Cumbria Crystal is reinvigorating the luxury lead crystal market with ranges that appeal to a younger millennial market. The company is the last UK producer of luxury lead crystal and is located in the Lake District. It employs 22 highly skilled artisans who are committed to using traditional techniques of glass blowing.
Cumbria Crystal’s expanding collection of contemporary designs is now embracing new concepts developed through partnerships with MA and PhD students from the Royal College of Art (RCA).
New products for 2019 include LUNA gin glasses (designed by RCA student Joshua Kerley) and a multi-functional collection of six tumblers of different cut decoration designed by Isabella Kullmann. Cumbria Crystal’s ceo, Chris Blade describes the latter as “accessible luxury crystal, without the need to own large collections and suitable for homes with limited storage space.”
Chris, a graduate from the RCA, acknowledges the unique benefits of an RCA collaboration for both students and Cumbria Crystal: “The opportunity to access a lead crystal factory, with blowing, cutting and acid polishing facilities, and to receive tuition from some of the most skilled craftsmen and women in the world is a hugely valuable experience for the students,” he points out.
Chris continues: “In return, Cumbria Crystal has the opportunity to challenge and reflect on how it works, what it does and is pushed into the realm of risk and experimentation in the search for new concepts. Students whose designs are selected for production receive royalties on sales, full acknowledgement and a valuable addition to their portfolio and early careers.”
The past few years has seen collaborations with designers such as Peter Ting and Dr Jessamy Kelly. Chris reflects: “Designers are becoming celebrities and I believe flexible collaborative working with industry will become increasingly common. These designers bring cutting edge knowledge of different industries and processes to the table and by doing so generate exciting new ideas.”
Cumbria Crystal also prides itself on bespoke manufacture for luxury retailers, distillers and businesses. Recently the company partnered with Mulliner and Bentley Motors to produce champagne flutes for the Bentayga Mulliner, the world’s most luxurious SUV. It has also produced a tumbler collection for the new Continental GT, and developed a limited edition decanter and tumbler collection for the Mulsanne, WO Edition launched in Pebble Beach in October by Mulliner to celebrate the company’s centenary.
Top: Aimed at the millennial market: part of Cumbria Crystal’s Palm range, designed by Dr Jessamy Kelly, a gin glass at Edinburgh University and a former designer with Edinburgh Crystal.
