SET IN STONE: There’s no rest for Karl Lagerfeld. Following countless collaborations under his namesake line, and days after wrapping his latest show for Chanel, the designer is readying his first sculpture exhibition, “Architectures,” at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Paris on Oct. 19.
Spanning gueridons, tables, lamps, consoles, fountains and mirrors, the ensemble of one-off functional sculptures was inspired by antiquity, a period that for Lagerfeld represents the origin of beauty, culture and modernity.
For the black-and-white architectonic designs, Lagerfeld mixed classical foundations with a present-day vibe, “like a modern mythology.”
Each piece is carved from a carefully selected marble block: the rare Arabescato Fantastico, a vibrant white marble with dark gray veins that has not been quarried for more than 30 years, or black Nero Marquina marble, chosen for its brushstrokelike, milky white veins.
Limited to eight editions in each marble variety, plus four artist proofs, the sculptures were cut, sculpted, faceted and polished by artisans in Italy, with high-profile Beirut-born architect Aline Asmar d’Amman overseeing the process.
A special daylight effect is diffused by the lighting pieces, described as “a laser blade from the future,” and hand-painted lampshades borrow traditional techniques from the decorative arts.
The show will wrap on Dec. 22.