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There’s a “Mad Men,” alpha male quality to the  Street collection by Orrefors. The deeply etched barware conjures up images of  Don Draper sipping an old fashioned or a martini, maybe grabbing an extra olive from the collection’s crystal and acacia wood condiment tray.

“There’s definitely a masculine edge to this design,” says Emon Maasho, CEO of Orrefors USA. “You think of men’s lounges, brown leather sofas, whiskey and cigars with these pieces.”

Street Collection by Orrefors

The 12-item, hand-crafted, hand-carved collection, which also includes tumblers, champagne flutes, a decanter, candlesticks, trays and bowls, was designed in 2006 by the late Jan Johansson, who originally trained in Stockholm as a silversmith. Its square-cut design was inspired by the grid street plan of New York. “I want to shape crystal by controlling the light,” said Johansson of his work for Orrefors. “If the light dies, so does the crystal.”

Johansson was one of scores of stellar designers engaged by the legendary Swedish glassworks company, founded in 1898 in Småland as a manufacturer of bottles. “Orrefors has a beautiful story,” says Maasho, a Swede who stepped into the U.S. CEO role in early 2020. “We’ve collaborated with many noted Swedish designers. Today, we’re looking back to our heritage and focusing on exclusive products and designs to create a beautiful home.”

Street Collection Cheese Tray Salad Bowl by Orrefors

But the Street pieces—with their modern look and solid heft—aren’t just found in beautiful homes. If you travel, you might have had whiskey served in a Street glass at hotels in New York, at Frantzén in Stockholm–Sweden’s first three Michelin-starred restaurant–or numerous other bars and restaurants.While it didn’t exactly make an appearance in “Mad Men,” Street’s elegant looks did get on the radar of many a Hollywood art director, and the line has made cameo appearances on “True Blood,” “Gotham,” and other TV series.

“It’s now a classic design,” says Maahso, “and our number-one barware line in the United States. It aligns perfectly with Orrefors’ focus to create beautiful pieces.” 

Don Draper would have raised a Street glass to that.

 

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