"They're gonna be dead cool when they’re done!" - Salford design studio to be releasing a brand new mug collection

“They’re gonna be dead cool when they’re done!” – Salford design studio to be releasing a brand new mug collection

The Neighbourhood Threat, a Salford design studio which is based at Islington Mill, has announced they will be working with Duchess China 1888 and Heraldic Pottery on a brand new mug collection that will be released at the end of next month.

Holly Ramsey, 23, the designer behind The Neighbourhood Threat, has said she’s ‘really excited’ to release her new collection.

Holly started The Neighbourhood Threat when she was just 17, selling vintage clothing online. She then began collecting vintage tea towels and made them into cushions and lamps that she sold at Makers Markets around Manchester.

She now designs and makes her own range of homewares and textiles from her studio at Islington Mill.

“At the minute, I’m just ordering my own mugs and I print on them myself, but since Brexit, it’s been getting a bit harder to source the blank ceramics, so that’s when I started doing a bit of research and tried to find manufacturers in the UK to do it.

“It turns out that a lot of other Fine Bone China printers, they import all their stuff from China, but the guys at Duchess China, they actually make it all themselves. Which I thought was quite nice.”

Duchess China 1888 is one of the last remaining Fine Bone China factories left in the UK and has over one hundred and thirty years of experience in producing dinner wear, tea wear, and gift wear.

“They’re based in Stoke on Trent, which has a really big history in ceramics. They’ve been going since 1888 as well.

“The guys I’m working with – they took over the company in 2019, So I think they’re trying to update it a bit, you know like keep it relevant and not let the manufacturing get lost.”

Holly said that she wanted to keep the designs and styles of the new mug collection under wraps, as she will be getting them photographed and doing a ‘bit of a countdown for them’ before their release, next month.

“It’s going to be really nice! I’m so excited. They’re taking a while because they’re getting made from scratch but they’re gonna be dead cool when they’re done.

“The ones I’m making at the minute – I’m making them all myself so, as I’m getting more orders I’m having to sacrifice the time to print all these mugs. So, I think these ones will be better, they’re going to look loads nicer as well.”

Holly hopes to be returning back to the market next weekend, after seeing the easing of lockdown restrictions last Monday.