Annieglass
Annie Morhauser fell in love with the beauty of glass when she first saw it being blown by an artisan at the beach under a full moon over 30 years ago. She graduated from California College of the Arts with training in a range of glass techniques, but it was developing her own version of the ancient glass forming process, called slumping, in the ’80s that marked the beginning of Annieglass.
Annieglass’ original tour de force was a piece called Roman Antique—a plate of thick glass with a widely painted rim of 24-karat gold. Annie took it to a trade show in 1983 and astounded the country’s leading retailers with this entirely new look in dinnerware that was surprisingly also dishwasher safe. Today, Roman Antique is an oft-imitated industry icon that is sold at luxury retailers such as Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales; as well as at boutique retailers across the United States. Annieglass is used at leading hotels and restaurants such as the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, the Four Seasons, the Ritz Carlton, and the Waldorf Astoria.
Twice a year, Annie introduces new collections and extensions to existing ones. Inspirations are often Annie’s interpretations of her surroundings—the fantastic natural beauty of the Monterey Bay region and Santa Cruz Mountains, travel, science or history. Her design process is ongoing, experimenting in new ways with materials and technologies, often blending time-honored handcraft with modern innovations, or inventing her own methods to create the beauty of Annieglass alongside her talented team of artisans.