Lladró

In 1953 the three Lladró brothers made there first pieces in a furnace in there own home. They worked in a tile and crockery factory but developed there artistic talents when they got home. They designed pieces that could catch the interest of the public. In 1955 it was clear that the pieces they began making had an 18th century influence.

In 1958 the demand for Lladró products rose. The three Lladró brothers then realised they should dedicate themselves to this and moved from the family workshop to a warehouse. The brothers introduced new elements of design and style as well as a new way of firing. They reduced from three-layer firing to a one-layer firing which creates the pastel tones Lladró is known for. The company grew with new sculptors, chemists and decorators. The brothers then decided to add a logo on all of there figurines. They added a Greek master piece next to the name "Porcelanas Lladró" associating there surname to the ideal of classical art. By the end of this decade Lladró had opened a store in Valencia.

In the 1960's two major factors contributed to the growing force of the Lladró brand. First was when a group of American found the product and wanted to import it into there country. This made the brothers realise there product should be international so incorporated the word Spain into the logo. In 1962 the other major factor happened. The Lladró brothers opened a Professional Training School as to show people the essence of the brand and to show the experience they used to create every piece.

In 1965 Lladró exported some of its production to Canada. This was when they started to introduce Lladró to the United States. Although the brothers didn't travel to America until 1969.

In 1967 they decided to begin building "The City Of Porcelain" this would be a factory and office building with bonuses for the staff like a sports and leisure facilities. This complex was opened on 13th October 1969. At this time the Lladró brothers started employing disabled workers something which was pioneering for this time.

Sad Harlequin (1969) was the first figurine to make a considerable change in the Lladró brand. The stylized lines and romantic theme of the figurines will always characterize the brand throughout the world.

The 1970's where marked by Lladró's consolidation in the American market. They changed the logo as they wanted to make the association between science and art. The Logo was a collaboration of an ancient chemical symbol and a "campanillo" (a bell shaped flower of the area where Lladró was born). Lladró was written under the new logo.

In this decade the Gres line was launched. It's a material which is good for making larger sculptures. It also gives pieces a warmer feel due to its earthly tones and matte finish. Gres figurines were not painted instead after firing them they have several layers of varnish to create a different effect. Also in the 1970s the vase line was started. This was a good way that the Lladró painters could show there interpretations of bird and flower patterns which were inspired by the oriental culture.

In 1974 the very first sculpture of the Elite collection were made. These sculptures were a lot more complex and technical to sculpt.

In this decade the Lladró brothers decided to open the doors to the next generation of Lladró's . They invited three of there children into the board of directors. They then underwent long apprenticeships before they were aloud to take responsibility in the company.

Also during this time Lladró grew internationally in several different countries. In 1986 they signed a joint venture with a figurine dealer in Japan called Mitsui. Following this they also made alliances in China, Australia, United States and United Kingdom.

On 18th September 1986 The Lladró Museum was opened in New York on 57th Street Manhatten.

In 1982 the brand introduced "Flowers Of The Season". Flowers have always been very important to Lladró. They explained that they like to sculpt things "petal by petal" to show how dedicated they were to details.

In 1985 the Lladró Collectors Society was started. This brings together all the lovers of the brand. They are offered collector only editions as a bonus of being part of this elite group.

The 1990's confirmed the success of the brand and professional careers of the Lladró. They received awards for there work and had pieces being displayed in several cities around the world. The awards Lladró won were The Principe Felipe award for Internationalization (1993), for competitiveness (1997) and for renowned brand management (2001).

During the 1990's Lladró continued to grow in some of the world most important cities like Madrid and Beverley Hills.

At the end of the 1990's the Luxury Collection "Legend" was started. It was a series of fairies, elves, little angels and other imaginary animals. They were made from porcelain but incorporated gold and precious stones. This was new for Lladró but the pieces looked beautiful.

Lladró starts the new millennium with a new collection. These pieces were sculpted to make us think about our place in the universe. This collection was called "Inspiration Millennium".

In 2001 the Lladró Collectors Society changed to Lladró Privilege. This was a customer loyalty program and gave a more personal treatment to customers. After 50 years the three Lladró brothers handed control over to the second generation of Lladrós.

The new generation of Lladró brought out new lines to sell alongside the original pieces. These were collections like Aura or Humanitas that had aesthetic lines and lines that mix beauty and functionality. These can be anything from things for the house to fragrance and jewellery. They also hired designer Jamie Hayon to develop another range. In 2006 they also took over the luxury jewellery firm Carrera Y Carrera.

And so the brand continues to expand.