partners in craft A CONVERSATION WITH SOPHIE COTELLE-VIGROUX As the Director of Collections at Baccarat and working for the company for more than twenty years, Sophie Cotelle-Vigroux has been at the heart of the brand’s evolution. The driving force behind new collections and innovations, and the liaison between designer and factory. Sophie reveals the magic behind the long-term collaboration of Baccarat and Marcel Wanders studio. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT I remember very well the first time Marcel visited our manufacture in the village of Baccarat, he brought us the typical Dutch ‘stroopwafel’. Days full of fun and discovery followed. It was very exciting to see Marcel spend lots of time in the workshop together with the blowers and cutters, taking in their craftsmanship and know-how with full respect and admiration. I could tell it was there and then, that he felt the heart and soul of Baccarat and would do its best to magnify the beauty of crystal. It was the beginning of our beautiful story which we have made stronger with every new collection. 24 THE REBIRTH OF AN ICON Marcel and Gabriele are very demanding and that in the best possible way. They work hard and request many interactions with my team and me to clearly understand the purpose of a new collection. As was the case for Le Roi Soleil. It started with a brief asking the studio to revisit the iconic Zénith chandelier and propose a more contemporary design for this classic piece. Marcel came back asking for many different figures, trying to grasp and understand every single fact.
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