The Finnish ceramic and glass company, Iittala, is no stranger to intriguing collaborations. Since Iittala’s fresh rebrand in 2024, led by creative director Janni Vepsäläinen, the storied company has seen Nordic clarity brought to the coffee ritual with mugs for Café Kitsuné, as well as a limited-edition glass collection uniting scent and light with Byredo. Now, Iittala celebrates 30 years of Pokémon, using one of its most recognisable tableware collections, ‘Origo’, as the canvas
Discover the Iittala x Pokémon Capsule collection
The new Iittala x Pokémon Capsule collection marks Pokémon’s 30th birthday (it launched in Japan in 1996). ‘Origo’ is also a 1990s baby –designed by Alfredo Häberli and introduced in 1999 – but very much a timeless classic. With its bold striped aesthetic, it is used here to carry the collection's vibrant colour, with space allowed for a Pokémon character, Pikachu.
The reinterpreted ‘Origo’ pieces now feature Pikachu-inspired colouring, with Pikachu illustrations at the heart of each piece. It is a carefully considered interpretation, fun without feeling gimmicky, and suitably nostalgic.
‘At first glance, Iittala and Pokémon might seem like an unlikely match – two worlds that don’t obviously touch,’ says Janni Vepsäläinen, Iittala’s creative director. ‘But that quiet friction is exactly what drew us in. “Origo” and Pokémon were both born in the late 1990s, so bringing them together felt less like a collision and more like rediscovering a shared origin – something surprising, yet immediately familiar. There’s joy in it, playfulness too, but always anchored in Iittala’s belief in clarity, restraint, and objects made to endure from one generation to another.’
Ultimately, the collection sits at the intersection of collectability, pop culture, and usability. It is playful yet considered everyday tableware.
The Iittala × Pokémon collection will launch on 1 May 2026, available in Finland and Japan via selected Iittala stores and iittala.com in the respective markets.
