Saint-Louis and Pierre Charpin make crystal for everyday use
‘Cadence’ by Saint-Louis and designer Pierre Charpin is a new 29-piece crystal collection designed for everyday use
![Saint-Louis and Charpin ‘Cadence’ 29-piece crystal collection](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UhNzUd9M3c9V3iiSVa7qKK-415-80.jpg)
Saint-Louis and Pierre Charpin are on a mission to make crystal casual. That might seem like a strange cause for the royal glassworks of France (a title that originated with King Louis XV) and a designer whose work is in the collection of the Centre Pompidou and Musée des Arts Décoratifs. But good design always responds to the needs of its users, and as Saint-Louis’ artistic director Anne Lhomme puts it, ‘we’re living in a time where we want things to be fuss-free, when we want the way we use objects to be as simple as possible’.
Thus, Saint-Louis and Charpin have created ‘Cadence’, a 29-piece collection of clear crystal that spans everything from vases and tumblers to fruit bowls and lamps. The objects are characterised by a design of horizontal and vertical cuts that, as Charpin puts it, ‘creates a connection, a line, and allows these objects to exist together or on their own, and to become part of an everyday landscape’.
To make finely cut crystal objects suitable for such an ‘everyday landscape’, the collection emphasises simplicity and functionality. Horizontal lines decorate the objects that contain liquids, and vertical lines adorn ‘elevated’ objects like stemmed glasses and lighting stands. The pieces are heavy enough that they do not feel intimidatingly delicate, but light enough that they can be easily carried and used for long stretches of time. The precision-cut lines give each object a pleasant tactility. The wine glasses have a shorter, bulkier stem than usual to make them feel less formal, while the table and hanging lamps use a surprising combination of crystal and paper to gently diffuse light.
The ‘Cadence’ collection’s appearance is discreet but still distinctive, modern without sacrificing elegance. Charpin found inspiration for his design in the Viennese Secession, Memphis, and other movements that broke away from the ornate seriousness of the time in favour of something simpler and more immediate.
The designer’s understanding of shape and function and his ability to walk the line between high design and everyday practicality were the central reasons Saint-Louis called on him for this collection. Yet, the final appearance of ‘Cadence’ was not down to Charpin alone. ‘For me, ideas usually take precedence over materials,’ he says. ‘But my encounter with Saint-Louis is and remains the exception to this rule: it was impossible to ignore crystal, or the manufacturer's existence.’
For three years, Charpin and Saint-Louis’ craftspeople worked together to see how the original drawings could be translated into literal objects. It was a complicated process to align Saint-Louis’ ancient techniques for crystal-cutting with Charpin’s seemingly simple design.
Every piece of Saint-Louis crystal is mouth-blown, hand-cut, hand-engraved and hand-decorated in its factory in northern France, where the brand has been based since the 18th century. For Charpin, ‘Cadence’s lines meeting and repeating themselves are really a tribute to the virtuosity of Saint-Louis’ crystal-cutting craft. Manufactures, workshops are always emotional places. While drawing, I was thinking of the local landscape shaped by crystal activity, the village life of Saint-Louis and its living heritage. There’s a certain inherent rigour, even a fervour attached to the know-how narrative of the manufacture.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Adds Lhomme, ‘I think we want to have objects around us that make sense, that fit in with our everyday life. Even if these objects are pretty, are aesthetic, are crystal, they are objects you will use regularly.’
INFORMATION
A version of this article appears in the May 2022 issue of Wallpaper*. Subscribe today!
Mary Cleary is a writer based in London and New York. Previously beauty & grooming editor at Wallpaper*, she is now a contributing editor, alongside writing for various publications on all aspects of culture.
-
‘The United States of América’: how Willy Chavarria is rewriting American fashion
Wallpaper* catches up with Willy Chavarria, who staged his latest show, ‘América’, in a disused bank on New York’s Wall Street yesterday evening (September 6 2024)
By Ann Binlot Published
-
Designer India Mahdavi on her perfect restaurant experience
As part of Laila Gohar's guest editorship, she asked friends in the industry and her wider creative circle to relive their perfect restaurant experience. Here, designer India Mahdavi recounts a perfect night dining under the pitch-black Egyptian sky
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Mark Armijo McKnight’s bodily landscapes capture the tactile serenity of the American West
The artist’s new exhibition at the Whitney Museum, which is organised by the museum curator Drew Sawyer, offers a succinct window into his contemplative suggestion of queering a landscape
By Osman Can Yerebakan Published
-
Completedworks turns its reductionist vision to bags
British jewellery and homeware brand Completedworks’ Anna Jewsbury puts handbags under her sculptural lens
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Avgvst marks new Berlin store opening with cutlery-themed jewellery
Harry Nuriev of Crosby Studios is at the helm of Avgvst’s new Berlin store, and has collaborated on its range of cutlery-themed jewellery
By Ann Binlot Published
-
Hair jewellery to covet and collect
Today’s hair jewellery is both practical and pretty. We're pinning our hopes on these simple and elegant accessories
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Reimagined Cartier Baignoire watch is a fitting homage to the original
The new Cartier Baignoire watch nods to the brand’s design history
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Tiffany & Co opens redesigned New York store, The Landmark
Peter Marino and OMA New York, led by Shohei Shigematsu, are behind Tiffany & Co’s vast new Fifth Avenue flagship
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Cherry picking: Grand Seiko’s new watch marks the beginning of spring
We’ve taken a shine to a pretty-in-pink Grand Seiko timepiece
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Watches and Wonders 2023: the highlights
Discover the best watches from Watches and Wonders 2023
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Watches and Wonders behind the scenes: building the world’s biggest watch fair
Discover how Watches and Wonders 2023, the year’s biggest horological event, is designed and built
By Hannah Silver Published