Fashion Plates

Your tableware has a wonderful Italian feel to it. How did your love affair with that country begin?

I first visited Italy when I was 16. Something immediately touched my soul, and I knew I would go back. Sure enough, in my junior year of college I went to study near the town of Perugia, known as one of the last places where you could still find real hand-painted Italian pottery. When I started my company, I was fluent in Italian, and this enabled me to work one-on-one with local artisans to produce pieces rooted in the culture but with a modern spin. Now, I return to the area every year to scour the open-air markets; there are always new colors and shapes that excite and inspire my designs.

You have said that your mother is your muse. How has she influenced your design sensibilities?

My mom instilled in me a love of entertaining and an obsession with beautiful dishes. At mealtimes, she would set the most stunning tables. If Japanese food was on the menu, for example, her table would have an exotic Eastern flair, with the entire family sitting on the floor around the table. On vacations, we’d explore the wonderful antiques shops on the Oregon Coast, and that’s where, at five years old, I found my first set of Limoges plates. I’ve been collecting ever since. I have cabinets and cabinets literally filled with dishes!

Most of your line is packaged in gift sets. Why is that?

I think it’s very daunting to purchase an entire collection of the same dishes, from the dinner and charger plates to serving pieces. So I’ve assembled the kinds of stylish, affordable dishes that a couple will need when they start to entertain. I recommend mixing in different shapes and patterns with your everyday china, depending on the occasion—it’s an inexpensive way to decorate the table.

What can we expect to see from you in Spring ’09?

The theme for this season is all about escape—to better times and to the exciting places that we’d like to visit but maybe can’t afford right now. I focused on items that encourage couples to get in the habit of entertaining at home, such as cake and dessert plates, tiered display pieces perfect for mini quiches or tea cookies and oversize platters. They’re whimsical and fresh and hopeful; I want to remind people to celebrate together more often.

Photography: (from top) Rosanna Bowles; Secret Garden mini vases, tea accessories and dessert plates; Boho holiday tumblers votives, hurricane lamp and bottles; Beach Bottles vases.

For more information, visit rosannainc.com.