LSA

The origins of LSA International are found in fashionable swinging sixties London, when Janusz Lubkowski and his wife Ewa were inspired to approach Terence Conran at Habitat with traditional brightly coloured enamelware from their native Poland.

Having established the company with co-founder Tony Saunders, the success of these enamelled coffee pots, mugs, kettles and colanders led Janusz to explore other avenues of Polish production.

Porcelain clay was made into plain white and patterned tableware, popular amongst consumers who sought practical and contemporary designs. Leather bags, satchels and holdalls made from tanned cowhide were sourced from small production workshops. Wooden accessories from Polish cooperatives specialising in the folk traditions of woodwork completed the early collections.

But it was mouthblown glass that offered the greatest potential for transformation. Whilst an archetypal tumbler and jug reflected Janusz's affinity for the practical, the versatility of the material spurred experimentation with shape, colour and decoration thereby extending the range for the fashion-conscious consumer.