We didn’t think our dishware could inspire emotion…and then we met East Fork Pottery. The Asheville, North Carolina–based ceramics company—which has a cult following, a New York Times-approved mug and a founder who happens to be the great-grandson of Henri Matisse—just launched a new, limited-edition glaze that looks a lot like summer and has us ready to set the table, stat.
The aptly named Pollen collection, a bright yellow line that includes everything from salad plates ($32) and cereal bowls ($28) to flower vases ($67) is, according to the brand, “inspired by brightness, laying in a sunflower field, unplugged.” OK, we like the sound of that.
As for that color choice? “Humans have a natural inclination toward joy,” says East Fork CCO and CMO Connie Matisse. “Color is therapy…When I'm sad, stressed or too tired, I put on the brightest thing in my closet. I put flowers in every room. I set my dinner table with bright yellow plates.” Read: Your plain, mass-market white plates probably aren’t doing a ton for your mood.
Aside from being uplifting and well-crafted, we love that East Fork’s pieces support a good cause: The brand actually previewed this colorway in June with the “Equality Mug,” which supported the Campaign for Southern Equality. (June 26 is the the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to grant same-sex couples the freedom to marry nationwide.) For the Pollen launch, East Fork partnered with sustainable spice company Diaspora Co. to offer a jar of single-origin turmeric with the first 150 customer orders of $150 or more that include a Pollen piece—and BTW, this is another company that uses its platform to benefit the LGBTQIA+ community.
