Next time you walk down the rue Saint Honoré in Paris don't stride past
Astier de Villatte. The exterior may lack attention grabbing signage but it's all the better for it. Take a moment to appreciate its subtle beauty – to step inside is to turn back in time. If a trip to France isn't on the cards then take a moment or two to watch this charming film that offers an insight into the working life of this creative company.
Founded in 1996 Astier de Villatte produce distinctive white glazed ceramics inspired by 18th and 19th century designs according to their own idiosyncratic ideas. In a gentle rejection of the Bauhaus ethos function often follows form and art trumps practicality in these pots. "We don't try to be rational in the production" they mischievously explain.
Nor do they seek perfection. To begin with the ceramics had a "rather unfinished" appearance because they simply didn't know how to 'do it properly'. But whatever they were doing it obviously worked as the company has grown steadily and embarked on collaborations with
Nathalie Lété and
John Derian. As a textile magazine we don't often feature ceramics but for Astier de Vilatte we make an exception after all as the designers, Benoît Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli, point out everything creative is connected.
Astier de Villatte,173, rue Saint-Honor, 75001 Paris, T: 01 42 60 74 13
Short film by
North Sea Air.
