Lee Broom brings a Sense of Drama to Lladró

At Euroluce 2025, part of Salone del Mobile in Milan, Lladró unveiled Cascade, a lighting collection that marks a significant departure from its traditional porcelain expressions. Created in collaboration with renowned British designer Lee Broom, Cascade is a poetic blend of heritage craftsmanship and minimalist modernism—driven by Lee Broom’s fascination with the ephemeral beauty of traditional paper lanterns.

As one of the most influential designers of his generation, Lee Broom is known for bringing theatrics and emotion to objects and spaces. With Cascade, he explores porcelain—a material he had never worked with before—to challenge its limitations and channel its translucent character. The result is a lighting collection that is both serene and striking: composed of handcrafted pendants and a portable table lamp, Cascade can be configured in endless variations to mimic rows of lanterns floating in celebration.

Inspired by the 2,000-year-old tradition of rice paper and bamboo lanterns, Lee sought to evoke the sense of wonder that these glowing objects conjure during festivals. His designs reflect this through seamless spherical and cylindrical forms, accentuated by fine vertical and horizontal lines. When unlit, the pieces appear as pure white porcelain. When illuminated, they transform—casting a warm amber glow that recalls candlelight.

Presented in a stand designed by Lee himself, Lladró’s Euroluce showcase created an experiential space, reaffirming the Spanish brand’s evolution into contemporary lighting and lifestyle design.

Cascade also represents a bold milestone: it is not only Lladró’s first collaboration with Lee, but also his debut collection crafted entirely in porcelain.Inspired by traditional paper lanterns, one of the oldest and most enduring lighting designs, Cascade celebrates the cultural and material roots of these iconic designs. Dating back nearly 2000 years, early lanterns were made from rice paper and bamboo and were used to light the way during festivals and celebrations.

In this exclusive conversation with SCALE, Lee Broom reveals the inspirations behind Cascade, reflects on his journey from theatre to design, and discusses the ever-blurring boundaries between art, design, and emotion.

SCALE: You started in theatre and fashion before transitioning to product and interior design. How did those early experiences shape your approach to design?

Lee Broom: Yes, I started out in theatre school, a beginning which has greatly influenced the sense of drama and narrative that my collections create. Shortly after, my theatrical career took a change of direction after I won a fashion design competition at the age of 17. This led me to meet and then go on to work for the legendary designer Vivienne Westwood, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that has shaped who I am as a designer. My theatre background is not something that I purposefully channel; I was so young that it is something that is instilled in me I guess. However, I understood the power of presentation from a very young age so this is why I tend to put on such theatrical and immersive presentations. My fashion background was my training more than anything, so I tend to almost run my business and approach the designing of my collections from a fashion perspective rather than an industrial design perspective.

SCALE: What was the turning point that led you to establish your own brand in 2007? Looking back at your first collection, how do you feel your design language has evolved over the years?

Lee Broom: My plan was to be a fashion designer once I graduated from Central St Martins, however once I realised there was an opportunity to pursue a career in interiors, I decided to change direction. For me it was about having my own brand, the creative output could have been fashion or interiors at that point, it didn’t matter to me. I founded Lee Broom in London in 2007. When I look back at my design journey I feel that I have evolved immensely, and it’s one of the things I am most proud of. I hate the idea of standing still creatively or perhaps having a successful product and only wanting to reproduce the same thing again and again because of its success. It’s the creative process for me that is the most important and this is what drives the business.

SCALE: You’ve created lighting, accessories and furniture that blur the line between art and design, Cascade is a case in point. Do you see your work moving more in that direction in the future?

Lee Broom: I feel like I have always done this right from the beginning of my career, when I look back on the early days, I was always created pieces that blur the lines, and back then this wasn’t necessarily something that was as popular as it is now. People wanted you to either be a designer or an artist, you couldn’t be both. Now those lines are blurred and people are more disciplinary which I think should be applauded and encouraged.

SCALE: What excites you most about the future of design? Are there any new materials or technologies you’re eager to explore? 

Lee Broom: I am excited at the prospect of working with new materials that I have never used before. For example, I had not worked with porcelain before Lladró asked me to collaborate on a lighting collection with them. Working with new materials is always a great source of inspiration for me. We have obviously worked a lot in brass and glass and other metalwork, but more recently have developed pieces in jesmonite, wood and draped plaster. I relish the challenge of creating something new in unexpected materials

SCALE: Cascade is a stunning departure from Lladró’s traditional style. What was the inspiration behind this collection?

Lee Broom: My design process started with a visit to Lladró’s factory in Valencia. I wanted to explore how light could emanate through porcelain and how I could interpret this in a modernist way that evoked another material, such as paper. The translucency of porcelain and the subtle variations from indentations and patterns reminded me of paper lanterns illuminated by candlelight. I wanted the collection to evoke a sense of joy and wonder, much like lanterns at commemorative events. The final designs are simple geometric shapes, spheres and cylinders, that feel balanced and seamless. I knew the collection was complete when I achieved the dual effect I was aiming for; classic white porcelain when unlit and a warm amber glow when illuminated, reminiscent of the candlelit lanterns.

SCALE: How did you approach integrating your contemporary aesthetic with Lladró’s heritage in porcelain craftsmanship?

Lee Broom: I wanted to create something very modernist and to do this in porcelain is incredibly challenging. Porcelain is essentially a live product; it shrinks during the firing process and is incredibly unpredictable. To create objects that are spherical and cylindrical with intricate vertical lines and details that require very little tolerance is not easy. Lladro however are real artisans, so took on the challenge and managed to pull off what felt like the impossible when we set out on this journey.

SCALE: You have won over 30 awards in design and have had the most exciting collaborations. Which has been the most challenging, the most intriguing and the most appreciated collaborative design? 

Lee Broom: Most certainly this collaboration was challenging, but for me the most complex projects have been the larger scale shows.

Particularly the ones we have put on during Milan Design Week for my own brand, such as Divine Inspiration in 2022 or Time Machine in 2017. Not only are you creating a huge collection of products but we are also creating this theatrical and experiential experience for people to visit, sometimes up to 20,000 people entering your gallery within the space of a few days.

It is overwhelming and everybody at the company certainly has a Milan hangover, it is very much worth it however!