Orrefors – Timeless Traditions Reimagined

Traditions tend to strike a chord in all of us. From raising glasses in a toast to the carefully planned festivities of the upcoming holidays, there is a uniting force in the customs that everyone can relate to. Apart from the joy of bringing people together, the moment is heightened by the shared feeling of doing something the way we’ve always done it.

Then again, traditions aren’t set in stone. They shift and evolve over time – sometimes gradually, other times in leaps – as they are continually developed by how people interpret and apply them. In other words, traditions have a lot in common with how we think about glass.

For Orrefors, artisanal glassblowing is the foundation of our craft. We live and love it. But our craftsmanship would be nothing without the constant inflow of inspiration and innovation that has been part of our history right from the start. It’s that combination of heritage and contemporary influences that truly make our glass timeless.

Take the Intermezzo series. Designer Erika Lagerbielke was fresh out of art school when arriving at the glassworks. But besides developing a passion for glass, she also began to challenge old truths. Like why formal glassware absolutely couldn’t include colored glass. We all know what followed – and for many, a glass-encased blue drop has with time become a table-setting tradition in its own right.

Orrefors’ philosophy of renewal naturally isn’t limited to glass craft in general, but also our own production. Which brings us to Intermezzo Gold, a new edition of the iconic series. Lagerbielke and our glassblowers have long sought a technique to fill Intermezzo's characteristic blue bubble with gold coloring instead. As they're all perfectionists it took some time, but the result makes it well worth the wait. The matte drop shimmers like gold, interacting elegantly with whatever is poured on top of it. Did someone say champagne? Fittingly, the launch of Intermezzo Gold coincides with no less than three Orrefors anniversaries: 125 years in Sweden, 100 years in the US and 40 years of collaboration with Erika Lagerbielke.

More importantly, Intermezzo Gold presents an opportunity to discover – and rediscover – a classic series, not least a new generation eager to put a fresh twist on old customs.

There you have it: Timeless Traditions Reimagined. Just as it should be.