In October 2022, Hirata, CEO of TISTOU, visited the Henry Dean showroom in the suburbs of Antwerp, Belgium, for the first time in about two years. He has known Jim, the current CEO of the brand, and his wife, designer Vanessa, for over 25 years. Taking this opportunity to reunite with the two, he once again interviewed them about Henry Dean's manufacturing process.
Recycled glass x handmade Henry Dean identity
Henry Dean has been using recycled glass for its flower vases since the brand was founded in 1972.
Jim: "Currently, we use about 100% recycled glass for small pieces and about 50% for large pieces, for a total of about 90%. Unlike soda glass, which is made by melting a free-flowing material, recycled glass is prone to air bubbles when melted, and this is particularly noticeable in larger pieces."
"Previously, we mainly used window glass, but as our technology has advanced, we have started using a variety of glass. Recycled glass tends to take on green or brown tints, but we want the glass used in Henry Dean flower vases to be as clear as possible. After extensive research, we came up with our own unique method for making the glass clear, such as adjusting the temperature when melting and cooling the glass, adjusting the gas pressure, and adding white glass. At first, many craftsmen were reluctant to use recycled glass, but we decided to research it and use it precisely because it was a technology that no one had yet developed."
What is the difference between recycled glass and regular soda glass?
Jim: "In addition to the aforementioned tendency for air bubbles to form, recycled glass is also less stable than soda-lime glass, making it more difficult to work with. While this may generally be seen as a disadvantage, for us it is an advantage, because it creates surprises. For example, a difference of just 5°C in the melting temperature of the glass can completely change the color. Recycled glass is gaining attention these days amidst calls for environmental conservation, but at the time, recycled glass was the only material we had available, so we had no choice but to use it. However, recycled glass has many different expressions, and no two pieces are the same. I felt that this was what made it so natural and human, and that it produced interesting effects. After my father, Henry Dean, started using recycled glass, it began to attract attention, and a variety of products were being made all over Europe. So I wanted to try something that other manufacturers were not doing, and that's how I established the originality of Henry Dean, which is to add color and then hand-blown it into shapes."
Recycled glass is what makes up the Henry Dean brand. When I showed a Japanese glass craftsman a Henry Dean flower vase, he said he had no idea how it was made.
Jim: "Obviously, creation is at the core of everything we do, and recycled glass is what we arrived at. Our challenge is to combine recycled glass with handcraft, and I believe that this is our identity. Recycled glass products are really difficult to make. After just a little use, they just become ordinary. They don't have the look and feel that you expect from recycled glass. We have 50 years of experience and experience to get to where we are today. When artisans blow glass, they can understand the condition of the glass. Just like a mother can tell right away if her baby is crying unusually."
Colors and shapes that pursue "Henry Dean-ness"
The colors that Henry Dean creates are unique. What is your inspiration?
Vanessa: "I often get inspiration from nature and the ordinary scenery of everyday life. I love fashion, so of course that influences me too. For example, I saw tropical fish at an aquarium in Spain, or I saw some plastic trash while walking in the forest and thought, 'It might be interesting to combine natural and bright colors.' Colors are always on my mind, and once an idea pops into my head, they appear one after the other like dominoes. They fall from the sky, you could say. But the most important thing is whether or not I can make that idea a reality. Occasionally, an idea can be completed quickly, but most of the time it takes months. Often, one product is produced in multiple factories, and if there are too many individual differences between factories, it becomes difficult to commercialize it. That's why in the end, many of the ideas never come to fruition."
Jim: "She's a perfectionist. She has a modest personality and doesn't like to put herself forward, but she's a creative person with so many ideas that it would normally take a team to create something. So ideas often come to her in the blink of an eye. I've been in contact with artisans for many years and have a lot of knowledge about glass, so we sometimes discuss in the middle of the night whether her great ideas are technically feasible. She can't wait for the finished product, so sometimes she opens the oven in the middle of the night. She's disappointed when the color isn't what she had in mind, and the artisans get mad at her, saying, 'You shouldn't open the oven while it's still in the middle of the night!' (laughs)"
