Susan Alexandra’s Pond-Themed Glassware Brings Joy and Humor to Any Dinner Party

When I spoke to designer Susan Korn, founder of the accessories and home goods line, Susan Alexandra, she was gearing up to play hostess. "This is my first Passover that I've ever hosted, and it's the first Passover where I've had pieces that I actually created that would be part of the decor and part of the ceremony," Korn says of her newly released Passover Collection, an absolutely delightful pond-themed glassware and linens line for hosting Seder or any dinner party. Amongst the goods include candlesticks of frogs holding up lotus flowers, lily pad placement sets, and a stunning centerpiece bowl adorned by a medley of hand-blown glass fruits. "In a space where [the story of Passover is] very serious, I love adding some humor and levity to it," says Korn.

Susan Alexandra, best known for its array of whimsical beaded handbags and accessories, has made steps into the home space over the past two years with the likes of planters, lamps, and tissue boxes—so the idea of a full-blown glassware collection wasn’t a massive stretch, although the project did come with its set of unique challenges. "The most difficult part was figuring out how to make these items. It’s a totally new category," Korn says of reaching out to various artisans to make this collection work. "The price points are higher; it's a different demographic. It’s a big change for the brand and it was definitely difficult. But the older I get, my priorities have shifted from making things for going out to making my home a place where I want to spend a lot of time," says Korn.

The frog motif in the collection, which was inspired by Korn’s take on the frog plague from the story behind Passover, were specifically designed to be playful enough to be used "year-round for different functions and then kept out on display because they’re funny and joyful and kind of ridiculous. Even if you're not somebody who celebrates Passover, anybody could use these despite the season, the holiday, or your religious background." Below, Korn walks us through some of her favorite home items and pieces from the Passover Collection and beyond, including butterfly taper candles and a vase that would be equally at home in a seaside cottage as it would in your studio apartment.

Queen of Fruit Bowl

"This glass bowl reminds me of something you would see on the table of a grand dame in Venice, a piece that combines old-world style with my favorite motif: fruit!"

Lotus Wine Glasses

"I think this is the most interesting wine glass I've ever seen. It's meant to be a lotus emerging from a lilypad (not that little lilypad base!). It has a really solid weight which makes every glass of wine feel imperial."

Pond Seder Plate

"When we set out to create a Passover collection, I wanted each piece to be used year-round. This pond plate is a gorgeous blown piece of glass with unexpected dimensionality. After Passover, it can be used as the ultimate charcuterie board."

Frog Candlesticks

"These fellas have so much personality and make me LOL. They're trying so hard to hoist those candles over their heads. Bless their hearts!"

Creature Napkins 

"These are sketches I did and turned them into linen napkins/afikomen covers for Passover. I will never get over the thrill of seeing my doodles come to life. I love the tiny beaded elements!"

Queen of Fruit Coupe Glasses 

"Everything tastes better when it's served in beautiful vessels...so basically anything you put in these will taste AMAZING. These are artisan made in the US and remind me of something Marie Antoinette would have sipped from (prior to her beheading)."

 Katie Kimmel - Cloudy Afternoon 

"Katie is the funniest person on earth and her work is the happiest, funniest, most creative!" 

 Janie Korn Butterfly Tapers

"Janie is my favorite artist. The work she made is one part candle, one part sculpture, one part total fantasy."

Yowie Bit Stool

"This stool is so cool—I want to get a bunch to use as displays at the store and as plant stands in my apartment!"

Santa Maria Novella Vespro Candle

 "I love these very classic, traditional scents. They scent a room even when they're not burning!"

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