American-Made Fiesta Dinnerware: Colorful And Collectible

Fiesta dinnerware is an iconic American brand that has been manufacturing dinnerware in the USA since 1936. The company, Fiesta Tableware Company, is based in West Virginia and is known for its colourful glazes and inspiring shapes. Fiesta offers an expansive collection of dinnerware and home decor in vibrant colours and eye-catching patterns, allowing customers to coordinate their homes with multiple pieces or mix and match. All items are lead-free, microwave and dishwasher-safe. The company takes pride in its craftsmanship and sustainability, and its products are crafted to last for generations.

Fiesta's history and manufacturing

Fiesta dinnerware has been manufactured in the USA since 1936, with a hiatus from 1973 to 1985. The company that makes Fiesta, the Fiesta Tableware Company, was known as the Homer Laughlin China Company (HLCC) until 2020 when it sold its food service divisions and the Homer Laughlin name to Steelite, a British tableware manufacturer. HLCC then rebranded itself, retaining its retail division, prominent Fiesta line, factories, and headquarters in Newell, West Virginia.

Fiesta is noted for its Art Deco styling and its range of bold, solid colours. Its original shapes and glazes were designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead, Homer Laughlin's art director from 1927 until his death in 1942. When it was introduced, the decoration of dinnerware and kitchenware ceramics was still inspired by the Victorian era, based on full, predetermined sets of dinnerware, all decorated with the same decal designs. With its solid colour glazes and mix-and-match concept, Fiesta represented something new to the general public. The forms and surfaces expressed an Art Deco influence.

Fiesta was introduced at the annual Pottery and Glass Exhibit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in January 1936. It was the first widely mass-promoted and marketed solid-colour dinnerware in the US. The company sold basic table service sets for four, six, and eight people, made up of the usual dinner plate, salad plate, soup bowl, and cup and saucer. But the promotion and presentation of Fiesta from the start was as a line of open-stock items from which the individual purchaser could choose to combine serving and place pieces by personal preference and need.

Fiesta has been sold in sets or from "open stock", where customers can select, mix, and match pieces from the entire colour range. Certain early glazes resulted in pieces that were slightly radioactive. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns consumers not to use radioactive glazed ceramics for food or drink use.

In 1986, after a 13-year production lapse, the company marked the 50th anniversary of Fiesta by reintroducing the line. Prior to mass production and promotion, Laughlin used the original semi-vitreous clay body on shapes taken mostly from the last incarnation of vintage Fiesta (1969–1973). The company then changed the body to a fully vitrified clay to enable marketing to the restaurant and service industry, as this clay was more durable. Many original shapes required a redesign because of shrinkage associated with the new clay. Although old and new runs appear similar, direct comparison demonstrates the newer pieces (made with the fully vitrified clay body) are noticeably smaller. In addition to redesigns, new shapes were added to the line.

Fiesta's design and styling

Fiesta dinnerware is known for its Art Deco styling and bold, solid colours. The original shapes and glazes were designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead, the art director of the Homer Laughlin China Company (HLCC) from 1927 until his death in 1942. The design of the original shapes remained virtually unchanged from 1936 to 1969, with minor adjustments due to manufacturing requirements.

When it was introduced, the decoration of dinnerware and kitchenware ceramics was still heavily influenced by the Victorian era, with full, predetermined sets of dinnerware, all decorated with the same decal designs. With its solid colour glazes and mix-and-match concept, Fiesta offered something radically new to the general public. The forms and surfaces expressed an Art Deco influence. The company sold basic table service sets for four, six, and eight people, but also promoted Fiesta as a line of open-stock items, allowing individual purchasers to choose to combine serving and place pieces according to their personal preferences.

The original colours offered were Red (orange-red), Blue (cobalt), Green (light green), Yellow (deep golden), and Old Ivory (yellowish cream). In 1938, Turquoise (robin's egg blue) was added to the line. In 1950, the manufacturer decided to retire some original glaze colours and replace them with four new modern colours: Rose (dark brownish pink), Gray (medium), Forest (dark green), and Chartreuse (bright yellowish green). In 1959, the company saw an opportunity to revive sales by reintroducing the original bright orange-red glaze, along with the original yellow and turquoise colours, and a newly introduced bright green colour.

In 1969, the company restyled the shapes of Fiesta to try to modernise it. Finials on covers, handles on cups, bowl contours, and shapes were all modified to give Fiesta a more contemporary appearance. The glaze colours were also changed, with the choices being limited to three colours for the place-setting pieces and one colour for the five major serving pieces. Although essentially the same glaze, Red was renamed Mango Red. Replacing Yellow, Turquoise, and Medium Green were two new glaze colours: Turf Green, which nearly matched the popular Avocado colour of the day, and Antique Gold, a brownish-yellow that almost matched the popular Harvest Gold of the era. The line's name was changed to "Fiesta Ironstone". However, these changes did not restore Fiesta's popularity, and in January 1973, the company discontinued the Fiesta line.

In 1986, the Homer Laughlin China Company marked the 50th anniversary of Fiesta by reintroducing the line. The company offered five colours: Rose (pink), Black, Cobalt (dark navy blue), White (bright stark white), and Apricot (pale pinkish tan). Since its reintroduction, Fiesta has introduced 34 new glaze colours, none of which match any of the 13 colours of vintage Fiesta.

Fiesta's popularity

Fiesta dinnerware has been popular since its introduction in 1936. The line of ceramic glazed dinnerware is manufactured and marketed by the Fiesta Tableware Company of Newell, West Virginia, and is noted for its Art Deco styling and bold, solid colours.

Fiesta's appeal lies in its colours, design, and affordability. In 2002, The New York Times called Fiesta "the most collected brand of china in the United States". Its popularity is also due to its bright colours, durable construction, and stylised art deco shapes and designs. The promotion and presentation of Fiesta as a line of open-stock items from which the individual purchaser could choose to combine serving and place pieces by personal preference and need was also a key factor in its success.

The company sold basic table service sets for four, six, and eight people, but also allowed customers to select, mix and match pieces from the entire colour range. This concept was something radically new to the general public when it was introduced, as the decoration of dinnerware and kitchenware ceramics at the time was still inspired by the Victorian era.

Fiesta has also been popular with collectors, especially in the 1970s when a new appreciation for Art Deco designs from the 1920s and 1930s flourished. The baby boomers, who were establishing their own households at the time, made Fiesta popular once again. Almost immediately after Fiesta was discontinued in January 1973, collectors began buying heavily in second-hand shops, garage sales, and local auctions, causing Fiesta prices to skyrocket.

Today, vintage Fiesta trades briskly on auction websites and at other antique/vintage product sales venues. The Homer Laughlin China Company noticed this activity on the secondary market and reintroduced Fiesta in 1986, marking the 50th anniversary of the brand. This reintroduction also increased collector interest in all the lines, with many people collecting vintage pieces, as well as purchasing new items from department stores and catalog retailers.

Fiesta's colours

Fiesta Dinnerware is a line of ceramic glazed dinnerware manufactured and marketed by the Fiesta Tableware Company of Newell, West Virginia. It has been in production since 1936, with a hiatus from 1973 to 1985. The company was previously known as the Homer Laughlin China Company until 2020 when it sold its food service divisions and the Homer Laughlin name to Steelite, a British tableware manufacturer.

Fiesta is known for its Art Deco styling and its range of bold, solid colours. The original shapes and glazes were designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead, Homer Laughlin's art director from 1927 until his death in 1942.

Since its inception, Fiesta has offered its products in sets or as "open stock", where customers can select and mix and match pieces from the entire colour range. The company has released a new colour every year since 1936, with 56 colours introduced in total as of 2024. The constant evolution of colours has helped maintain the brand's broad appeal, attracting both long-time enthusiasts and new, fashion-forward consumers.

Vintage Fiesta Colours (1936-1972)

• Red (orange-red)
• Blue (cobalt)
• Green (light green)
• Yellow (deep golden)
• Old Ivory (yellowish cream)
• Turquoise (robin's egg blue)
• Rose (dark brownish pink)
• Gray (medium)
• Forest (dark green)
• Chartreuse (bright yellowish green)

Post-1986 Fiesta Colours

• Rose (pink)
• Black
• Cobalt (dark navy blue)
• White (bright stark white)
• Apricot (pale pinkish tan)
• Yellow (pale custard/butter)
• Turquoise (more greenish than vintage Turquoise)
• Periwinkle (slightly lavenderish-blue)
• Sea Mist (pale mint green)
• Lilac (soft purple)
• Persimmon (pinkish-orange)
• Sapphire (medium bright blue)
• Chartreuse (brighter and greener than vintage Chartreuse)
• Pearl Gray (light gray)
• Juniper (dark bluish-green)
• Cinnabar (brownish-burgundy)
• Sunflower (bright yellow)
• Plum (dark purple)
• Shamrock (bright deep green)
• Tangerine (bright orange)
• Scarlet (deep true red)
• Peacock (bright blue)
• Heather (dark reddish-purple)
• Evergreen (dark green)
• Ivory (egg shell/off white)
• Chocolate (brown)
• Lemongrass (yellowish chartreuse)
• Paprika (dark rust)
• Marigold (yellowish-orange)
• Flamingo (bright true pink)
• Lapis (denim blue)
• Poppy (bright reddish-orange)
• Sage (earthy green)
• Slate (charcoal grey)
• Claret (red wine)
• Daffodil (vibrant golden yellow)
• Mulberry (deep purple)
• Meadow (deep mint green)
• Butterscotch (orange yellow)
• Twilight (deep cobalt blue)
• Peony (blush pink)
• Jade (dark green)
• Sky (pale blue)

Fiesta's products

Fiesta is a line of ceramic glazed dinnerware manufactured and marketed by the Fiesta Tableware Company of Newell, West Virginia. The company was known as the Homer Laughlin China Company until 2020, when it sold its food service divisions and the Homer Laughlin name to Steelite, a British tableware manufacturer.

Fiesta has been in production since 1936, with a hiatus from 1973 to 1985. The company has released 56 different colours since its inception, with Sky being the 2024 colour of the year. The original shapes and glazes were designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead, Homer Laughlin's art director from 1927 until his death in 1942.

Fiesta products are crafted for artistry and sustainability and are noted for their Art Deco styling and bold, solid colours. The range includes dinnerware and accessories such as mugs, cups, saucers, serveware, platters, pitchers, teapots, vases, and countertop and baking accessories.

Fiesta dinnerware can be purchased as sets or as individual pieces, allowing customers to select, mix, and match items from the entire colour range. The company's popularity is attributed to its colourful glazes, inspiring shapes, quality, craftsmanship, and the collectability of its products.

Fiesta products are lead-free, microwave-safe, and dishwasher-safe. The company offers free ground shipping on orders over $49 within the continental US (excluding HI and AK) and provides a $4.95 handling fee for all orders.

Frequently asked questions