The Art of Summer Entertaining with Net-A-Porter

D espite their name, dinner parties have very little to do with dinner. Of course, you’ll do the polite thing and request the recipe as you’re saying your goodbyes to the host, but rarely is it the food you remember after the fact. Instead, it’s the company and conversation that linger. And creating the perfect conduit for those conditions lies not just in curating your guest list, but in curating you and your guests’ surroundings, too.

When it comes to tableware, textiles and all the tiny tangible details that go into hosting a summer dinner party, Net-a-Porter offers an elegant solution with its al fresco edit. These are not the sorts of pieces that should be kept in glass cabinets, untouched and gathering dust, but rather future heirlooms, made to be used, touched, talked about and interacted with as much as they are made to be collected.

“There is definitely a growing appetite for personality in the home, with customers looking to curate spaces that feel both individual and considered,” explains Brigitte Chartrand, Net-a-Porter’s Chief Buying & Merchandising Officer. “With a continued focus on entertaining, we are seeing customers invest in elevated tableware and decorative pieces that can be mixed with timeless staples to create a more personal approach to hosting.”

Let’s start with aperitifs.

The relative informality and spontaneity of aperitivo hour call for a relatively informal and spontaneous approach to serving libations. Net-a-Porter brands La DoubleJ and Laguna-B both specialize in contemporary reinterpretations of the ancient art of Murano glassmaking, which began on its namesake Venetian island in the 13th century. La DoubleJ, a Milanese label rooted in soul and color, creates its vibrant pieces in partnership with world-renowned Venetian glassmaker Salviati. Designs like their rainbow-hued set of tumblers and wine glasses effortlessly “bring an element of fun,” Chartrand explains, and lend themselves well to summery concoctions.

Meanwhile, Laguna-B started life when its late founder Marie Brandolini d’Adda di Valmareno (who later became known as “the glass countess” in Italy) was gifted a collection of antique goti de fornasa—the perfectly imperfect cups made by Murano artisans from the glass scraps left over from a day’s work. She designed her first pieces from her family’s palazzo, guided by this philosophy of imperfection—or “pure game of chance,” as she called it—which continues to underpin the brand’s collections today. It includes the striped Berlingot line, a stunningly summery design based on one of Brandolini’s original 1996 pieces.

Much like coordinating a dinner party’s seating plan, dressing its table is both an art and a science. But the secret to a beautifully laid table has less to do with the centerpieces, flowers or final touches and more to do with its foundations: the tableware, silverware and glassware. Get these elements right and everything else happily falls into place. Naturally, Net-a-Porter’s selection is both timeless and considered, spanning established heritage brands like Ginori 1735 and Christofle to what Chartrand calls “unexpected, maximalist styles” such as Gohar World.

Toeing that line is Astier de Villatte, the Renaissance man of Parisian design. Founded in 1996 as a traditional ceramics workshop, it has since expanded into a printing press, publishing house and perfumery, applying the same handcrafted approach to everything it makes. The house’s signature white ceramics are the definition of rustic elegance. Each piece is individually stamped by the artisan who crafted it and will elevate anything you serve. Keep an eye out for the brand’s limited-edition collaborations, too. The latest, with cult label Sacai, is inspired by kintsugi—the ancient Japanese art of mending broken pottery—with gorgeous gilded accents.

For glassware, one of Net-a-Porter’s newest arrivals comes with impeccable provenance. Once purveyor to the Imperial Court of Austria, Viennese house J. & L. Lobmeyr has been making museum-worthy glassware for more than 200 years—their pieces feature in the collections of the British Museum, MoMA, the V&A and more. Today, it is still run by the family’s sixth generation, with a belief that “traditional knowledge facilitates innovation.” Mouth-blown, cut, engraved and polished by hand, each crystal piece is touched by at least 18 hands.

Those who are used to hosting know that there is a relatively awkward moment when the entertaining part of your role is put on pause and the real work begins: clearing the table. In the meantime, there is an easy solution to keeping guests occupied: gamify it. Literally, with a strategically placed board game. But shoddy cardboard boxes and missing playing pieces do not equal elegance. The alternative, Ralph Lauren’s Fowler leather chess set, is a masterpiece of timeless design and craftsmanship. Made entirely by hand, it features a beautiful leather-inlaid board and strikingly angular playing pieces, plated in gold and nickel.

Give guests with an artistic rather than competitive streak something to talk about instead. They’ll only have nice things to say about Louise Roe’s mouth-blown Balloon Vase 04, whose form is inspired by the iconic Venus of Willendorf. And you can be sure they won’t have seen Fourth Street’s sculptural candlestick trio before—it was made exclusively for Net-a-Porter by founder Rukaiya Daud. Like her brand’s signature egg sculptures, this design “invites its future owner to assign their own personal significance, whether playful or profound.”

The inherent intimacy of the dinner party only intensifies as the evening goes on. With appetites sated, guests begin to feast their eyes on the details beyond the table. Inevitably, now is the time when the success of the evening is laid bare: bolster your chances of a positive review by furnishing your guests with a few carefully curated home comforts.

As the air turns cooler, blankets are a quiet luxury. Knitted with wool and cashmere, Missoni’s artfully striped creations are the epitome of summer elegance. For cushions, look to the stunning one-of-a-kind pieces at House of Lyria, the creation of Riccardo Bruni and Nino Cerruti and another Net-a-Porter newcomer. With a workshop in Prato, Tuscany—the hub of the Italian textile trade—the brand handcrafts every piece to order, comparing the process to that of a chef: “As in a kitchen, materials are experimented with, reworked and innovated. The same goes for yarns, which become ingredients in an ever-evolving recipe.”

Don’t forget the intangible elements, either. Set the olfactory tone with Loewe’s scented candles (traditional etiquette dictates not lighting anything fragranced any earlier in the evening to avoid confusing the palate). The Spanish house’s gourmand scents—Orange Blossom and Pistachio, for example—as well as fresher, herbal options like Oregano capture the spirit of summer succinctly.

Discover Net-a-Porter’s season of summer hosting.

Images: Courtesy of Net-a-Porter.