I Can't and Won't Stop Buying Vases—Here Are My Favourites

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(Image credit: @lauren.cokguler)

It used to be shoes, but now, my shopping weakness is vases. Has COVID-era claustrophobia just morphed into a kind of extreme nesting where only ceramics can comfort me? Am I now—gasp—old? Or do I just simply have enough shoes and need to move onto something with almost no limit on what's an appropriate number to own? It may well be a combination of the three, in addition to the fact that my footwear requirements have really been filtered down to comfy, comfier, and comfiest: Flat boots, trainers, and slippers are all in constant rotation. But either way, the vase obsession is real; I'm constantly repinning all sorts of pieces, and I really don't discriminate. Vintage, sculptural, minimalist, kitsch, and artsy styles are all littering my (private, sorry) Future Home board on Pinterest. In tandem, I have, therefore, collated a vase shopping list long enough to warrant opening a dedicated ceramics museum should I ever buy them all—the ticket sales would come in handy for further additions to the collection.

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(Image credit: @heartzeena)

But I am not the only one. In the past year, we've seen certain ceramic creations reach cult status, much like a pair of shoes, a bag, or a piece of jewellery might have done in the past. There are high-end versions like Anissa Kermiche's instantly recognisable waist and bum Love Handles vase (an absolute phenomenon on IG, spawning many inferior copycats) and lower-priced winners such as the supersize glass cylinder on a wooden mid-century-style stand that our columnist Monikh was repeatedly asked about during the summer. There are new independent brands and ceramicists finding themselves out of stock all too quickly and high-street stores—like H&M‚ Arket, and Zara—stocking more options than ever. 

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(Image credit: @monikh)

According to Google Trends, online searches for vases have been on a steady incline since the summer, with specific terms including "pampas grass in a vase" (something I've definitely looked into, and you can buy pampas on Etsy!), "rainbow vase," and—perhaps unsurprisingly—"Anissa Kermiche vase" taking up the top three related queries.

From jumbo urns to retro shells, decorative and painterly, to super-minimal one-stem holders, keep scrolling for my vase edit.

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Hannah Almassi
Editor in Chief

Hannah Almassi is the Editor in Chief of Who What Wear UK. Hannah has been part of the the Who What Wear brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits. Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.