Two interesting but very different styles of tableware have debuted this Spring. Tory Burch, continuing to evolve her empire has created a line of ceramic dinner and serving ware based on the designs of Dodie Thayer.
Ms Thayer was a popular Palm Beach hostess in the 60's and self taught potter whose hand-made ceramics were molded from cabbage and lettuce leaves, with some pieces taking two weeks to complete. Her beautiful and unique Lettuce Ware became collectors' items of such style icons as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the Duchess of Windsor and Brook Astor, whose collection sold at Sotheby's several years ago for over $75,000. The beauty of Ms Thayer's work was bringing the organic shapes and colors in the garden to the dining table as Bunny Mellon as C.Z. Guest did.
Tory Burch became a collector and bought much of her collection from the designer, Todd Romano. Ms Thayer has long since been in retirement, but Ms Burch was eventually able to coax her into collaborating on a contemporary collection of the now hard-to-find-anywhere garden ceramic pieces.
Dodie Thayer surrounded by her work