Tag: workshop

Discover Venice the #HomoFaberWay: A self-guided tour of Venice’s hidden crafts workshops

February 26, 2022 by Editorial Team

Organised by the Michelangelo Foundation, 2022 Homo Faber event showcases fine contemporary, traditional and rare craftsmanship and its link to the world of creativity and design, to promote a more human, inclusive and sustainable future. The 2nd edition of this unprecedented international cultural event in Venice will celebrate fine craftsmanship’s “living treasures” through 15 … Read more

LVMH announces LVMH Métiers d’Art 2021 artist in residence

January 20, 2021 by Editorial Team

Franco-Danish painter Eva Nielsen was selected by LVMH luxury group for its LVMH Métiers d’Art 2021 artist in residence program. LVMH Métiers d’Art invites Eva Nielsen as 2021 artist in residence For six months starting in January 2021, Eva Nielsen will collaborate with artisans at Tanneries Roux, recognized for their exceptional savoir- faire … Read more

Salvatore Ferragamo opens new eco-friendly workshop

December 18, 2017 by Editorial Team

While launching worldwide the enhanced Vara Rainbow bag from the Pre-Spring 18 collection, Salvatore Ferragamo announced a new eco-friendly workshop for the development of leather goods. In Osmannoro (Florence, Italy), luxury Italian fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo has recently opened a cutting-edge artisanal centre that promotes research into materials. Some twenty artisans will join the current … Read more

The young challengers celebrating 10 years of Functional Design Art

December 26, 2016October 25, 2016 by Editorial Team

By Philippe Mihailovich.

Coinciding with the opening of the 2016 edition of the Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain (FIAC) – the international art fair held annually at the Grand Palais in Paris, and this year including Petit Palais and other venues – two young challengers attracted the international art press to their massive new venue “Carpenters Workshop Gallery / Roissy” not far from Charles De Gaulle Airport

Just as FIAC Director Jennifer Flay says that her aim was to provide FIAC exhibitors with museum-like exhibition conditions for important works, she told Blouinartinfo (1) that current art market conditions are “like taking a step back,” and it is a “time to reassess.” She believes that the market is quite healthy, but the situation is particularly hard for younger galleries, who seem to be more fragile. “It’s always been difficult to be a young gallerist, and that is the part of the market that seems to be hit the most at the moment.” Yet a few miles away two young gallerists were hosting a 10 year celebration that they could truly be proud of, as were the art press who attended.

The 22nd October 2016 was the day that Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery opened its 8000 sqm space dedicated to artistic research and development, where leading artisans and artists are at work creating limited edition functional art with high tech equipment and real handcraft as one would expect to see in any high luxury workshop from watchmaking through to Hermès and Pagani Automobile. Here we witness the creativity, skills, hard work, and a search for perfection that goes beyond most luxury wearables.

Carpenters Workshop Gallery only recently opened a gallery in the Takashimaya Building in New York after having successfully conquered London and Paris. For the two young visionary founders, Julien Lombrail and Loic Le Gaillard, it must be such an overwhelming feeling to have built such a successful gallery business and having attracted the biggest names from Maartin Baas, Sebastian Brajkovic, Andrea Branzi, Humberto & Fernando Campana, Nacho Carbonell, Wendell Castle, Ingrid Donat, Vincent Dubourg, Staurt Haygarth, Frederik Molenschot, Marc Newson, Random International, Rick Owens, Pablo Reinoso, Robert Stadler, studio Drift and Studio Job.

Not only are Hollywood celebrities and art collectors on their client list but even leading Art and Design museums as well as top boutique hotels are now tracking them. How long will it take for them to open in Asia, one wonders. One thing seems clear, the world appreciates design more than ever before. Contemporary Art may have become far too intellectualized for many to appreciate. Design Art or Functional Sculpture, as some pieces may be called, clearly manage to please all who appreciate both art and design, both creativity and craftsmanship, have a sense of humour and a strong belief of where the future lies.

Traditionally, the creations of luxury brands were not quite considered as art due to the fact that the pieces were functional however top jewelers and watchmakers have long aimed and claimed to make art pieces. The fact that the luxury industry is an industry, has often denied these creators the right to be considered as artists. Art is supposed to be for emotion only, however the great Michelangelo church works do indeed function to tell a story. With design art offering another bridge between these worlds, where does it leave the art world? One thing is for sure, The Carpenters Workshop Gallery is well on it way to becoming the Gagosian of the Design Art World.

For more information on Gagosian, please click on this link :
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-art-of-larry-gagosians-empire-1461677075

1. http://www.blouinartinfo.com

Maltier le Malletier. The ‘oldest’ new French reference for luxury trunk-making and leather goods

March 31, 2016March 5, 2016 by Editorial Team

Article by Caroline Taylor.
Maltier le Malletier was born thanks to the successful combination of three stories: the reconnection of two childhood friends, Benoît Maltier and Guillaume Désert; Benoît’s family trunk making history – whose forefathers took the name of their artisanship, “Maltier”, derived from the French word “un malletier” meaning trunk-maker; and finally, their passion for ancient French trunk-making traditions and “savoir- faire”.

Indeed, Benoît Maltier’s family were one of the most distinguished trunk making Maisons in France in the 17th century, long before the advent of Louis Vuitton, Goyard (previously Morel) around 1850 and more recently, Pinel & Pinel and a reborn Moynat. Maletier malletier, based in the Vienne-Poitiers region, would be commissioned to create exclusive and luxurious trunks by the regional aristocracy but by the time of the French Revolution, this renown family brand had faded along with others from it’s time.

The revival of a 16th-century family brand

One can trace the first malletiers and coffretiers to 14th Century France. At the time, these artisans were all-rounders making boxes, chests, sideboards and other structures of wood covered with leather. It was only in 1379 that Charles V regulated the profession by various statutes and by 1479, only seven such professionals were registered in the Kingdom of France.

During the reign of François 1er, the first carriages appeared and revolutionised trunk-making to meet the travel needs of aristocrats and by the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries all wealthy travellers had their personalised trunks. Many craftsmen from goldsmiths to shoemakers were named after their crafts as did Benoît’s ancestor.

After going their separate ways after high school and losing touch for many years, Guillaume stumbled upon some of Benoît’s fabulous furniture designs and decided to reconnect with him. In 2011, they saw each other in Paris and realised that their friendship had never changed. A year later, Guillaume, who had studied law and political sciences, wanted to start a shoe-shining business in Paris. Knowing that Benoît had studied furniture making and design at L’École Boulle and at
the Institut du Design de Saint-Luc, he called upon Benoît to ask for his help in designing the perfect seat for his future clients.

Both friends met up again in Paris and Benoît started sketching a closable trunk shaped chair that would contain all the necessary accessories for Guillaume’s shoe-shining business. While he was sketching, Benoît spoke about the history of his name, the family trunk-makers in the 17th century and mentioned that he was thinking of going into trunk-making.

A few weeks after sketching Guillaume’s trunk-chair, Benoît came back to Guillaume to inform him that he had finally made the decision to go into trunk-making and to revive his family history and family brand. He asked Guillaume to partner up with him, and Maltier le Malletier was born, or somewhat reborn.

A contemporary touch to the old art of traditional trunk making

Today, what differentiates Maltier le Malletier from other trunk makers lies not only in its unusual creations but also within it’s use of both technically advanced and traditional techniques as well as the combined use of traditional and modern noble materials. When Benoît uses contemporary materials such as Corian – a mineral resin derived from bauxite ore – he uses it in a very traditional way. The mix of these unusual materials and techniques add a very contemporary touch to the very old art of traditional trunk making.

The Maison primarily aims to offer incomparable craftsmanship. All trunks are custom-made to excellence in the extreme at their workshop in Neuville-de-Poitou where Benoît Maltier personally oversees the production of each and every one of his creations which are all numbered and signed on approval.

As seen in the video, Maltier le Malletier have created exceptional items for Taittinger Champagne and Bisquit cognac. A few more exciting creations for French wines and spirits way but until they open their workshop/shop in Paris one day, potential customers should not hesitate to visit them at the ADC showroom, 76 rue Quincampoix, 75003 Paris.