London’s Portobello Road Market has long been a place of allure for tourists and locals alike, thanks in part to its kitsch aesthetics and Aladdin’s cave depth of many of its market stalls. Richard Brendon, founder of the globally-loved homeware brand of the same name, was always one such fan. Whilst working on the renowned street as a bartender – a job he held alongside attending design school in the city – he became infatuated with the antique, orphaned teacup saucers that littered the stalls.
A trip to Stoke-on-Trent, a city notable for its expert pottery production that dates all the way back to the 17th century, and some trial-and-error later, Brendon landed upon his first set of products, christened ‘Reflect’. Using luxurious platinum and gold gilding, the ‘Reflect’ mugs mirror the intricate designs of antique saucers, which are now sourced from all across Britain.
Merging traditional with contemporary quickly became Brendon’s brand ethos. Case in point, ‘Line’ is a selection of fresh-looking, hand-painted bowls and plates that celebrate the pure white quality of English bone china. His bespoke line of striped bone-china, designed as part of a collab with pattern innovators at Patternity, greets afternoon-tea guests at long-standing, bougie London hotel Corinthia, daily.
