is also driving current tabletop trends. Conran's Mosaic pattern for Wedgwood is inspired by the great entrance halls of 17th-century English houses; the black and white marble inlay is meant to create a clean, modern and tailored design.
Avantegarde giftware collection inspired by the Mettlach tiles. Villeroy & Boch. 800.VILLEROY. www.villeroy-boch.com     Also finding inspiration in the past is Villeroy & Boch with its Avantegarde giftware collection. The patterns are inspired by the tiles uncovered in a Roman villa in a small German town near Mettlach in 1852. The pieces have a modern feel, but still have a hint of Old World charm.
     For Rosenthal's Format collection, part of the Studio Line, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, designer Christophe de la Fontaine looks to the past to create a very modern line. Some of the designs hearken back to the 1950s and 1960s. For instance, for the Pixo dinnerware collection designs were taken from the archive and given a twist by using computer disassociation to create the pattern.
     So, this season, help shoppers with their guest list. Encourage them to add a scalloped shape or an updated pattern to give their dinner table a quick makeover that will surely impress company. And if an entire set isn't what they're looking for, new accent plates will easily do the trick.

WHAT THE RETAILERS ARE SAYING...

White or cream dinnerware tops the list in purchases. Bianco dinnerware. Vietri. 919.732.5933. www.vietri.comSarah Jones, owner, Vintage Rose Emporium, Murray, KY
More people are buying dinnerware as a self-purchase, notes Sarah Jones. "Often with a purchase or construction of a new home, a customer wants something fresh as part of the decorating process," she explains. But the majority of sales are still made through bridal registries.
Remember when everyone had to have a five-piece place setting? These days, when buying a dinnerware collection, couples don't buy the five-piece place settings anymore; if a mug is offered, they'll opt for that instead.
One buying trend that Jones has noted is couples buying more than the traditional eight or 12 place settings. "People buy as many as 16 or 20 as they plan for times when extended family will be dining with them," she explains. In that instance, if buying a mug, they'll buy fewer mugs.
And as with home decorating, couples want to express who they are on the table. "I love working with couples who mix and match within brands or even coordinate dinnerware, stemware and flatware from different companies. Although some couples choose color, a white or cream pattern is often the winner," she says.
Designer Made Designer-made dinnerware is a growing trend in tabletop. Matte & Shine by Donna Karan for Lenox. 800.63.LENOX. www.lenox.comMarsha Dautch, vice president, Jenss Decor, Amherst, NY
"Brides are still registering for all types of dinnerware - from formal to transitional to casual (thank goodness),"says Marsha Dautch. Although, the store owner does find that most selfpurchases are for furnishing a second home.
People want ease nowadays, especially at the table. "People are looking for easy care, great design, serving piece options and something that can go from formal to transitional entertaining," explains Dautch.
Plus, it's all about the name. Designer dinnerware continues to be an important part of dinnerware sales. From Vera Wang to Donna Karan to Marchesa and more, people want a fashion label on the table. "The designer dinnerware has been around for a few years and continues to grow because they seem to have the pulse on designs that people want from well known names," says Dautch.
With the trend in entertaining leaning toward the casual, mugs are winning out. "We sell fewer cups and saucers and more mugs, and more interesting salad/dessert plates to make the table their own," Dautch tells Gifts & Decorative Accessories.

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