Charlotte Chesnais Holds a Candle to Loro Piana
Loro Piana's latest project translates the warmth of its famously fine cashmere into metal. In a rare collaboration, the Italian label — a master of quiet luxury — enlisted jewelry designer Charlotte Chesnais to design candleholders as refined as its fashion.
The collaboration came about naturally, according to Chesnais, who still remembers her first introduction to Loro Piana cashmere. "There is still nothing like it on the market. I have wanted to work with them ever since," she said.
For Chesnais, it was a no-brainer to capture the feeling of the ultra-soft textile. "I wanted to work on an object that evoked warmth... A warm, cocoon-like atmosphere," she explained. But how would Chesnais translate her speciality — metal-work, a rather cold material — into something cozy?
"The answer was obvious: a candleholder."
While sketching, Chesnais listened to the soundtrack of Barry Lyndon, a film that informed the collaboration's design choices. "[Stanley Kubrick] saw the film as an 18th century documentary, an attempt to recreate a bygone era," she recounted. "Kubrick chose to shoot only with natural light, using candlelight for the night scenes. The double wicks were the secret to having a strong enough light — this is what inspired me to create the double wicks for the candleholders of this collaboration as well."
Loro Piana and Chesnais' looping holders are currently on display at Art Basel Miami, where luxury-seekers will undoubtably flock to the collab like moths to a (literal) flame.
