Elizabeth Scarlett expands into ceramics with Emma Bridgewater collaboration
British brand Elizabeth Scarlett has partnered with pottery business Emma Bridgewater on a limited-edition mug collection, arriving on 24 September with John Lewis as the exclusive retail partner.
Titled The Art of Nature Collection, the collaboration translates four of founder Elizabeth Petrides' watercolour designs into Emma Bridgewater's signature spongeware.
The collection features Elizabeth Scarlett's Enchanted Heart, Elephant, Sun Goddess and Honey Bee motifs. Each design has been adapted from watercolour into the sponge patterns used to decorate the mugs by hand.
Petrides founded Elizabeth Scarlett in 2015, initially transforming her nature and wildlife paintings into embroidered accessories and homewares. The partnership expands the brand's presence into ceramics alongside its existing textile accessories and homeware collections.
"I've admired Emma Bridgewater for years because they've always celebrated the beauty found in everyday life. That's something we've always believed at Elizabeth Scarlett, too," said Petrides.
"Seeing my illustrations transformed into ceramics through such incredible craftsmanship has been a real privilege. It's wonderful to see our two creative worlds come together, and I hope these mugs become treasured pieces that people reach for every day."
The collection is being produced at Emma Bridgewater's pottery in Stoke-on-Trent, where the company has handcrafted British pottery for more than four decades.
Each mug passes through more than 30 pairs of hands during production. The pieces are cast, fettled, glazed, fired and individually hand-sponged before being signed by the artisan decorator. Variations created through the production process mean no two finished mugs are identical.
Meg Mackintosh, Creative Director at Emma Bridgewater, said: "This is a natural meeting of like minds, and it's been a privilege to transform Elizabeth's evocative watercolours into our traditional sponge designs to hand-decorate our pottery."
The launch follows Elizabeth Scarlett's partnership with womenswear brand Nobody's Child in April. That collection applied the brand's watercolour artwork and embroidery to dresses, denim, swimwear and separates, alongside a £15,000 donation to the Blue Marine Foundation.
Elizabeth Scarlett also donates 2% of its annual sales to wildlife initiatives. The business is working towards raising £2 million for wildlife conservation by 2030 through long-term partnerships.
