Ep. 6: Jonathan Adler
JONATHAN ADLER! YAY! We were so excited to talk to the potter and home decor mogul about life, love, and (irreverent) luxury.
In this episode, he reveals how he found refuge from a tortured adolescence in clay and the potter’s wheel, and how getting out from behind the wheel engendered a personal creative explosion. Plus, he drops some serious knowledge bombs on us!
Jonathan Adler portrait by Todd Tankersley
“I got fired from four jobs in a row because I was terrible at being an adult.”
Since launching his namesake brand, Jonathan Adler, he's opened 29 stores and designed thousands of products, some you will probably recognize, specifically his signature pottery, which started it all.
“I told my parents, ‘I think I want to open a store.’ And they both said that’s a terrible idea, don’t do it, whatever you do, don’t do that. And I thought: bingo this is it.”
A selection of Jonathan's signature pottery
Vice collection
He shares with us the origin of his very first store in Soho, which he believes was a turning point in his career.
Geo Needlepoint pillow collection
A young, clay-spattered Jonathan at the potter's wheel.
We also get the story behind the design of the iconic Parker Palm Springs.
Parker Palm Springs
Parker Palm Springs
And, even after becoming a design mogul, he still throws pots. Watch Jonathan in action right here!
Jonathan and his partner, Simon Doonan, and their dog FoxyLady.
Shop Jonathan Adler's products and learn more about his empire at jonathanadler.com.
Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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Special thanks to Chris Modl of Yore Studio for editing this episode.
Music in this episode courtesy of El Ten Eleven—hear more on Bandcamp.
Shoutout to Jenny Rask for designing the Clever logo.