BEHIND THE SCENES - DESIGNING THE JOIE DE VIE COLLECTION

BEHIND THE SCENES – JOIE DE VIE COLLECTION

Joie De Vie translates to the ‘Joy of Life’ and this collection reflects exactly that – the simple joys you can get from alpine life. Not only skiing and snowboarding but dog walking, tobogganing and hiking. 

 “I wanted to tell a story that wasn’t just about skiers – I have always loved the magical pictorial prints of the classic French toile de jouy fabrics  (cotton or linen printed with designs of landscapes and figures for which the 18th-century factory of Jouy-en-Josas, near Versailles) and I wanted Powderhounds' new collection Joie de Vie to reflect my inspiration whilst creating a simplified contemporary version based on the joys of everyday outdoor life in the mountains, families engaging in fun sporting activities with their children, mountain dogs and dog walkers, cross country skiers toboggans , all that is at the heart of the Alpine community"

A huge part of the Powderhound collection is to celebrate being outside and reconnecting with nature. It’s a well-known fact that our desk-based society is very Vitamin-D deficient. Vitamin D helps to fight disease, reduce depression and reduce mental fatigue. Even more impressive are findings that feeling a part of nature correlates (even for a short amount of time) correlates with life satisfaction, vitality, meaningfulness, happiness, mindfulness, and lower cognitive anxiety. So whilst most of us live in cities and towns – getting that break into the wilderness can lead to better mental health and give us a bit of space and clarity from our normal collective lives.

With these themes in mind Natasha set out to create a collection that could capture the spirit of alpine life – fresh air, exercise and family fun. She wanted to bring a small snapshot of this into people’s kitchens and daily lives.

Like all of her designs, Joie De Vie started out as an idea with accompanying sketches and mood boards before she headed to the Alps with her husband and business partner Tim Hall. Here they will capture their subjects in action. Once they return home Natasha works her magic in a digitised focus to take photographs into alpine scenes ready to tell their story on fine bone china.

All of our ceramics are made in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent and we always order in small batches so we can check the quality of each and every piece.