“�ou see a kind of �erfection, a �ind of quality that you recognise as if you wer� looking at something with a �nique savoir-fai�e.” What is the process of working with Baccarat like? We have a special relationship. As designers, finding common ground with a company like Baccarat takes time in the beginning. We found that there were enough similarities in our values to build upon. We learned that we could accomplish something meaningful. The process of each project is slow, but that’s also why it is so special. That’s why after three years of working on a design, you see something that you can only see after three years. You see a kind of perfection, a kind of quality that you recognise as if you were looking at something with a unique savoir-faire. This type of feeling is something we can only build with a company like Baccarat. “�ith Le �oi Soleil, we challenged t�e typology.” What is the biggest challenge of designing a game? As with many things we create, the design of the game-collection Jeux de Cristal started with a study of people. We found that there are game fanatics who have relationships built upon the time spent playing games and experience camaraderie through competition. Or take a friend of mine, who only plays checkers with his father and always at the same little table in their house. It is the thing they share, their little tradition. So, playing a game is something that has more meaning for some people than for others – like most things. When designing Jeux de Cristal, we kept a persona in mind that would desire a special, exclusive version of the world’s most iconic games. The challenge was not to understand the games but to make sure we honoured their history. We focused on details and beautiful touches that we could bring to these timeless games of strategy. It has been extremely rewarding to design something that improves people’s minds and their strategic thinking... What are you most proud of from your collaboration with Baccarat? The design of Le Roi Soleil is a literal highlight for me. Where for most chandeliers the arms are defining or there is little movement, we challenged the typology with Le Roi Soleil. We kept the complexity of a classic Baccarat chandelier and transformed its typical shape into something unexpected. We made it spherical. You feel it’s Baccarat immediately. It is recognisable from hundreds of metres away. I think that’s remarkable, to do something that is so authentic and connected to Baccarat. It is the thing I’m most proud of in the collaboration with Baccarat. What’s next with Baccarat? We don’t currently know what our next collaboration will bring. But we know that collaborating with Baccarat is always an opportunity to combine our strengths of craftsmanship and beauty to create memorable pieces. 55
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