Working with the V&A
Creative Tops are proud to hold a tableware licence with the V&A. Over the past three years a strong and dynamic relationship has been forged and ongoing development of beautiful commercial tableware collections for the retail industry.
The Collection
Our ranges incorporate designs from the V&A’s archive of textiles, wallpapers and prints.
Brompton Rose – A beautiful traditional floral design taken from a book of wallpapers from the nineteenth-century. The collection includes: fine bone china mug, six-cup teapot, sugar and creamer, cake stand, afternoon tea set, dinner plate, side plate, soup bowl, melamine trays and kitchen textiles.
Victoria – In the tradition of shabby chic, this pretty vintage-style pattern is available across the full range of fine china tableware. The design itself has been adapted from fragments of textiles and wallpapers dating from the nineteenth-century.
Brocade – This sumptuous design has been re-worked from an original piece of dress silk, manufactured in 1851. The gold metallic highlights within the pattern add a hint of glamour to the range which consists of the following pieces; fine bone china mug, tea pot, cake stand, cups and saucers, sugar and creamer, tea for one, dinner plate, side plate, soup bowl and much more.
Chinoiserie – This pretty exotic eastern style pattern is taken from a piece of hand-painted wallpaper from around 1790–1800. The collection is available in the full range of fine china pieces including six-cup tea pot, cake stand, cups and saucers, melamine trays and an array of other pieces.
V&A Fine Bone China Mug and Gift Box Collection
Our range of beautiful fine bone china V&A mugs won Highly Commended in the Gift of the Year Awards 2009. Since then, we have added several new designs to the collection. Each mug is available in its own gorgeous printed gift box a perfect gift idea for any occasion. Nothing tastes better than sipping tea from a beautifully designed fine bone china mug. Each mug holds twelve fluid ounces. It is an eclectic mix of designs in the range from exotic Indian inspired patterns to more familiar William Morris prints.
Gujarat – this design was taken from a skirt cloth, silk embroidered with silk thread, India, 1880.
Flora – a pattern taken from a specimen of wallpaper designed by William Morris in 1891.
Coromandel Coast – wall hanging or bed cover, painted and dyed cotton (chintz), India, 1710–25.
Kilburn Black and Cream – a pattern taken from an album of designs for printed textiles by William Kilburn, England, 1788–1892.
Windrush Pink – a design taken from a piece of block printed cotton designed by William Morris in 1883.
Fifties Mugs
In addition to our gift box mug collection we have developed a new fine bone china mug collection. The mugs will be sold loose with a swing tag and feature patterns from the V&A’s wallpaper and textile collections. The designs are by some of the most influential artists, designers and manufacturers of the 1950s, including Lucienne Day, Marian Mahler, Jacqueline Groag and David Whitehead Limited.
Background information on the V&A
As the world’s leading museum of art and design, the V&A offers a wealth of inspiration to designers, publishers, makers, artists and manufacturers. Founded in 1852 it is home to millions of amazing artefacts. Its collections are unrivalled in their scope and diversity, including world class collections of glass, textiles, graphics, photography, jewellery and fashion.
The V&A INSPIRED label is used on product designed by licensees and approved by the V&A. Such designs use the Museum’s collections and archives to inspire new, commercially appealing products relevant to individual markets. V&A INSPIRED products are available in stores worldwide.
On-going development
As a company, Creative Tops constantly review all the latest design trends through its strategic forecasting strategy. We work very closely with V&A Licensing, researching new concepts, working with major retailers on new product ranges, as well as developing our own in-house collections. Having access to such a wealth of material, enables us to look at designs from across many different genres, from the very traditional to the modern industrial age.
Finally, we are extremely proud to actively support the Museum, as profits from royalties on sales of V&A INSPIRED products are covenanted to the V&A. This vital source of funding enables the Museum to continue its amazing work, helping to preserve historic collections for future generations to enjoy.
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About Creative Tops Ltd
Creative Tops Ltd is a leading manufacturer of quality everyday kitchen and dining products. The company produces bespoke products for the retail industry and also has its own collection of branded products – find out more by visiting www.creative-tops.com
For further information about Creative Tops, please contact Clare Farthing Telephone: + 44 (0) 1536 207 756 Email clare.farthing@creative-tops.com
For further information on the V&A, please contact Samantha Safer Telephone: +44 (0)20 7942 2878 Email s.safer@vam.ac.uk
