BEHIND THE BRAND: ANNA WEATHERLEY

Our introduction to Anna Weatherley the porcelain designer was her first commissioned 75 seven-piece setting of the Magnolia Residence China Service by First Lady Laura Bush for the White House. Beyond the aesthetic beauty of her designs, we were immediately caught up in her fascinating story and knew that the addition of her latest designs would be a great addition to our collection.

Anna Weatherley, a native Hungarian who moved to Australia to study art, become intrigued by Afghanistan and began a business importing furniture from Kabul to Sydney, somehow stumbled across 19th-century guns left behind by the British, imported these ivory and mother-of-pearl collector's pieces, started a successful couture business of handpainted and hand-embroidered silk in the 1970-1980s for customers including Elizabeth Taylor, Lady Bird Johnson, and Henri Bendel—hold on, let us catch our breath! Then, after the stock market crash in ‘87, Anna returned to her artistic community in Hungary. Finding little to celebrate in the formerly glorious capital of Budapest, Anna took matters quite literally into her own hands. By establishing a studio in Budapest, Anna Weatherley Designs began working with painters to create an iconic collection of hand-painted porcelain that reflected her love of nature and travels. You likely recognize her collections of highly detailed bug and fruit designs, which are having a renaissance of their own with collectors and designers alike.