Design Week 2025 in Milan witnesses Faye Toogood's blooming success
In a remarkable fusion of British design sensibilities and Japanese ceramic craftsmanship, Faye Toogood has collaborated with the century-old tableware maker, Noritake. This partnership, marked by Toogood's residency in Japan, resulted in a collection that seamlessly blends soft silhouettes with earthy functionality, embodying Toogood's design philosophy.
The collaboration, which will be showcased at Milan Design Week 2025, represents a significant step for Noritake as it repositions itself as a platform for international, avant-garde design partnerships. The residency model has fostered a deeper cultural exchange, allowing Toogood to reinterpret Noritake's legacy through her own lens, while providing the brand with global exposure.
At the heart of this collaboration lies a bold floral series, a limited-edition collection featuring roses. The series is defined by its striking, oversized rose patterns, a departure from Noritake's typically more restrained decorative styles. Each piece is hand-painted in Japan, emphasizing the value of manual skill and individuality within mass production.
Toogood's signature organic, rounded shapes contrast with the precision often associated with Noritake's porcelain, while the earthy functionality implies a practical, grounded aesthetic. The exclusivity of the series underscores its status as a collectible, bridging the gap between traditional tableware and contemporary design art.
The 'Rose' series, created using original shapes from century-old Noritake moulds, includes 14 hand-painted pieces in five different shapes, and a limited run of 111 platters. Notable pieces include a reimagined square-based water pitcher with a deep tangle of coiled greens and a large round platter with a single rose swirling in cosmic chaos and abstraction.
The collaboration between Faye Toogood and Noritake extends beyond the 'Rose' series. The Noritake Design Collection also includes the 'Peacock' tableware collection, created with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and further projects with contemporary designers, including a tableware collection by Toogood herself.
Noritake's creative director, Yuichiro Hori, is intent on shifting the creative gaze back to Noritake's tableware, and this collaboration with Toogood is a testament to that vision. Faye Toogood's work with Noritake is a testament to the power of cross-cultural collaboration, breathing new life into the heritage-steeped world of Noritake.
This collaboration between Faye Toogood and Noritake, set to be displayed at Milan Design Week 2025, reflects Noritake's transition into a hub for cutting-edge, international design collaborations. The limited-edition 'Rose' series, showcasing large, hand-painted floral patterns, epitomizes this fusion of traditional tableware and contemporary design art. The collection, with its unique blending of Toogood's organic shapes and Noritake's precision, is proof of the power of cross-cultural collaboration and rejuvenation of heritage brands. Additionally, the Noritake Design Collection features other collaborative projects, such as the 'Peacock' tableware collection with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and a tableware series by Toogood herself, demonstrating Noritake's commitment to exploring diverse design-and-lifestyle perspectives.
