Seventeen years ago, Jonathan Adler wasn’t a brand, he was a one-man full-time pottery production operation—“making, glazing, firing, packing, and shipping every single piece I made.” After successfully pitching an initial order for Barneys, he expanded his empire to eponymous shops in major cities across the United States and an online catalog featuring goods that range from ceramic rhinoceros boxes to wool area rugs to lamps and candleholders. Photo 3 of 5 in Talking Products: 5 Interviews with Design Luminaries by Aaron Britt

Talking Products: 5 Interviews with Design Luminaries

3 of 5

Seventeen years ago, Jonathan Adler wasn’t a brand, he was a one-man full-time pottery production operation—“making, glazing, firing, packing, and shipping every single piece I made.” After successfully pitching an initial order for Barneys, he expanded his empire to eponymous shops in major cities across the United States and an online catalog featuring goods that range from ceramic rhinoceros boxes to wool area rugs to lamps and candleholders.