Former Burberry creative director Christopher Bailey has acquired Burleigh Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent following the administration of its parent company, Denby. The move marks a significant shift for the fashion veteran, who is now focused on preserving the 175-year-old brand's unique artisanal techniques.
Saving 62 jobs and a 175-year-old craft in Stoke-on-Trent
The acquisition of Burleigh Pottery comes at a critical moment for the Staffordshire ceramics industry. As reported, the parent company Denby recently entered administration, putting 62 jobs at risk. Christopher Bailey, the former creative director of Burberry, stepped in with a group of private investors to prevent the closure of this historic site in Stoke-on-Trent .
Burleigh Pottery is notable for being the only manufacturer in the world to utilize underglaze tissue printing. This specific method involves applying designs to vessels using tracing paper, a technique that requires immense skill and manual precision to ensure the ink is correctly pushed into the biscuit-fired clay.
The French tobacco tissue and 25,000 master moulds keeping Burleigh alive
Maintaining the Burleigh Pottery heritage requires a deep understanding of specialized terminology and ancient tools. Jemma Baskeyfield, who has been with the firm for 26 years, has been instrumental in educating Bailey on the nuances of the craft, from the "fettler" to the "potter’s rot ."
The scale of the company's history is preserved in a massive archive of more than 25,000 master moulds and 5,000 engravings. According to the report, the production process even relies on specific tobacco tissue imported from France to ensure the correct weight and consistency for the printing process.
Why Christopher Bailey believes hand-painted pottery is "AI-proof"
For Christopher Bailey, moving from the high-fashion houses of Gucci and Donna Karan to a Victorian pottery represents a search for something more permanent. He has described the artisanal nature of the work as being "AI-proof," noting that the level of human touch required cannot be replicated by modern technology.
This career pivot is also deeply personal for the Halifax-born designer,who wants to model a life of meaningful work for his daughters, Iris and Nell. After years of focusing on his private life and family, Bailey is now embracing the "extraordinary 175-year-old start-up" atmosphere of the Stoke-on-Trent workshop.
How will Bailey digitize the archive and evolve Burleigh's botanical patterns?
While the acquisition secures the immediate future of the workforce, significant logistical hurdles remain for the new ownership.. Bailey has expressed a pressing need to digitize the company's vast collection of white plaster moulds and engravings to prevent them from being lost in the "Dickensian" storage areas of the Middleport Pottery site.
It remains to be seen how Bailey will balance the preservation of traditional botanical patterns with his desire to make the brand more eclectic. While he inetnds to keep creativity at the heart of the designs, the specific direction of this evoluiton—and whether it will maintain the brand's current appeal to clients like Soho House and Ralph Lauren—remains an open question.
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