Profile
where the company should be. A company that hand makes very high quality products in this country shouldn’t be selling in any other market because it’s very expensive to hand make in this country.” Te luxury market has proved successful because people seeking the highest standard of British designed crystal glassware are incredibly discerning and can see the quality, skill and craftsmanship that go into making each piece. As a result, Cumbria Crystal glassware can be found in the country’s top stores, such as Fortnum & Mason, Liberty and Heels. Te process of glass-making used in the Cumbria Crystal factory, located in the Lake District, is a highly skilled and very traditional craft. Members of the public interested in the company’s approach to creating crystal can actually visit them at the Lakes Glass Centre and observe them at work. Te artisans work in teams with each member responsible for a certain part of the process, such as the wine-blower, who shapes the bowl of the wine glass. It is the responsibility of a different team member to manipulate glass into the foot of the wine glass. “Te whole process is a bit like
It’s a beautiful material to work with. Te whole fire, alchemical thing is really exciting.
a dance,” Katy explains, “so they have to work closely together in their teams. It’s always instinctive. Traditional hand-making of glass is very much a craft process that gets into the body. Once they’re in the flow of the making, it’s almost like a meditative process. Tey use all of their senses and work really flowingly together.”
Cumbria Crystal’s latest collection of cut
crystal bottles has been met with approval and excitement. Comprised of a mix of six styles of contemporary glass design and inspired by the kitsch ‘70s Chianti bottle candle holder, the collection is incredibly versatile and the bottles can be used for multiple purposes from holding wine and flowers to functioning as the classic candle holder. While she cannot quite pin down the inspiration for this quirky idea, Katy does refer to the nostalgia very often found in works of art and design, explaining, “Tere’s a lot of looking back going on at the moment – especially with the recession; people go back to classics. Te idea just popped into my head and it seemed appropriate. It’s been wonderful seeing peoples’ eyes light up when they see the collection. Tey like the bottles because they’re beautiful objects. Primarily, that’s the most important thing for me. Or, as William Morris put it, ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.’” At the essence of
Katy’s – and Cumbria Crystal’s – design ethos is the idea that products should be visually pleasing, useable on a day to day basis and, above all, quintessentially English, with a chic little modern twist. To have succeeded when other big name
companies have gone or moved overseas is a huge achievement for Cumbria Crystal, and one that Katy values above all else. “To be able to say, ‘We make in England – everything is British, we’re still going and the success is building’ is brilliant,” she admits. “And it’s an ongoing story,” she adds. “Tere’s definitely more to come.” Well, having spoken to Katy, and seen the exquisite craftsmanship in each piece of the company’s cut crystal, we certainly hope so – and we can’t wait to see what they do next. Watch this space...
For more information visit
www.cumbriacrystal.com
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