Mary's Buttons
The beautiful buttons of our Icon Cable Cardigan were crafted in Cornwall by a talented button maker with a life-times experience creating unique buttons out of ceramic, without the use of harmful chemicals. Take a look behind the scenes and learn more about this extraordinary feature of our Capsule Collection.
Behind the Scenes
Take a look behind the scenes of Mary Goldberg’s artisan button studio in the Tamar Valley in Cornwall and see the steps taken to turn raw clay into the unique button that features our Icon Cable Cardigan. Mary usually doesn’t produce buttons for fashion, so we feel very honoured that she is part of our special Capsule Collection 2020. With a total production of appr. 2000 buttons a week, she is a perfect addition to our slow-fashion attitude and high standards of quality.
The Process
First, raw clay was rolled by hand and cut using a cookie cutter in a very labour intensive process. Once cut and shaped, the button holes were made and the button was sponged by hand to remove lumps.
Next a layer of glaze was added before they were biscuit fired in the kiln, the first of two firings. They dried incredibly shiny and were ready for the pattern to be added.
The exclusively for Celtic & Co. designed pattern was printed onto shaped decals, which when heated in the kiln melt away, leaving the ink to soak into the glaze. The design chosen for our buttons was a piece of indigo fabric that’s been scanned and edited in Photoshop.
The end result is an incredibly tough, beautiful and shiny button. Made to last a lifetime. And even when the cardigan, after many years of use and love, finds its end of life, the button becomes part of the organic material cycle and can decompose back into the earth.
