Orrefors: Swedish glassware legacy reimagined

By Oliver Hugemark

Since 1898, the iconic Swedish glassware maker Orrefors has been crafting epic, innovative crystal glassware and art glass for everyday use and the most special occasions. Now, Orrefors is building on their long tradition of timeless innovation to usher in a new era of magnificent objects that fill homes and hearts with joy and the delight of crystalline glass.

Started in the middle of the forest in the southern Swedish province of Småland, Orrefors has been one of the world’s leading glassware manufacturers since its first global breakthrough at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925.

“The whole world was in awe of Orrefors’ exquisite, crystalline glass art and masterful craftsmanship at the world exhibit in Paris,” says David Carlson, creative director at Orrefors. “It was at that time that Orrefors artists Simon Gate and Edward Hald laid the very foundation for the Swedish Grace era of Swedish design as well as Scandinavian Design in general.”

Over the next years and decades, up to today, Orrefors has been hugely influential in shaping the Scandinavian design landscape and setting the quality and craftsmanship standard for glassware all over the world. After 125 successful years as a global leader in glass, Orrefors is now preparing for an even more ambitious future.

“We are celebrating our 125th anniversary by writing the first pages of an entirely new chapter in our ongoing history and evolution,” says David Carlson. “The next 125 years of Orrefors will bring out the best of the best of our legacy in new exciting brand collaborations and premium design partnerships where our quintessential brand can reach people in more meaningful ways.”

Orrefors: Swedish glassware legacy reimagined

Intermezzo Gold by Erika Lagerbielke. Photo: Ragnar Ómarsson

“A vision as clear as our crystal glass”

In keeping with the Scandinavian design tradition, Orrefors crafts sustainable quality products that combine the best of functionality, minimalism, and exceptional elegance. It is the ability to craft timeless products that balance the classic and contemporary that truly sets the brand apart.

“Timelessness is definitely synonymous with Orrefors,” says Filip Trulsson, Chief Commercial Officer at Orrefors. “At the same time, I believe that one of the keys to our long-term success has been our fondness of and penchant for developing products that constantly pay homage to, and build upon, our rich heritage in very authentic and innovative ways.”

From Ingeborg Lundin’s renowned apple-shaped vase ‘Äpplet’ to the Nobel collection for the Nobel Prize ceremony to a multi-award-winning martini pitcher that has been in the assortment for almost 100 years, Orrefors is world-leading in creating iconic signature products that stand the test of time.

“We have always been industriously driven by a vision as clear as our crystal glass,” says David Carlson. “Our entrepreneurial spirit continues to earn us praise and recognition around the world. For example, last week we were at 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen. Recently, we also won the Red Dot design award, the Oscars of the design world, with our new exclusive vase collection by Monica Förster.”

Distinctly contemporary and iconic

Many of Orrefors’ products are included in permanent collections at some of the world’s leading museums and are often featured at international auctions. Throughout their 125th anniversary, the brand has celebrated four distinctly contemporary and iconic product collections that reflect the past and the future of Orrefors.

“So far this year, we have paid tribute to Ingegerd Råman’s poetic cut glass collection ‘Cut In Number’ and Erika Lagerbielk’s sleek ‘Intermezzo’ tableware series,” says Filip Trulsson. “We will also be celebrating Gunnar Cyrén’s timeless Nobel series and the historic ‘Mingus’ pitcher by Vicke Lindstrand.”

More than anything, Filip and David hope and believe that Orrefors will continue to adorn homes, restaurants, and hotels around the world and bring people joy day after day, year after year.

“We want to keep making beautiful, functional, and elegant products that never fail to delight, perform their purpose, and make people smile in wonder,” says David Carlson. “Orrefors is a larger story of Scandinavian Design and a quintessential cornerstone of Swedish cultural and design heritage that we are now propelling elegantly into the future.”