Hellerware Is Making a Hella Huge Comeback

Even if you think you haven't heard of designers Lella and Massimo Vignelli, odds are you’re very familiar with their designs. The duo’s work runs the gamut from the Saratoga collection for Poltronova and the Graphics Standards Manual for the New York City Transit Authority (which is still in use today) to the iconic rainbow-hued melamine dinnerware manufactured by Heller. That colorful, injection-molded tableware has recently been trending again—thanks in no small part to the pieces’ incredible durability. That resilience means that you can currently find a ton of vintage sets in excellent condition on a variety of resale platforms. Even if you’re not into shopping for something that someone else has already eaten off of, the good news is that Heller has begun to manufacture Hellerware again, so you can also buy the design’s cups and plates brand new too. 

If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, the odds are high that your family or someone you knew had a set, which often “created nightly dinnertime-curation conflicts…” as it did for Curbed writer Alissa Walker’s family, “as the kids…would determine who got which color [and] always fought over the pink [plate], a highly covetable fuchsia that [she’d] have to sit on until just before mealtime to ensure it didn’t get swapped out with green (yet another testament to Hellerware’s durability).” But Walker’s fond memories of the rainbow-hued dishware wouldn’t exist without designer Alan Heller, who ultimately discovered Massimo Vignelli’s original melamine designs in 1996 when they were on loan from the Museum of Modern Art at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. 

The original set—which ironically, given the design’s colorful legacy, only came in white and a very late-60s shade of yellow—was initially named “Max I.” The set was manufactured by Aricoli Plastici Electrici (Arpe) in Milan in 1964 after the stackable tableware won the Compasso d'Oro Award for Good Design. Shortly after, the company went out of business, and the original molds sat abandoned in storage until Heller traveled to Italy to rescue them. According to the Vignellis, “design should be “semantically correct, syntactically consistent, pragmatically understandable, visually powerful, Intellectually elegant, and timeless”. This holds true about the nearly indestructible, conveniently stackable dishware that is again becoming popular, almost 70 years later.

When Heller reintroduced the Max series to the United States, the set debuted in the bright rainbow hues that the tableware is mostly recognized for today and soon became known as Hellerware. While you can buy the pieces brand-new from Heller and the MoMA design store, there is a certain charm to owning a vintage set—imagining the many meals shared atop these iconic colorful plates. If you are the type of collector that enjoys especially rare finds, it’s the pastel hues from the 70s that fetch the highest price tag (and would look absolutely incredible mixed in with all your fave Memphis Milano collectibles).

Regardless of how you like your Hellerware, check out a few of our favorite finds—both vintage and brand new—down below. 

First and foremost, you can’t miss if you decide to pick up some  OG Hellerware (especially because we’re big proponents of “if it ain't broke, don’t fix it”). You’ll find both full sets and individual pieces on platforms like 1stDibs and Charish, alongside secondhand and vintage standbys like Etsy and eBay—in case you aren’t looking for a massive set, or want to mix, match, and curate your own special color combo. 

Sure they cost a pretty penny, but I’ll guarantee you nobody else on the block will have these bad boys. Generally, the most expensive colorways to own, are for major vintage collector clout (or, if money is truly no object, your next dinner party).

Listen, some people don’t like “used” kitchenware, and we don’t like to judge. You can cop a classic white or a rainbow set of the larger-sized options for less than $10 a plate. 

Is it really a design trend if Supreme doesn’t try to do its own homage (or, let’s be real, full-on flip)? Originally dropping back in April 2023, Supreme’s take on the Hellerware trend might have long since sold out on its official, first-party channels (but at least no one can say they won’t know where you got it). 

See the rainbow, taste the rainbow.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.