Get out your best china - Robin Levien is coming to town!

A STOKE-on-Trent based ceramics design company is preparing for its UK launch as part of an international celebration of the industry.

Royal Designer for Industry Robin Levien will be visiting the British Ceramics Biennial(BCB) next week for the Flux Goes Live event which galvanises the passions, energy and talent of new designers while drawing on the rich heritage of the Potteries.

Flux - Stoke-on-Trent, showcases the contemporary designs and enterprising talents of Staffordshire University students and staff and has clocked up substantial sales, dynamic collaborations and stylish publicity since its inception earlier this year.

Having recently returned from a second Maison et Objet trade fair in Paris, Flux will take centre stage for the BCB organised event which takes place at the original Spode factory site in Stoke town centre next Thursday evening, October 20.

Professor David Sanderson, Creative Director for Flux, said: “We’re adding substantial value to ‘blank’ bone china ceramic products that are manufactured here in Stoke-on-Trent, by adding our designs, and selling them around the world. The contemporary global market for high value tabletop products with the provenance of ‘made in england’ is massive - it’s great for Stoke-on-Trent and for the University.

“Now the company is established, the growth potential is great and new customer opportunities are opening up all the time.

“The biennial, which is sponsored by Staffordshire University, provides us with a fantastic platform to launch Flux and we’re delighted that Robin – an honorary graduate of the University and a great supporter of Flux – has agreed to do the honours!”

Following on from the success of their first Paris show, Flux teamed up with the prestigious Longton-based Duchess China which now manufactures its products for distribution around the globe. 

“We returned to Paris in September with our existing collection and launched another three designers,” explained David. “The majority of our business has come from two shows and many of our original customers from Paris have placed re-orders after selling out -that’s the ultimate accolade for any product!

“In the short amount of time we’ve been operating the commercial interest has been massive.”

Following an approach from a five star hotel in Amsterdam, Flux is now in negotiations with Dudson which produces hotelware worldwide. The fledgling company has also joined forces with prestigious London retailer EDC in Margaret Street, off Oxford Street, which will act as stockists, distributors and PR agents for Flux, Stoke-on-Trent in London. EDC sold out of Flux product within four weeks of delivery.

Besides glossy images of the new brand in Elle Decoration, Monocle, Living etc and Veranda magazine in the USA, Flux has recently been nominated for the Homes & Gardens Tableware award by none other than Robin Levien.

Flux Goes Live and Live at Spode takes place at the former Spode factory site in Stoke Town between 5.30pm – 8pm on Thursday October 20. Alongside the UK launch of Flux, the event features experimental ceramic perfomances by Philip Lee and Cally Trench, David Cushway and Caroline Tattersall.

• About Flux, Stoke-on-Trent: The Flux tableware designs are largely the work of Masters students studying Ceramic Design at the University. Students get a royalty on sales. MA Ceramic Design graduate Sarah Callard, 23, from Leeds, and Jenna Stanton a current student from Canada, both designers for Flux, spent a week in Paris working on the Flux stall at the trade fair. Sarah said: “Flux has given me an understanding of what it’s like to work within industry. We were involved in setting up the stand and the sales side of things, so it gave me the ability and confidence to talk to professional people about our brand and of course my own work. Trade buyers respond positively to the unique character of the Flux brand which is located within our University. It attracted a lot of interest from trend magazines and well known publications. Due to the interest in my Flux designs, I now have several well-known French companies that want me to design for them."

• About BCB: The British Ceramics Biennial is a prestigious cultural event taking place in Stoke-on-Trent from 30 September to 13 November 2011. This six-week long festival of exhibitions, events and activities is funded by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Arts Council England and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. It embraces the heritage of the Potteries as the home of British ceramics, and celebrates the city's creative edge as an international centre for excellence in contemporary ceramics. The festival and supporting BCB Projects programme will not only highlight and raise the profile of the many ceramics industries still working in Stoke-on-Trent, but will also create commissioning and exhibition opportunities for local ceramic artists as well as national and international artists.