Design DNA: Ginori 1735
For almost three centuries, Ginori 1735 has pursued a singular idea: that beauty should be woven into everyday rituals. Each porcelain plate, teacup and vase reflects a belief that craftsmanship has the power to transform the commonplace into something extraordinary.
This instinct for bringing artistry and elegance into everyday moments is shared by Raffles and it is brought to life in our exquisite new Raffles x Ginori 1735 Jungle Pattern porcelain tea set. Taking inspiration from Raffles teatime traditions and showcasing our iconic jungle pattern, this striking set updates the art of afternoon tea for a new generation.
The story of this famed porcelain house began in the 18th century in Doccia, close to Florence. Marchese Carlo Ginori decided to turn his passion for what he called “white gold” into a business – which quickly became a way of life.
The marchese was obsessed with the pursuit of beauty, and the elegant tableware made in the workshops on his estate soon found its way into some of Europe’s grandest residences, making the Doccia name – as the house was then known – a symbol of taste and refinement.
But it is Ginori 1735’s talent for working with visionary artists across the centuries that has cemented the brand’s reputation for creating functional pieces that fuse craftsmanship and art at the highest levels.
Chief among those visionaries must be the celebrated modernist Italian architect and artist Gio Ponti. In 1923, Ponti took over as director of the house and, over the next decade, introduced some of Ginori 1735’s most recognisable styles. His playful take on a neoclassical aesthetic deployed rich colours, striking architectural shapes and figurative motifs.
The most celebrated of his designs, Labirinto, was launched in 1926, featuring a repeating maze pattern of mesmerising straight lines. Today it remains one of Ginori 1735’s most loved and enduring tableware ranges, rendered in striking hues of scarlet, emerald green, ebano brown, cashmere beige and black. Ponti was also significant in shifting the focus of the house from one-off handmade pieces to high-quality, series-produced lines, allowing many more people to enjoy its finely crafted tableware sets whilst still maintaining exacting standards.
Nearly a century later, another landmark moment arrived for Ginori 1735 when Gucci acquired the house – and later Kering – and installed the inspirational Alessandro Michele as artistic director. Michele brought an equally strong but very different maximalist creative vision to that of Ponti 100 years earlier.
As with the iconic jungle print of Raffles, his was a design informed by a love of heritage, reimagined for a new era. When Michele’s designs launched, the fashion crowd snapped them up, and the house’s artistry and craftsmanship found a new generation of fans and collectors.
More recently the house has worked with the British designer Luke Edward Hall, whose trademark whimsical take on history, travel and culture brings smiles to every teatime gathering. His witty play on Greco-Roman design continues Ginori 1735’s desire to combine heritage with a future-facing talent for reinvention – an instinct we at Raffles also hold dear.
Today, Ginori 1735 is a symbol of modern luxury, loved – and captured – by high-end stylists and design enthusiasts and found in museum collections, including that of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.
Nearly 300 years after Carlo Ginori first imagined transforming “white gold” into works of art, the house continues to prove that true luxury is not defined by trends, but by objects to be treasured for generations. In partnership with Raffles, that philosophy lives on, one cup of tea at a time.
