“MONDAYS is Jennifer Fiore and Nina Lalli.
The “MONDAYS” logo underneath a bowl, plate, or mug does more than just indicate where it was made—a Clinton Hill ceramics studio with weathered brick walls and wood floors. It also tells a story.
Simple, organic shapes in neutral tones are the team’s hallmark. “The clay drives the designs for us,” Lalli says of their stoneware and porcelain creations, which include tabletop and nontraditional vessels. “We often don’t use glaze, or we won’t fully cover a piece, so that its natural color is visible.”
The women specialize in hand-building, working directly with clay instead of throwing it on a potter’s wheel. They primarily use two techniques: pinching the clay by hand or working from a slab of clay, which they first flatten with a roller. Despite being partners, each woman practices her own technique. Fiore’s work is often fluid, whereas Lalli sticks to a more structured approach. “We like to show the composition but in different ways,” explains Lalli. Once they complete their designs, the pieces are left to dry for several days, after which they go through a bisque firing and are occasionally glazed, then re-fired.
MONDAYS creations are available at local boutiques and are also in heavy rotation in the table settings at the popular farm-to-table restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns. “The slow food movement is huge, and people want tableware that’s as thoughtful as their food,” says Fiore.
