When Craft Identity and Sales Identity Collide

What happens when creative identity and the realities of selling come up against each other?
In my case, it hasn’t always been straightforward. Like many independent makers, I’ve tried to build visibility for my ceramic tableware while staying true to my values. Much of the advice around marketing and sales can feel uncomfortable — sometimes overly performative, sometimes simply not aligned with how I want to work.
I don’t claim to have solved that tension. But along the way, there have been moments of recognition that suggest I’m heading in the right direction.
One of the more surprising lessons has been this: award-winning design doesn’t always translate into best-selling pieces.
That has certainly been true of my Ambit collection. It’s a design I strongly believe in — thoughtful, versatile, and quietly distinctive — and it has attracted genuine admiration. Yet in some UK retail settings, it has been slower to find its audience.
Perhaps that’s because Ambit isn’t about immediate impact. Its appeal is more subtle. The collection is designed to give you freedom: to mix colour lines, to play with different clay body tones, and to create combinations that feel personal rather than prescribed. For those drawn to understated, design-led ceramics, that flexibility is where its strength lies.
Behind the scenes, there have also been practical changes. Last year, I moved my storage and fulfilment to France, making ordering far simpler for European customers — both independent retailers and individual buyers.
More recently, my work has taken me further afield. After exhibiting in Hong Kong at HKTDC’s Home InStyle — where Ambit received a European product design award — I had the opportunity to travel to Shanghai this year. The visit, supported by Business France, involved a carefully curated trade exhibition and the chance to meet a wide range of buyers and industry professionals.
It was an intense and rewarding experience, offering a fresh perspective on how my collections are received internationally.
This month, my work returns to Hong Kong for Home InStyle once again. This time, the focus shifts to two other collections — ColourPop and Revolution — designs that resonated strongly with the contacts I met in Shanghai.
Different markets, different responses — and always more to learn.

Thanks to Jone Poh of JPStudio for the photo.