Lolly Lolly Ceramics

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided By Lalese Stamps

Lolly Lolly Ceramics, the name itself, exudes excitement.

Founded in 2017 by Lalese Stamps, Lolly Lolly Ceramics is a Black-owned, womenrun small business in Milwaukee, WI. The brand focuses on objects that are functional, unique, and handmade.

In September of 2019, Lalese embarked on a 100 Day Project where she made 100 mugs with 100 different handles for 100 Days, bringing national recognition to the Lolly Lolly name. Today the Lolly team is made up of four people, but growing. The demand for Lolly Lolly Ceramics is high. Most recently, Lalese was invited to appear on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah to celebrate Women’s History Month. A collaboration was announced between the two, The Lolly Lolly Ceramics x The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Collection, and will feature three special-edition mug styles set.

Lolly Lolly Lolly originated in Columbus, OH. In July 2021, Lalese moved her operations to Milwaukee, which is also her hometown. “I’ve been a creative my entire life, but I didn’t begin to make ceramics until 2017. I studied graphic design at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus. While studying for my undergrad, I noticed that I was always on my laptop and became afraid that I wasn’t using my hands to create as much, so I enrolled in a pottery class at my local community arts center. From there, I started selling ceramics at the local flea market to make a little extra money. One thing led to another, and now I’m selling direct-to-consumer on my own website, wholesaling, and even doing custom orders for brands such as Saine Heron and Solange and the MOMA Design Store,” she says.

“I always tell people to listen to their gut and just keep going. As you grow, there are going to be people who interject themselves onto your dreams and goals, but only you know you, and you’ve gotten yourself far for a reason.”

In September of 2019, Lalese designed and completed a 100 Day Project where she made 100 mugs for 100 days with 100 different handles. This project has been her sort of claim-to-fame experience. In addition to mugs, this year they hope to roll out more dinnerware pieces like bowls, and plates. With an abundance of plants in the studio, planters possibly will be a major alignment to the Lolly Lolly Ceramics brand.

Lalese says she is inspired by a lot of things. Recently she went to the Harley Museum for the first time in Milwaukee and was amazed at what she saw. “The museum itself is beautiful, but seeing the journey of another brand is so inspiring. They’ve saved everything from bank notes to invoices to initial motorcycle sketches. I hope I can grow my brand to be recognized on a global scale like Harley is.”

Like most businesses, Lolly Lolly Ceramics has seen its share of challenges. The biggest challenge has been handling the high demand of work. The growth of Lolly Lolly Ceramics happened very quickly. Navigating entrepreneurialism has suddenly become a wild ride for Lalese, but she says it’s also very empowering. “Scaling up our production has been a challenge within this challenge. We want to produce more work for our audience, but that has meant a lot of sacrifice and patience. We are so close to rolling out a new way to produce our pieces; we’re excited about it because it’ll mean new opportunities for products, workshops, new team members, and so much more,” Lalese says.

The journey for Lolly Lolly Ceramics has been enjoyable, says Lalese. She shares this isn’t much she would change about how things have happened. “I” ve learned along the way, and I’ve hired the right people to navigate areas that are unfamiliar to me.”

For others who may follow the same path as she has, Lalese shares some sound advice and encouragement. “I always tell people to listen to their gut and just keep going. As you grow, there are going to be people who interject themselves onto your dreams and goals, but only you know you, and you’ve gotten yourself far for a reason. Sometimes outside advice can be helpful, but it also can be very detrimental. You need to have the wherewithal to be able to take it all in, but know which things are important and which are not,” she says.