A Glass Coffee Table that Demonstrates Talent and Craftsmanship

In this week’s interview with 2021 SBID Awards Winner Lalique, UK Managing Director, Frederick Fischer explores the effort and craftsmanship that goes into creating their products, and dives into the company’s values and work processes.

How important is it to enter the SBID Awards and receive industry recognition for your work?

It is very important and an honour for us to achieve recognition from our esteemed industry peers in such a beautiful and enjoyable setting at such a well organised event. Aside from the obvious accolade for which we are extremely grateful – particularly to everyone who took the time to vote, it assures our design teams and hugely talented craftsmen and women in our factory in Alsace that what they are producing and creating is the very best. It also of course helps when we are speaking to clients and customers from across the world to say a piece has been celebrated in this way.

What do you think made this particular design an award winner?

The Cactus coffee table is a reimagined classic design first created in 1951. It is a beautiful, timeless and strong design that embodies the creative genius and unique expertise of our design masters.

In order to participate in the creation of the Cactus table, our craftsmen and women must have received the distinction of Best Craftsmen of France. Successfully bringing together talent, timing and temperature, six dedicated glass masters combine an exceptional mastery of modern technique. It takes around 10 weeks to create the piece and craft the legs alone.

What was the inspiration behind reimagining a classic Lalique design to create the Cactus Coffee Table?

Across all our collections, the original designs of Rene Lalique are an inspiration. We work with our heritage and know how – from the archives but also with our creative teams in Paris led by creative director Marc Larminaux to create pieces that will work with interiors today. We were asked by clients many times if we could create a coffee table to suit contemporary and traditional interiors and the Cactus design sits perfectly within this.

The Lalique factory will soon celebrate 100 years. To what do you attribute the brand’s long-standing success, and how does this translate into the products you design?  

The Lalique name is synonymous with craft, luxury and savoir faire and the French art of living well which is evident in all our pillars – hospitality, art, interior design, decorative items, jewellery and perfumes.

It takes around seven years to qualify as a glass maker in the factory and it is an extraordinary skilled and precise craft. It is a gift to be able to work so cleverly and skilfully with your hands.

Lalique CEO and Chairman, Mr Silvio Denz is also a visionary and we have collaborated and worked with some of the most celebrated artists, architects and designers as well as like-minded luxury brands such as Damien Hirst, Sir Elton John, Zaha Hadid, Mario Botta, The Macallan and Singapore Airlines to name a few.

Now that you’ve won an SBID Award, what are the next steps? Is there anything new you are excited to be working on?

It is a very exciting time to be at Lalique as our world expands and grows.

We have some very exciting collaborations coming up and we also recently opened a new gourmet restaurant and the first Lalique boutique in Scotland at The Glenturret – Scotland’s oldest working distillery which is also home to the finest whiskey bar in the world – designed and created by Lalique.

What advice can you give to young designers starting out in the design industry?

Work hard, be resilient, travel and explore as much as possible and be kind and polite. The design industry is a small world.

It’s a world of opportunity for young designers now as the barriers between art/interiors/fashion and design merge and we have some very talented creatives – good luck!

Questions answered by Frederick Fischer, UK MD, Lalique.