In case you missed it, dinner parties are hot. There was a time when the youthful elite were slipping into peplum tops, piling into stretch limos, and dropping thousands on designer wedge sneakers for a night out. But instead of splurging on bottle service — or worse, sipping a vodka-cran in a dimly lit corner with satellite friends — today’s crowd is staying in, funneling their fortunes into extravagant dinner parties rather than the dance floor.
The glitz, the luxury, and the ludicrously capacious spending haven’t vanished — they’ve simply migrated. And at the center of this shift from dancing to dining table domesticity isn’t just an item — it’s a material: crystal.
An opulent, irreverent, and slightly subversive spirit runs through recent designs from Italian artisans like Cristalleria ColleVilca, whose crystal vases feature Picasso-esque warped faces. “Following the pandemic, there is a growing desire to curate and enhance the home environment, and an elegantly set table is an essential part of this trend,” the house tells me. While crystal might sound traditional, its latest iterations embrace asymmetry and bold color, breathing new life into the old-world material. “At the moment, we are witnessing a strong desire for vibrancy and chromatic experimentation,” they explain.
Mario Cioni & C, a heritage crystal house that’s been shaping the craft since 1958, shares a similar perspective. The company sees this resurgence as object therapy — the idea that beautiful objects aren’t just for display but meant to be enjoyed, even played with. “Playing with shapes is one of our top priorities,” they tell me, a sentiment reflected across decades of work but especially in newer collections like Rhapsody (2013), which stretch the limits of verticality in crystal design.
And it’s not just the heritage houses getting in on the fun. Danish brand Reflections Copenhagen, founded in 2014, is flipping crystal’s stuffy reputation on its head with color-blocked candelabras and stacked geometric tables — pieces that feel modern, unexpected, and wouldn’t look at all out of place at a gem show.
To be clear, Baccarat is still very much in (Saint Laurent now carries an entire selection of the brand's tableware in its Rive Droite Lifestyle Home collection). But today’s appeal is rooted in an ironic tension — pairing something old and proper with something novel and cool. It’s the same reason a certain kind of aspirational fashion girl is already sipping vintage bubbly from a new noir crystal glass (procured from YSL, naturally), draped in Jean Paul Gaultier, rather than debutantes clinking daiquiris in cupcake dresses.
The cool-fication of crystal-clad dinner parties also explains why restaurant-gallery concepts like Quarters — which ostensibly sells home décor but functions as an aspirational dining space — have become such a hit. For the duration of your reservation, you can pretend the impeccably curated, glassware-filled space is your own. And when the clock strikes 10:30, another equally fabulous crowd takes its turn.
It’s the same ethos behind brands like Gohar World, where homeware isn’t just functional but theatrical. With pearl-embellished coasters, swan-shaped lemon squeezers, and lace-trimmed bottle aprons, the brand leans into a surreal, slightly absurd take on tabletop décor — designed for those who see a dinner party as performance art as much as a meal.
Mario Cioni & C sums up our current crystal craving best: “We are now hungry for beauty,” they explain. “And what better experience than enjoying a good drink in a high-quality glass that engages all the senses? The touch — through the sensation of ‘playing’ with a pleasant object. The visual aspect — brought to life by the light reflections of our brilliant crystal. The sound — created by the ice tinkling inside.”
Expensive, fashion-forward, and free from old-school snobbery, this isn’t your grandmother’s crystal. Once reserved for high society and wedding registries, this dinnerware trend now belongs to the hosts who know that setting the table is just as important as the party itself.
Shop six sparkling crystal standouts to enchant your table, spark conversation, and sidestep club champagne spills on your shoes.
Price: $275
London-based designer Martino Gamper gives classic Old Fashioned glassware a bold, modern update with a hand-painted cerulean finish. Geometric cutouts add an extra layer of intrigue — offering glimpses of the glass’s contents when in use and catching the light in all the right ways when it’s not.
Price: $540
Crystal with a sense of humor? Look no further. This highly original design by Candida Menci features a playful asymmetric face, echoing the whimsical energy of a Picasso. It’s the kind of piece that steals the spotlight at a dinner party — flowers or no flowers.
Price: $1,080
With its sculptural, retro-inspired lid and kaleidoscope of diamond-shaped crystal pieces forming a floral mosaic, this ice bucket feels equal parts Art Deco and carnival-esque — the life of the party in more ways than one.
Price: $178
This lead-free crystal serving plate by Nude Glass is exactly the kind of playful modernity driving this movement. A bold pairing of soft sky blue and orange — opposites on the color wheel — creates an eye-catching statement, while the unexpected crystal ball detail adds an extra touch of artistry. Suddenly, hors d’oeuvres feel like haute couture.
Price: $1,550
You can never go wrong with Baccarat — not just because it’s a legacy house, but because it thrives on mismatching. The more eclectic, the better. If you already have a collection going, why not add a noir version? Or go all in with a full vampy set. Made in collaboration with French fashion house Saint Laurent, it’s tabletop elegance with an edge.
Price: $4,205
Eye-catching and ethereal are the best ways to describe Mario Cioni’s eponymous brand, which breathes new life into crystal with unconventional decorative patterns. Case in point: the Erinaceus Bowl, an abstract yet highly refined riff on a hedgehog. Each spine is hand-formed, making every piece a true one-of-a-kind.
Also on the cool-kid menu? '70s-inspired dinner parties.
