THE CHANGING FACE OF ART
Culture
obsession with collecting
The psychology of collecting is inherently complex, as it’s neither binary nor as simple as an axis on which we place people based on such attributes as their habits or aesthetic inclinations. As such, we spoke to gallerists, collectors, auctioneers and art advisors, including Emmanuel de Bayser, Gladys Chenel and Julian Treger, asking them what they think it is that drives us as individuals to collect.
TIMELESS DESIGN
We frequently hear about “trends” and their negative impact on society in terms of pedalling the next new thing, thereby encouraging an unethical obsession with “newness”, which manifests itself in throw-away fast fashion and interiors. The idea of “timeless” design is, in essence, diametrically opposed to such a temporal approach, whereby the emphasis is on creating something made to last.
RAGE AGAINST THE MAINSTREAM
Hopefully, as a society, we can counter the predominance of algorithmic recommendations, which are increasingly becoming one of the most malevolent forces in contemporary culture, flattening everything, from fashion to design and architecture, into a singular, homogonous aesthetic. The only way to do that is to place a far greater emphasis on the individual, championing those free thinkers with a unique, original perspective.
PEOPLE
return to the individual
Saman Amel have launched a flagship London atelier; and with an approach akin to Gertrude Stein, they intend to use the space as a platform for expressing their innate passion for art and design. Generations of young creatives “found” their place within Stein’s illustrious salons, a synergistic environment where, crucially, ideas were exchanged face to face, first-hand. Similarly, Saman Amel hope to foster an environment where customers can come together for thematic exhibitions and soirées, with the hope of promoting conversations beyond clothes.
american eclectic
With such a rich history of art and design, interweaving as it does, different eras and epochs, from Elsie de Wolfe and Jean-Michel Frank to the influence of exiled European avant-garde artists, and gallerists such as Peggy Guggenheim, it should come as little surprise that a new generation of New York decorators are taking inspiration from the past. As such, we spoke to Sebastian Zuchowicki about coquille d’œuf marquetry, the rise and rise of the celebrity interior stylist and, perhaps more pressingly, his abiding love for lampshades.
Italian in Spirit
It might come as little surprise that for a recently completed townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Italian-born architect Achille Salvagni was influenced not only by the work of New York native Rosario Candela, but cites Jean-Michel Frank, who designed the now iconic Rockefeller penthouse, as a key source of inspiration. We caught up at his London atelier, to discuss cannibals from Fiji, bespoke London tailoring and the teahouse of Villa Albani.
TRAVEL
At Sloane
Upon entering the burnt-brick hues of the hotel’s Neo-Greek lobby, one quickly loses all sense of the outside world, entering a richly layered mise-en-scène, a throwback to a golden age of luxury. Beguiled by its inherent charm, I met the designer, François-Joseph Graf, for a tour, after which, we discussed his influences and inspirations, the decorators he most admires, and more pressing concerns, such as where to get the best steak tartare and frog legs in Paris.
Atmospheric intent
“Hotel Château Voltaire is anything but a decoration,” explains Thierry Gillier, “It is a place of today to be experienced today by people of today.” With that in mind, we spoke to Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay of Festen architecture, not only about their design for this 32-room five-star Paris hotel, but also their likes, dislikes and, in the case of the former, a long-harboured desire to moonlight as a dancer.
Home Away From Home
We spoke to Andrea Bokobsa, co-founder of Pied-A-Terre Paris, about his passion for art and design (in part inspired by his mother, a former designer for Baby Dior and Bonpoint) and where he hopes to take the company in coming years
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