Choosing the right vessel is instrumental in the final execution of floral design - whether it's a statuesque display for a 5-star hotel, an elaborate wedding installation or a simple arrangement for an intimate dinner party. For many years, McQueens has relied on Dutch glassware designers, DutZ for elegant, striking vases. An intricate craft in its own right, we were fascinated to find out more about the glass making process...

Tell us about how DutZ Vases originated?

The company was founded in 2006 by Bastiaan Kommers and Berno van Doorn who encountered the craft (glass blowing) as students travelling through Eastern Europe. Glass blowing is still very much an artisan skill only done by craftsmen today - our company fully supports these traditional, timeless values. Over the years, the company has developed its own style and put focus on the design of traditional glass - the business developed into a global supplier of handmade glass vessels and now DutZ works with interior designers, retailers, hotels and florists around the world.

Can you share your creative process, and how you develop designs?

There are a few ways that we work with the designs. Often we will create our own from scratch or based on previous popular designs, alternatively, our glassblowers will initiate designs that they think work well and lastly we get requests from our customers. In terms of techniques, we vary the glass thickness to create different designs; use sandblasting, bubbles or powder coatings. Furthermore, we experiment with different materials inside the glass, such as metal or glass shards to create more variations. Another very important factor is the use of colours and pigments. We usually feature more than 25 colours and even more variations within our collection.

How has the company and it’s designs evolved over the last 13 years?

We are at the forefront of trends and have been for many years - we often see our designs copied, which is in a way a huge compliment! But this also means that we have to change our collection and evolve rapidly - we will always keep updating and experimenting with designs. Our customers can rely on us for exactly that. We are also able to use colours in our designs like no other business - this means that we can be on top of colour trends. As a Dutch company, we work very closely with our floral partners, including McQueens, so we can also ensure to match trends that happen in floral design too.

What is the philosophy when it comes to design?

We work with a natural material that is actually quite recalcitrant and has a mind of its own (glass blowing really is a very difficult skill). Our motto is: "dare to be distinct" and we certainly take this into our designs. We create vase designs that are bold, grand and often very vibrant. However, we are also fortunate to be able to cater for more standard designs with our basic collections of pots, vases, bowls and candleholders. Often our customers require basic vessels that are still colourful but with no compromises on the quality of the glass.


Tell us about your latest collection - where has the inspiration come from?

We often work with glass designers to create a signed limited edition. This season, Polish designer Henryk Rysz created for us the Rysz vase, a hugely impressive design vessel weighing 14kg and available in three colours. And our last seasons' Jungle vase limited edition by Finnish glass artists Sini Majuri won an international A'Design award. For another collection, we are inspired colour, materials and of course by the flowers we visualise inhabiting them!


For more of their beautiful designs - follow DutZ Collection on Instagram.