How 1882 Ltd. is breaking the mould in ceramics

Ceramics have come a long way from their primarily functional, prehistoric days. Today’s field artfully blends traditional craftsmanship with sharp innovation, fusing forward-thinking creativity with industrialisation. Among the leading brands in design-driven ceramics is British 1882 Ltd., which is reshaping the industry with its expressive pieces and visionary collaborations, while staying true to its roots in England's storied pottery heritage.

Founded in 2011 in Stoke-on-Trent – a town known for its rich ceramic history – by father-daughter duo Emily and Christopher Johnson, fourth and fifth generations of the famed Johnson Brothers pottery empire (a now-shuttered company established in 1882), 1882 Ltd. entered the scene with a clear vision: “To combine progressive design with industrial craftsmanship,” says Emily. The idea for the brand, she explains, was born while completing a master’s degree in architectural interior design, after nearly a decade living in California.

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While Johnson Brothers manufactured in Indonesia, Emily and Christopher were adamant about keeping the brand’s production in Stoke-on-Trent, honouring the city’s invaluable heritage of craft skills and knowledge that stretches back centuries. “I believe that heritage craft skills are incredibly important. And I believe that Stoke-on-Trent manufacturing and UK manufacturing are very, very important,” Emily continues. “Each collection we create has its own spirit, because we work with a variety of leading British and international artists and designers. But they are all bound by the same making processes – we always push boundaries when it comes to material, ingenuity, and skill.”

1882 Ltd.’s offering spans everything from everyday objects like plates, bowls and mugs to special, limited-edition pieces. Over the years, the brand has clocked a bevvy of notable collaborations, from artists such as Barnaby Barford and Bruce McLean to fashion designer Giles Deacon, set designer Shona Heath, renowned designers Faye Toogood and Max Lamb (whose piece decorated Vogue Scandinavia's own Nina Ricci dinner in Copenhagen), and even pop star Robbie Williams.

“It’s a very, very collaborative process,” Emily says of the brand’s creative partnerships, which marry each designer’s singular vision with the expertise of 1882 Ltd.’s skilled potters. “We tend to work with people that haven’t worked with ceramics before, and, invariably, they are at the top of their field. So if you’re working with an architect, a furniture designer or a fashion designer, and you’re taking them out of their comfort zone into a material that they don’t know, it’s great because their creativity goes full flow, but they need to have the confidence that you’re going to protect them in this environment.”

Having this synergy is paramount, Emily notes, as each project is “very personal”. What else does the brand look for in a collaborator? “The unexpected and the innovative. Working with people where you can see that that is a DNA that runs through their work,” she says.

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Among 1882 Ltd.’s most celebrated collaborations is the ‘Crockery’ series with Lamb, initially introduced in 2012 and featuring slip-cast tableware crafted from fine bone china, complete with hand-carving that achieves an organic yet sculptural, chiselled look.

Emily first met Lamb while working on the designer’s installation at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. “I admired what he was already doing, and explained to him the premise of what we were trying to do as a company. And it just came from there,” Emily recalls. “It’s fascinating because ‘Crockery’ is the exemplifier of everything that we try to do as a company. We started with a small collection that has grown and grown and grown, and now we have a slip-cast ceramic chair.”

Until 2021, 1882 Ltd. was outsourcing all of its production within Stoke-on-Trent (today the company has its own factory). When beginning to develop ‘Crockery’, “everyone in the industry said it couldn’t be done, that it was impossible,” due to its complicated moulds, undercuts and a form distinctively different from typical bone china pieces. In the end, Emily found someone willing to “take a risk,” which paid off: the series now holds permanent spots in the Louvre’s Decorative Arts department and the Victoria and Albert Museum. “To be honest, ‘Crockery’ is the essence and pinnacle of everything that we’re about. And Max is phenomenal to work with,” she muses.

Those eager to get their hands on ‘Crockery’ in Scandinavia should head to Copenhagen-based multidisciplinary studio Tableau – also a cherished collaborator of 1882 Ltd. “I absolutely adore what they do,” Emily says. She stumbled upon Tableau serendipitously during last year’s 3daysofdesign, where the hotel she stayed in had flowers from the studio. “I said, ‘We’ve got to find out where the flowers came from,’” she recalls. Now, 1882 Ltd. and Tableau are working on their first co-created collection, set to launch later this year. The range will include a series of vases and generous serving dishes.

“We want to make sure it’s a very rich collection, so we’ve been doing a lot of experimentation in the background,” Emily says, “It’s going to be distinctively Tableau and distinctively us as well. It’s going to be a beautiful collection.” Though she can’t reveal too much just yet, she hints that part of the collection actually began as a mistake, involving a stain that was added incorrectly.

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While dedicated to “creating ceramics that are relevant to our customers now and for the future”, with further collaborations with creatives like John Booth and Matt Smith on the pipeline, 1882 Ltd. will always remain connected to its heritage. “It’s the legacy of the family, but it’s also the legacy of the industry. It’s incredibly important, that’s why we balance it between design and industrial craftsmanship,” Emily says. “We are an industry of artisans as much as the wonderful designers that we work with. That legacy is one of the founding principles of our company.”

Case in point? 1882 Ltd.’s most recent exhibition, 100 Years, 60 Designers & 1 Future, invited past collaborators to create one-of-a-kind plates that are currently being auctioned off to raise money for an apprentice scheme and to support a Saturday Club initiative that gives local people and children in Stoke-on-Trent a chance to touch clay.

“I’m always looking forward,” Emily reflects. “There’s obviously nostalgia, but for me, we’ve got to bring in apprenticeships and to keep the industry in a positive light. Being able to talk to you guys is phenomenal for us because we want to say, ‘Hey, this is what we do, we’re really cool and we’re in Stoke.’”