Royal Copenhagen is launching its first new complete service of the 21st century. Elements consists of 15 items, which come in both 15 colours and plain white, and is the work of Louise Campbell, the frontrunner in a new generation of Danish designers.
Strongly traditional and unashamedly modern. The contrasts between the heritage of centuries and life in the new millennium come together in New Blue. On the one hand the shape of the service contains fragments of the Blue Fluted service of 1775, Flora Danica from 1790 and Half Lace from 1885, while on the other hand the service’s approach to colour is so radically different from the traditional blue and white colour palette of Royal Copenhagen.
“Being charged with updating Royal Copenhagen’s heritage was one of the biggest assignments our design studio has ever handled. It took several years of cogitation, detailed research in the enormous archives and a very close dialogue with Royal Copenhagen. It was sheer delight and a colossal challenge,” Louise Campbell reveals.
15 items – 15 colours
It is the first time this century that Royal Copenhagen has launched a complete service, with all the items being developed right from the outset. Elements therefore includes everything from cups and plates in various shapes and sizes to jugs, rectangular platters, salad bowls and dishes. Each item comes in its own colour in addition to plain white, with the palette extending from bright orange to turquoise, cerise and dusky green. The actual pattern is a reinterpretation of Blue Fluted that is denser in appearance and almost twines across each piece with a will of its own, continuing over the edge and leaping from cup to saucer to rediscover itself. The pattern has been painted by hand using a brand new technique that makes this rich use of colour possible.
“Elements called for colours that would challenge both the senses and traditions. We also wanted to create a service that could be enjoyed from every angle. The more the service is used, the more surprises will turn up on the bottom, back and inside of the various pieces, each of which has its own temperament,” Louise Campbell explains.
Elements is big enough to accommodate global cuisine, whether the table is being laid with a salad bowl decorated in turquoise or sushi is being served on a rectangular porcelain platter with a grass-green design. A new colour code will be developed for each new item in the service to suit its structure and shape. Elements is also available in white without any decoration, however.
About Louise Campbell
Louise Campbell was born in Copenhagen in 1970. With a Danish mother and English father, she grew up in both cultures. She studied at Danmarks Designskole and set up her own design studio in 1996. Louise Campbell has created products for clients such as Louis Poulsen, Stelton, the Danish Ministry of Culture, HAY and, most recently, Royal Copenhagen. The work done by Louise Campbell’s design studio is based on three simple rules: Always start from scratch – Nothing is impossible until the opposite is proved – There must be a good reason for doing something. Read more about Louise Campell at www.louisecampbell.com
Elements will be available in Japan from April, in Denmark from June and the rest of the world from approx July 2008
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About Royal Copenhagen
Royal Copenhagen, officially the Royal Porcelain Factory (in Danish: Den kongelige Porcelænsfabrik), was founded in Copenhagen in 1775 under the protection of Queen Juliane Marie and has been recognised ever since by its factory mark, the three wavy lines above each other, which symbolises Denmark’s three straits: Øresund, Store Bælt and Lille Bælt.
Royal Copenhagen and Bing & Grøndahl are trademarks of Royal Copenhagen A/S.