134 ELLECANADA.COM
LIFESTYLE
SIX YEARS AGO, during a visit to the
Museo Gucci in Florence, I purchased
a Gucci oven mitt embellished with the
brand’s signature double-G monogram.
It was priced high but not so high as to
make it unattainable, and I thought it
wou ld b e a n i mpres sive a dd it ion to, a nd a
conversation starter at, my dinner parties.
I was right.
In 2017, a few years after my vacation
splurge, Gucci launched Gucci Décor, a
f u l l home l i ne t h at i nc ludes a n i mpres sive
collection of tableware. The luxurious
white-porcelain dining sets are decor-
ated with the elegant green Herbarium
floral, a motif that also adorns the house’s
wallpaper. In addition, the brand
released mugs featuring its now-signature
playful aesthetic.
Gucci is not the only luxury brand
to dabble in tableware over the past few
years. In 2016, Dior launched a collec-
tion under Dior Maison that included
its lovely Lily of the Valley pattern. The
brand’s other offerings include its scal-
lop-edged Jardin d’Hiver plates, designed
by acclaimed architect India Mahdavi,
as well as porcelain tableware in Dior’s
classic Toile de Jouy print (which was first
used in 1947 in the decor of the brand’s
atelier at 30 Avenue Montaigne). And
just a few months before his death, Karl
Lagerfeld collaborated with Christofle,
a luxury-flatware company known for its
egg-shaped storage capsule.
“It’s about not just clothing or acces-
sories but an overall lifestyle, and with
the homewares market being a massive
multi-billion-dollar market, I think it’s only
natural that luxury brands are moving
in that direction,” says Toronto-based
lifestyle and decor expert Caspar Haydar.
“Brands are now seeing the importance
of bridging the gap between fashion and
food entertainment. It truly is all about
the experience and exclusivity.”
Brands may be vying for a place at
your dinner table, but fashion tableware
is nothing new. In the 1980s, Hermès and
Ralph Lauren entered the category, while
Versace joined forces with Rosenthal, a
manufacturer of fine porcelain, in the
early 1990s. But the trend can be traced
back to the mid-1800s, when Tiffany
& Co. first began producing silverware
and fine-porcelain dining sets, some of
which can still be purchased through
luxury-antique dealers like 1stdibs.com.
“I believe luxury fashion has always
played a role in lifestyle. How we dress in
life is often in line with how we dress our
home,” says Jasmine Baker, a Toronto-
based entertaining expert and president
of For the Love of Food. “The easy,
breez y boho t y p e w i l l l i kely go for a si mple,
clean setting of neutrals, white plates and
organic linens, whereas the high-fashion
lover is likely to make an opulent splash.”
The demand for designer tableware
is apparent in the recent additions of
home goods by popular high-end fashion
retailers such as Matchesfashion.com
and Moda Operandi. They are pitching
a lifestyle that goes beyond one’s closet.
From Matches, one can stock up on the
aforementioned Gucci goods as well as
entire tabletop sets by Brunello Cucinelli.
There are also offerings from smaller
brands: ceramics and silverware by Peter
Pilotto, tablecloths and napkins by Preen
by Thornton Bregazzi and ceramics and
glassware by Luisa Beccaria.
Just like luxury fashion, luxury table-
ware can be t hought of as an i nvest ment.
Baker warns against the lure of trendy
colours or prints. “If you go designer,
go for classic prints and colours that will
always add a touch of elegance.”
Whether it’s Versace’s I Love Baroque
serving plate or Hermès’ Balcon du
Guadalquivir bread-and-butter dish,
when it comes to dressing the table,
much like dressing the body, balance is
everything. Baker suggests starting with
a unifying theme of white charger plates.
“You can layer in coloured or patterned
designer plates, platters and vessels, and
the white will act as an anchor,” she says.w
Don’t forget the flowers. “Pepper your
table with small, short floral arrangements
in colours that complement your designer
tableware. This gives life to the patterns.”
Dinner party, but make it fashion.
Glass tumbler and pitcher, Brunello Cucinelli (price
upon request, matchesfashion.com); porcelain
tableware, Versace (from $110, at William Ashley,
williamashley.com). Bottom left: Porcelain tray,
Hermès ($215, hermes.com); stone servers, Dinosaur
Designs ($165, at modaoperandi.com)