Summer 2022 birthed the Coastal Grandmother — quaint, cardigan-clad, reading paperbacks between flower runs and Nantucket strolls. By 2024, we dove headfirst into Brat — a movement that took a color usually reserved for clubwear and splashed it across our kitchens. Now, in summer 2025, we’ve landed somewhere in between: the laissez-faire luxury of Coastal Grandmother meets Brat’s unabashed cool. If Jonathan Adler’s new Le Dinnerware collection is any indication of the changing tides (he usually is), then this summer is host to a new cousin-core: Bistro Belle.
The Bistro Belle does not chase "vibes" — she is the antithesis of recent New York transplants flocking to scene-y spots filled with long legs and even longer waitlists. She is the vibe — because every café, every flat, every corner of her Parisian-style home just exists in a state of casual perfection. Jonathan’s dinnerware collection captures that effortless nonchalance, steeped in Parisian tri-colors and retro sensibilities — unpretentious yet totally so. Like lingering three-hour lunches, indulging in something cool: a coffee, a bar of chocolate…
“Social gatherings can be fraught — sibling rivalries, parental neglect, the whole megillah,” the potter and designer quips to Livingetc. “Want to know what’s not controversial? A colorful table.” His approach is bold but not brash (lest we slip back into Brat), the kind of easy maximalism that suits any crowd. Because really, who doesn’t j’adore Paris? “Everyone can rally around a setting that’s sunny, optimistic, and chic,” he muses. “So pile on your favorite pieces, and don’t worry about over-scaping.”
The Frenchified, 70s dinner party-coded tableware encourages exactly that: slowing down, taking it easy. So you pour yourself Le Glass of water from Le Pitcher, lazily picking at a fresh pastry on Le Dessert Plate, flakes of buttery croissant spilling across Le Placemat — because of course you have one handy. You’re a Bistro Belle, and here, there’s no rush.
Price: $58/set of 4
You don’t need to see the le to recognize the nostalgic French typography emblazoned across this set of napkins. They’re the not-so-understated star of the table — one simple fold over plain white plates, and instant je ne sais quoi.
Price: $18
This glass takes even the simplest sip of water and gives it a certain panache, thanks to its signature stripes and effortlessly cool branding. It works year-round, but there’s something about it in the summer — catching the light on a sun-drenched table, making even small talk feel a touch more interesting.
Price: $58
If Bistro Belle were hosting, she’d serve her sides in Le Big Bowl — a seamless match to the collection’s red, blue, and white dinnerware, but just as striking on its own. Maybe placed on a woven charger, a quiet nod to casual French dining.
Price: $65, Was: $82
Bistro Belle is perfectly content flying solo, but she doesn’t mind a little entourage. Stack Le Bowl atop Le Petite Plate, then layer it over the larger Le Plate, with Le Mug off to the side. Chic on their own, but even more charming as a set.
Price: $78/set of 4
Ground the scene (or should we say, the Seine) in deep navy blue — a shade that’s both nautical and effortlessly summery. Its Parisian prep feels polished enough to go straight onto a bare table, which, save for the most special occasions, is often the French way: refined, but never overdone.
Price: $48
Whether or not a flight is actually booked, quench your guests’ thirst for a French-girl summer with Le Pitcher — the kind of gift that keeps on giving. Elegant yet unfussy, it invites the inevitable: Where did you get that? But Bistro Belle doesn’t gatekeep.
A bit like the Brat trend, Bistro Bell pulls on a cool, 90s-inspired aesthetic in a way that feels very right for the moment. Of course, it's not an aesthetic that's for everyone — I can see its bold, graphic quality being a put off for some — but I guess there's always the Coastal Grandmother trend to fall back on, if that's more your vibe.
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