Ivanros—
Handmade Ceramic Stories 

(Ceramics) The email arrived in spring 2022, right in the peak of production season. A last minute order for 900 plates with a custom design. Delivery requested within 20 days. Iván Figueroa shook his head, half amused, half incredulous, and left the message sitting unanswered in his inbox. Far too short notice. Who did they think they were?

Well, as it turned out, the email came from an agency working on behalf of a company in Paris: Christian Dior S.A. At the time they were preparing their opulent Cruise Show in Seville for May 2022 and wanted to collaborate with Spain’s best craftspeople. For ceramics, they had chosen Ivanros, the company run by Iván Figueroa near Córdoba— and luckily, they didn’t give up that easily. A few days later, a call came in to politely ask whether there really was no interest. Shortly afterward, Figueroa and an employee were on their way to Seville, their car packed with a selection of their most beautiful plates. The Dior team was instantly enthusiastic.

Four years later, the 45 year old Figueroa is sitting talking to Maison Ë in a bright, state of the art workshop—one that likely wouldn’t exist in this form without that original commission. The company had already been on a good path, but the Dior name instantly accelerated the company’s success. In recent years, the number of employees has nearly doubled, and revenue has easily tripled. To accommodate this level of growth, Ivanros needed more space and better working conditions, and so a new headquarters was built on the edge of town. Ivanros now collaborates with Spanish luxury brand Loewe and last year, launched an exclusive partnership with Zara Home. Still, their biggest business by far remains B2B production—creating pieces for other companies and using their branding. Alongside Spanish, French, and American clients, more and more inquiries are coming in—from Copenhagen to Dubai. All are searching for high quality craftsmanship.

La Rambla, a small town of 7,000 people about a half hour’s drive from Córdoba, has always been known for ceramics. Nowhere else, says Figueroa, could one find better soil for clay production. He first set foot in his grandfather’s workshop at the age of nine, later working with his father and siblings in the family studio. He essentially grew up with clay on his hands, he says, laughing—and even now, faint gray traces mark his shirt and trousers. “I’m not only responsible for the design here

—I work hands on every single day,” he says.
Each cup and plate requires a dozen steps. The raw forms must be wiped and smoothed with a sponge before going into the kiln. Afterward, the “biscuit”—the still-white pieces—rest for one or two days on large trays. Then every item is hand painted or splattered with a paint sprayer—Jackson Pollock style—before receiving a final glaze and second firing.

A Life in Clay
The family’s old workshop was located in the middle of the village. Today, only the “barro rojo” is still made there, the red clay used for flowerpots or olive bowls. In 2008, the business almost closed—production volumes were too small to compete with industrial ceramics. Of the 140 potteries that existed in 2000, only about 20 remain, Figueroa says. Determined not to give up, together with his wife Rosario, he started anew. They founded Ivanros—combining traditional craftsmanship with more contemporary design.

Figueroa reinterpreted a traditional Andalusian water jug, the kind with a large handle and floral decoration, by adding an opening to turn it into a wine cooler. The “botijo” remains a bestseller to this day. In general, pieces with a Mediterranean color palette sell especially well. The current collections feature more substantial, less smooth forms: wavy bowls with a mother of pearl effect, pitchers so rugged one can almost see the fingerprints. Ironically, Figueroa believes this is a response to AI. “The more artificial the times become, the more people long for things made by human hands,” he says. And even though Ivanros now produces 40,000 pieces a month, each one is still, at its core, a unique item.