Crystal and china get clothing designers' fashion touch

Listen to Monique Lhuillier for a few minutes and you understand that the fashion designer known for breathtaking bridal gowns and dreamy red-carpet dresses enjoys a whole other passion, one that's more Martha Stewart than Coco Chanel.

"We need to build a whole new kitchen," jokes the Los Angeles-based Lhuillier, who on this late October afternoon was finishing up a photo shoot in her home for her latest collection -- not one crafted of tulle and lace, but of fine china and crystal. "I live with these patterns and entertain with them," the designer says of her tabletop collections, which she produces for Waterford. "Of course, we don't have room for them all, so I'm basically changing out the pieces we use every six months."

Lhuillier is far from alone in translating the designer runway to the dining room table: Tory Burch recently launched a tabletop collection based on 18th century spongeware, while Vera Wang, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan and Donatella Versace are among the other A-list fashion designers whose tabletop collections reflect the aesthetic found within each label.

In most cases, it's easy to discern the relationship between a designer's tabletop designs and the dresses that glide down his or her runway: Lhuillier's Sunday Rose collection of china dinnerware and crystal serving pieces and giftware, for example, is both named for and based on the floral-bedecked skirt of one of her most popular bridal gowns, while one of her latest china patterns for fall 2014, titled Embrace, features chainlike platinum bands around the rims.

The choices offered by each designer typically are just as diverse as their ready-to-wear: Wang's collection for Wedgwood takes its cue from her sleek, modernist designs, with pattern names like Grosgrain and Sequin, while the Versace collection for Rosenthal is rooted in luxe Italian opulence with the house's iconic Medusa head adorning everything from china plates to crystal flutes. Burch's spongeware likewise recalls the abstract prints often employed in her ready-to-wear designs, most notably in the preppy-meets-bohemian looks in her fall 2014 collection.

Lauren's crystal and china collections often reflect his English-countryside spirit, with crystal patterns boasting names like Broughton and Brogan, or his love of chic, "Out of Africa"-inspired safari, found in the leopard print that adorns his Hutchinson fine-china collection.

Karan's collections for Lenox, meanwhile, offer the duality likewise found in both her eponymous collection and the edgier, more youthful clothes she produces for her DKNY label: Donna Karan tabletop is uptown chic, featuring lines and details that are sleek, sophisticated and artful, while DKNY decidedly feels more downtown, graphic and colorful, with pattern names such as Urban Graffiti.

At Kate Spade New York, fashion and home collections "will always live parallel lives," says creative director Deborah Lloyd. "Signature bows, polka dots and clever phrases are integral to our personality and play a role in both collections each season." Lloyd also points to similar color stories, such as navy and black, which she employed in Kate Spade's ready-to-wear and accessories collections as well as her tabletop designs for fall 2014.

Choosing the tabletop design that's right for you should start with a consideration of your sartorial style. If your wardrobe is sleek and tailored, Donna Karan or Vera Wang might be more your speed. If your closet is filled with ultrafeminine florals, opt for the more romantic designs of Marchesa or Oscar de la Renta. The late designer often employed florals in his designs, and earlier this year had collaborated with The New York Botanical Garden on a 15-piece tabletop and giftware collection featuring graphic trellis patterns and lush peonies.

In January, Carolina Irving joined the label as creative director of Oscar de la Renta Home, and her first tableware collection for fall 2014 likewise seeks to evoke the legendary designer's love of nature, featuring pieces like a tortoise-patterned acrylic ice bucket with brass top shaped to resemble an oversized acorn, or brass napkin rings and wine coasters crafted as oak leaves.

Inspirations, Irving says, also often come straight from the runway. "In the very first Oscar de la Renta gift and entertaining collection, there was a dot-and-dash plate, which is still in the collection, and that pattern was taken from an archival 1970s resortwear print from a ready-to-wear collection," she says.

An added bonus for choosing to dress your table in collections realized by fashion designers: Typically, the cost doesn't come close to those pricey dresses descending down the runway. Pieces in DKNY's open-stock Urban Graffiti collection start at just $15 each, while serving platters in collections from Oscar de la Renta or Versace can top out at $375.

Ultimately, choosing a new look for your holiday table might start with an examination of your own closet, but not unlike a choice of clothes, Lhuillier says, the key is to simply have fun with it.

"Fashion designers are willing to take risks; maybe that's why so many of us are also successful with tabletop designs, because we're not afraid to create something that feels new and fresh," she says.

TOP TIPS FOR A TASTEFUL TABLE

Designers Monique Lhuillier and Deborah Lloyd and Carolina Irving, creative director of Oscar de la Renta Home, offer the following ideas for creating a stylish holiday table:

* Don't be afraid to mix. "I don't like my table to be too perfect," Lhuillier says. "I'll mix different colors and patterns of glassware and stemware, or every person might have a different china pattern at his or her place. Who says everything has to match? It's also a great conversation starter when everyone sits down."

* To tie a mix-and-match table together, choose one consistent element. "If you're mixing china patterns, keep the napkins in the same fabric or color to unify the look of the table," Lhuillier advises.

* Don't be afraid to include one unique piece. "I like to mix in a conversation piece, like an ice bucket shaped like a top hat to keep the bubbly cold," Lloyd suggests.

* Don't forget the details. "Personalized place cards, coordinating table linens and fresh flowers are design elements that cannot be overlooked," Lloyd says.

* Think about unexpected colors. "Not everything has to be orange and pumpkins, like traditional Thanksgiving decor," says Irving. "I love to mix deep colors like purple, pink and orange with marigolds, berries, or even pomegranates."

* And never ignore a key element of the evening. "I love flowers on the table that feel hand-picked and not too perfect," Lhuillier says. "But if they're in the center of the table, keep them low so people can talk, with candles in between to cast a beautiful glow on everyone's face. It's modern and not too formal, and everyone will have a great time."