Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Tuesday, November 25th 2014 [ME NewsWire]Ever true to its spirit of reinvention, Christofle surprises anew with an original collection of streamlined, sensual stainless steel flatware signed by Eugeni Quitllet.
Long a pillar of Philippe Starck’s Paris-based design agency – where he notably was the only designer to have co-signed several pieces with the French design superstar – the 42 year-old Ibiza-born Quitllet struck out on his own and set up shop in Barcelona in 2011. Today, he is in hot demand and works with design editors the world over (clients include Kartell and Air France). With L’Ame de Christofle, Quitllet demonstrates the scope of his talent for creating powerful, sensitive objects.
“Christofle has always known how to bring together many elements that are both contradictory and marvelously complementary,” observes the house artistic director, Stéphane Parmentier. In that spirit, this new collection of stainless steel flatware blends the sensual purity of a highly reflective material with a line so radical it could belong to a supersonic. Comments Quitllet, who has designed knives since he first learned to draw, “As soon as you try to streamline a shape, whatever it may be, you wind up with a knife – and that’s true whether you’re talking about the design of a boat or a skyscraper.”
With L’Ame de Christofle, the designer invites us on a new journey. Designed with elegance and a sense of extreme sobriety, this collection pushes stainless steel to new heights. A few discreet yet essential details allow a glimpse of the hand behind it, such as the tapered cut of the handle or the fineness of the blade. This collection is the perfect extension of L’Ame, the line Quitlett designed for the silversmith in 2012. “With the first mono-block knife, I was already looking to express Christofle’s know-how and DNA in one shape,” the designer explains. “I wanted the steel blade to reflect the history of this legendary House while still looking toward the future.” This collection is the perfect prolongation of his original idea.
With each new creation, Quitllet is driven by the same objective: beyond designing an object that is perfect in form and function, he seeks to reveal the object’s spirit. By coaxing out an archaic silhouette hidden within the material, the Catalan designer shows its soul. And inspires emotion.
This set is composed of seventeen pieces that are not only chic and contemporary, but also practical and user-friendly. The designer even invited some Catalan “friends” to join the occasion, by enriching the usual service with three utensils: a tapas pic, also known as a pallilo; an espresso stirrer and an ice spoon – three whimsical, multi-use objects based on the same pure lines. For Quitllet, it was a way to invite whomever beholds them to the sunny terraces of Barcelona. For Christofle, it was a way to show, once again, how its creations reflect the contemporary lifestyle. An ode to the art of living.
Contacts
Laura Chahine
Laura.Chahine@havasprme.com
+971 4 4556142
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