Stylemakers : Dishing It Out

Luna Garcia could be a character out of an Isabel Allende novel, but it’s actually the made-up name--”it sounded great”--of the Venice studio-shop where Cindy and Curtis Ripley handcraft bold, ethnic-inspired earthenware.

The twosome, both fine arts majors, are best known for Gigante, brightly colored matte terra cotta, and Classic Luna, glossy terra cotta brightened by motifs such as chili peppers, calla lilies and trout. Cindy paints the designs, and Curtis formulates the glazes.

The Ripleys’ dinnerware (prices start at $22) adds a casual touch to the table, and, accordingly, it doesn’t need to be handled with kid gloves. Says Curtis: “I put mine in the dishwasher for 12 years, and it hasn’t hurt it at all.”