LLadró 70 Years
Lladró is one of those very old brands that our mothers loved, well, at least that was my case, I remember my mother always wanting one of their pieces and talking often about this brand when a was a kid. I am not personally a fan, their pieces are not my style but this brand has an emotional value to me, and for that reason I gladly attended their 70 years anniversary, at their meatpacking location.
A story of passion for porcelain
Lladró is the success story of an iconic Spanish brand. A world leader in the design, manufacturing and distribution of porcelain art creations, Lladró is a unique mix of talent, audacity and meticulousness in the quest for excellence.
From sculpture to lighting, home accessories and jewelry, Lladró is a brand that stands for a contemporary, stylish and exclusive lifestyle.
The 1950's: The beginning of the adventure
In 1953, at their home in the village of Almàssera, they began to make their first plates, vases and ceramic figurines inspired by the works of the great European manufacturers of Meissen, Sèvres and Capodimonte.
It is in this period that the modeling of flowers or the complex treatment of tulle first appeared, examples of virtuoso techniques that we still find today in many of the brand’s creations.
At the end of this decade, Lladró opens its first store in Valencia.
Lladró is the story of the passion for porcelain of three brothers, Juan, José and Vicente Lladró. Artists who made porcelain into a way of life and managed to build a business empire with their own hands.
The 1960's: The consolidation of a style
Fruit of constant artistic restlessness, at this time a unique and distinctive style is forged, with elongated lines, which makes Lladró works world-famous. In a demonstration of dexterity and mastery in handling material, the pieces become increasingly more complex and dynamic, challenging the laws of gravity.
Lladró introduced the revolutionary single-firing method which soon replaced the tradition triple-firing. This pioneering method also helped to define another hallmark of the brand: the characteristic pastel tones of a large part of its work. In this decade, the Professional Training School was also founded at its headquarters to provide the company with qualified artists and technicians. In 1965, with little more than a decade to its credit, Lladró entered the American market. And in 1969, Lladró opened its current headquarters in Tavernes Blanques (Valencia).
The 1970's: Recognition
The 70s are years of feverish activity and creative maturity. The quality achieved leads Lladró to undertake more ambitious works, the first limited series are born and the definitive international recognition arrives.
After intensive research, it begins to work with gres, a new material that opens up a whole world of expressive possibilities. The particular resistance of this material and its characteristic earthy tones expand the creative resources of Lladró's artists.
The 1980's: Reaching new heights
In the 1980s, the constant search for new ways of expression continued apace. Greater control of porcelain enabled creations that show an extraordinary mastery of modeling. In singular collections like Sculptures, Caprices or Goyescas, the artists’ imagination is carried away by fantasy and the pleasure of creation.
The Lladró Collectors' Society was founded in 1985. Over its 15 years of existence, it boasted more than 100,000 collectors of the brand's porcelains.
In this decade Lladró reaches two major milestones in its international expansion. In 1986 Lladró disembarked in Asia with subsidiaries in Japan and China. And in 1988 it opened its first museum and gallery in New York City, on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. And the process of internationalization continued steadily in emerging markets like Russia, Eastern Europe or India.
The 1990's: Excellence
In the nineties Lladró produced many highly complex period scenes, most of them incorporating vivid floral compositions which represent the greatest expression of the painstaking attention to detail and know-how of Lladró artists.
In 1991, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg hosts an exhibition of Lladró sculptures from which the 18th Century Coach and Don Quixote will become part of its permanent collection.
In 1995 the first Lladró boutique opened in Tokyo, in the fashionable district of Ginza; in 1996 its first own store opened in calle Serrano, the exclusive street in Madrid, and in 1997 the Beverly Hills boutique opened its doors in Rodeo Drive.
In this decade Lladró receives two prestigious awards: the Príncipe Felipe Prize for Internationalization in 1993 and the Príncipe Felipe Prize for Competitiveness in 1997.
The 2000's: New Paths
Lladró takes its expressive potential to new heights in High Porcelain, a collection of pieces with extraordinary artistic and technical quality, destined to form a select group of masterpieces within the brand's production.
At the same time, Lladró reinvents itself with sculptural pieces in matte white porcelain or dynamic and expressive pieces decorated in vivid colors.
Pieces dedicated to religious traditions and beliefs begin to play a prominent role. One of the brand's values since its origins is its know-how in addressing the spirituality of the most diverse cultures with sensitivity and admiration, making each piece a challenge and a source of enrichment for its artists.
This diversity of product is reinforced with the collaboration of outstanding external designers such as Jaime Hayon, Bodo Sperlein and Culdesac, who add their personal and artistic universe to Lladró's work in a fruitful creative exchange.
In 2006 and 2009 Lladró opens two boutiques in Moscow, at the prestigious Petrovsky Passage and GUM mall, respectively.
In this decade Lladró received the Príncipe Felipe Award for Renowned Brand Management (2002).
The 2010’s: Diversification
Lladró intensifies its creativity in functional lines of lighting, home accessories and jewelry, reinforcing its position as a porcelain brand that represents a contemporary, elegant and exclusive lifestyle.
Collaborations are also intensified in a fruitful creative exchange with renowned external designers such as Paul Smith, Rolito or Gary Baseman.
In 2012 the Lladró Boutique in New York City opens its doors at 500 Madison Avenue. In 2017 the company is acquired by the PHI Industrial Group, a Spanish investment fund specialized in the active management of companies.
