:: SHOWstudio - Shelf Appeal ::

A crazy hybrid of references contemporary and historical, this teapot is the result of a 'residency' by Vivienne Westwood at the classic ceramics firm Coalport. In such collaborations, each partner benefits from the brand values and design legacy of the other. Here, Westwood gains 'cultural capital' from Coalport's provenance as a quintessentially English firm, operating from the Shropshire town of Coalport from 1750, when the eighteenth century craze for tea took hold. Instead of producing less-expensive ranges for lesser fashion firms as many of her peers have done, Westwood instead partners with a product in keeping with hers; the Englishness and gentility associated with 'taking tea' reflecting the sensibilities and grace of her own work.

Coalport - its factory no longer in production in its original form and now controlled by the rather chintzy, conservative Wedgewood - wins 'creative capital' from Westwood. The swathe of transfer-printed tartan fabric recalls the punk origins of her designs and the regal orb logo stamps the maverick icon's thirty-five years of audacious designs onto the rather dowdy ground. The porcelain teapot is in itself a slightly non-specific re-working of an early Victorian shape, making little directional design statement.

Less a piece of creative innovation - you really need to pore over the pot to distinguish it from those found in chintzy provincial tearooms - the Westwood teapot for Coalport is a shrewd and expeditious article of twenty-first century brand consolidation.

Text by Penny Martin

Shelf Appeal archive
15.12.04: Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf
20.10.04: Blouse Bag by Ann-Sofie Back
30.09.04: Contact Lenses by Christian Dior
07.09.04: BMX by Y-3
25.08.04: Helmet by Stephen Jones for GIBO by Julie Verhoeven
05.08.04: Suitcase by Bottega Veneta
21.07.04: Sequinned Knickers by Alexander McQueen
08.07.04: Tennis Court Pump by Chanel
18.06.04: Parasol by Eley Kishimoto
14.05.04: Toolkit by Prada
07.05.04: Feather Headband by Miu Miu
26.04.04: Measuring Tape Belt by Tatty Devine
08.04.04: Easter Bunny Biscuits by Fortnum & Mason
31.03.04: Teapot by Vivienne Westwood for Coalport
24.03.04: Hair Brush by BLESS
12.03.04: Canderel Dispenser by Lagerfeld Gallery
04.03.04: Volleyball by Y-3
26.02.04: Bracelet by YSL
16.02.04: Lace Mask by Lanvin
04.02.04: Necklace by Marni
26.01.04: Straw Hat by Yohji Yamamoto
16.01.04: Edo Bells by Martin Margiela
19.12.03: Shimmering Stilettos by Viktor & Rolf

With thanks to Jane Audas