TORYBURCH
On the occasion of the new Dodie Thayer for Tory Burch collection, Tory delves into Mrs. Thayer’s story — her work
and its fans — and shares why she loves it.
“Dodie Thayer is a true American artisan,
and her story is remarkable: Her ancestors
helped settle Palm Beach, Florida, where
she taught herself how to mold pottery
from lettuce and cabbage leaves, creating
a range of tureens, plates and objets
through trial and error. A lot of trial and
error, to hear her tell it.
“There’s almost a mythology built up around
Dodie Thayer lettuce ware — when it does
come up at auction, it is gone within minutes.
It’s rare. And people who collect it — C.Z. Guest,
the Duchess of Windsor, Dina Merrill and
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis were avid
collectors — understand that each piece is unique.
“Each piece was a labor of extraordinary
love — two weeks start to finish. Every
Thursday night, she would glaze a set of
pieces, which would dry by morning. On
Fridays, she would drive them into Palm
Beach to the boutique Au Bon Gout, through
which she would sell. Afterwards, she would
have a wonderful lunch with friends
at Ta-boo.
“I started collecting it years ago, drawn to
Mrs. Thayer’s particular shade of green.
Duncan Irish Green, I would learn when I
finally was able to ask her. It’s the perfect
pairing with pale blue. I found an old,
beat-up armoire, and lined it with pale blue
linen to display the few pieces of Dodie
Thayer lettuce ware that I had found
and treasured.” — Tory
