When Nathalie Lété designs tableware, she has a very important dinner guest in mind. Imaginative, curious, and a tad mischievous, her muse is a connoisseur of creativity.
“When I make things for the table, I make them for the kid who is sitting there and finds the adult conversation very boring,” says the Parisian-based painter, ceramicist, and longtime Anthro collaborator. “I have always liked to have objects on the table that are not only useful, but make you dream.”
Nathalie’s signature wit and whimsy are on full display in her latest Anthro-exclusive tabletop collaboration. From every-morning mugs to occasion-worthy serveware, each piece is adorned with woodland creatures, nostalgic florals, poetic scribbles, and a dreamy dose of je ne sais quoi.
Welcome to Wonderland:
Meet Artist
Nathalie Lété
Introducing the latest collection from our longtime friend & collaborator.
Inspired by folk art traditions, the colorful collection draws on Nathalie’s familial roots and extensive travels.
“I’m half Chinese and half German, and I think you can see this in my work, and in my way of life,” she says. “I think of myself as a traveler - traveling in stories, traveling in different kinds of art, traveling into the past, into childhood, into fairytales.”
Longtime fans will recognize some classics in the new collection, as well. As a special treat, we dug into the Anthro archives and brought back a selection of Nathalie’s beloved dessert plates, which over the years have become cherished collectibles among customers and employees alike.
“I like to be able to share my work and stories not only as art, but as everyday objects,” says Nathalie. “This is why I like to do these collaborations with Anthropologie – to spread my joy a little further.”
“I’m half Chinese and half German, and I think you can see this in my work, and in my way of life,” she says. “I think of myself as a traveler - traveling in stories, traveling in different kinds of art, traveling into the past, into childhood, into fairytales.”
Longtime fans will recognize some classics in the new collection, as well. As a special treat, we dug into the Anthro archives and brought back a selection of Nathalie’s beloved dessert plates, which over the years have become cherished collectibles among customers and employees alike.
“I like to be able to share my work and stories not only as art, but as everyday objects,” says Nathalie. “This is why I like to do these collaborations with Anthropologie – to spread my joy a little further.”
While on a rare break in her eclectic, charmingly cluttered Parisian studio, Nathalie admits that she’s rarely without a project (or three). Even during lockdown, when commissions slowed and the world seemed to stand still, Nathalie painted her walls with a forest’s worth of flora.
“Here in my studio, I’m surrounded by my world and it’s easy to create – although there is a lot of mess!” she says of the unique space, a renovated 19th-century metal factory that once made pieces for the Eiffel Tower. “When I feel stuck, it’s never long. My problem is that I have too many ideas.
“Here in my studio, I’m surrounded by my world and it’s easy to create – although there is a lot of mess!” she says of the unique space, a renovated 19th-century metal factory that once made pieces for the Eiffel Tower. “When I feel stuck, it’s never long. My problem is that I have too many ideas.
Luckily, Nathalie has found a uniquely qualified assistant to help bring these ideas to life. In recent years her daughter, model and ceramicist Angèle Fougeirol, has joined her as an apprentice.
“I love to work with her because there’s no need to explain myself,” says Nathalie. “She understands naturally what I’m looking for, the story I’m living and telling.”
Now more than ever, Nathalie’s sweet stories and happily-ever-afters are welcome additions to our tables.
“I try to put into my art the same joyful feelings that I have,” says Nathalie. “In my soul, I’m a big kid.”
“I love to work with her because there’s no need to explain myself,” says Nathalie. “She understands naturally what I’m looking for, the story I’m living and telling.”
Now more than ever, Nathalie’s sweet stories and happily-ever-afters are welcome additions to our tables.
“I try to put into my art the same joyful feelings that I have,” says Nathalie. “In my soul, I’m a big kid.”