Much like the dinner table which at its core is a family affair, Mateus is also a brand built on familial bonds, with Teresa’s daughter, Filippa Burenstam Linder the designer behind Stripes – her second collection for the brand. The collection itself consists of a platter, bowl, plate and mug that come in six colours – cinnamon, plum, light pink, ocean, sand and grey – and are meant to be mixed and matched with pieces from other collections. In fact, mixing tableware from all the collections is one of the brand’s tenets. "We want to inspire our customers to discover and explore their own creation through the unlimited possibilities of ceramics”, says Filippa. “With Stripes, I want to share the unique joy you feel when you create a personal table setting that becomes an expression of your own creativity."

Like all of Mateus’ tableware, Stripes is meticulously hand-made and hand-painted in the company’s workshop in central Portugal which means that each piece is unique. Inspired by the 1960s, the collection embraces a stylized aesthetic of organic lines and glazed exteriors that marries ornamentation with simplicity. The collection’s austere aesthetic also echoes the primordial minimalism of the MSY collection – which was designed by our very own Costas Voyatzis in collaboration with French award-winning designer Sam Baron on the occasion of the brand’s 25th anniversary – while the soft shapes complement the romantic flamboyance of the Bubbles, Oyster and Lace collections.

"I thought it was time to introduce something graphic that could complement our range”, Filippa explains. “At the same time, it has been important to preserve the joyous expression that forms the core of Mateus.” The joyous expression is on full display in a series of promotional films by creative agency Friends with Benefits, the first of which depicts a rumbustious breakfast that unabashedly celebrates the heart-warming potential of coming together around the dinner table with colourful exuberance and a generous sprinkle of 1960s elegance. The films, two more of which are going to be released in the coming months, may not depict typical meals but then again there’s nothing typical in throwing an impromptu breakfast with your loved ones or a casual dinner party for your friends – the possibilities are endless.