FROM MARRAKECH TO MIAMI - THOMAS FUCHS' NEW HANDMADE "KOOLEE" DINNERWARE COLLECTION

Michou, Thomas, Georgie & Frida

Welcome to our blog and online store.

Every week we take you behind the scenes of our company giving you behind the scenes look at the people and places that inspire us.

This week we take you to far off lands proving that global craftsmanship is alive and relevant in our every day life. In this blog from "Marrakech to Miami " we demonstrate our consistency in supporting and promoting global craftsmanship in haute home design.

Thomas Fuchs Creative ALWAYS brings craftsmanship by skilled artisans to market that previously was only available to the trade. Traditional techniques such as hand carving, lost wax casting and glass blowing are all made accessible at a price point without compromising the design aesthetic.

This past April 2923 after debuting their Villari & Thomas Fuchs "Garden of Eden" collaboration (see above video) for renown porcelain company Villari to rave reviews at Milan's Salone del Mobile we jetted off to Morocco as guests of a Belgian Baron and Baroness ! 

Our Hosts: Roxane & Jerome 

Upon landing in Marrakech, we the hit the souk and beyond. Our passion for discovery led us to small remote part of Marrakech. In our blog I always try to give you the sites sense and sounds of the behind the scenes of our globe-trotting.

Based on my research I thought it would be interesting to visit a local ceramic factory. We hired a car and took a trip to a factory an hour outside the souk where we unexpectedly ended up staying there the entire day their working on a new line of dinnerware ( plates, salad plates, bowls, cups and candlesticks ). 

I always say that Thomas' biggest talent is visiting factories and accessing its capabilities and a design direction that the factory itself has yet to realize.  

Michou at the Factory in Marrakech

After a long day at the factory in the midst of a heated conversation on the phone our chauffeur turned tour guide often paused to point at food, motion toward our plates, and exclaims “Koolee egg. Koolee bread. Koolee chicken.” Each refusal to stuff our face was grounds for an argument, so in Morocco we ate well and dared not tell him we are pescatarians. 

We aptly named our new collection "Koolee" which literally translates to: EAT!  Arguably the most common word in Moroccan Arabic, it floats from open windows in the medina during Friday couscous and around the city during dinner (which is usually eaten between 9:00 -11:00 PM). 

The potters of northern Morocco perpetuate the ancient art of modeled pottery, which first appeared around 6,000 BC. The techniques and patterns used today are very close to those of their origins. This ancestral know-how, which has disappeared around the Mediterranean, still lives in the pre-Rif. Today, these potters are the guardians of this ancient art.

Each traditional piece bears the marks belonging to each tribe. With shapes, decorations and reinterpretations, each piece is unique and echoes the singular grace of its original creator. In the beginning, these potters were from the Berber tribes,  and over thousands of years of oral tradition, the meanings of these symbols and decorations have sadly been lost.

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Thomas' emerald green handmade ceramic tabletop collection he designed with the local craftsman has an organic feel. Each piece is sculpted by had and has a shape of its own. Based on the standard dinner plate 🍽️ salad 🥗 plate and bowl 🥣 each item has an interesting lip / edge along with our brutalist candlesticks the entire collection evokes the soul of a handmade product .

The dinner plate and side plate have a wall inspired by the ancient wall around the souk. The bowls have jagged edge that is inspired by the minarets at the top of the mosques 🕌. The candlesticks follow the jagged edge of the bowls remaining consistent to the theme of the collection.

Thomas Fuchs Emerald Ceramic Candle Sticks

At our latest  Tavolo Artist Dinner Series I paired our new  "Koolee" tabletop dinnerware collection with our NapKing Sicilian  Bug Dinner Linen Tablecloths and napkins. I then covered the dining  room in l giant human scale big decals that I had printed to match the table cloth design layering it with placemats made from faux grass turf with the new dinnerware crowning each placesetting . 

Our Dining Room set with TFC New Collection

Each piece of Moroccan pottery is unique. It is a reflection of talent, purity, and sincerity. The colors used are natural and obtained through the use of recycled materials. Artisans use raw clay to make glazed, enameled, and decorated pottery. They mix earth with water and then shape the mix by the turner. After the drying phase, artisans applied a coated layer to the ceramic. Now, the pottery has a white appearance. The pottery rests again before undergoing the first firing.

TFC Dinner Plate, Side Plate, Bowl

Once cooled, the potter decorates the object with a brush. Linear, geometric designs, letters, arabesques, and sometimes floral motifs highlight the ceramics.The craftsman then deposits a transparent or colored layer giving the pottery luster.

TFC Close up New Ceramic Tabletop Collection w/ Thomas Fuchs NapKing Collection

You can depend on us to consistently bring artisans handmade products to the market for attainable prices. Our lines range from $50 to $500.

The Factory Owner At His Retail Shop Post Earthquake

This past October's earthquake in Morrocco caused us to post a link to a GO FUND ME Link that will directly impact the factory owners relief.

Enjoy The Weekend and look out for next weeks "Haute Halloween Blog" how to set your table with high design decor that the eye can read and the soul can feel.

Have a great weekend.