Baccarat, Flos and Philippe Starck collaboration steals the spotlight at Milan Design Week

The thousands of projects – complete or forthcoming – his global fame and tireless protean inventiveness should never distract from Philippe Starck’s fundamental vision: Creation, whatever form it takes, must improve the lives of as many people as possible. Starck vehemently believes this poetic and political duty, rebellious and benevolent, pragmatic and subversive, should be shared by everyone and he sums it up with the humour that has set him apart from the very beginning:

No one has to be a genius, but everyone has to participate.

Philippe Starck

His precocious awareness of ecological implications, his enthusiasm for imagining new lifestyles, his determination to change the world, his love of ideas, his concern with defending the intelligence of usefulness – and the usefulness of intelligence – has taken him from iconic creation to iconic creation… From the everyday products, furniture and lemon squeezers, to revolutionary mega yachts, hotels that stimulate the senses, phantasmagorical venues and individual wind turbines, he never stops pushing the limits and criteria of contemporary design.

His dreams are solutions, solutions so vital that he was the first French man to be invited to the TED conferences (Technology, Entertainment & Design) alongside renowned participants including Bill Clinton and Richard Branson.

Bon Jour, designed by Philippe Stark in 2015 is the timeless elegance of high-technology dematerialization. With a body that is ethereal, pure and almost immaterial. Its naked, transparent base can be customized with a variety of interchangeable finishings and materials, expressing personal taste. It’s timeless.

I have a total weakness when it comes to the French ‘crystal’ Maison’s like Lalique, Daum and Baccarat. Not only the vases and sculptures I like, but also ‘transparant’ lamps!…. Lighting is always the centre of attention in a room.

Presented during Milan Design Week, Fuorisalone, the Bon Jour Versailles collection of lamps – a collaboration between French crystal maker Baccarat, Italian lighting manufacturer Flos and renowned designer Philippe Starck – stole the spotlight.

A beautiful handmade version of the Flos ‘Bon Jour’, is the Baccarat ‘Bon Jour Versaille’ that is availble in two sizes. The lamp sits on top of a finely sculpted transparent handmade crystal stand. The lines are reminiscent of Baccarat’s most iconic pieces. Starck designed a beautiful timeless classic.

Remember the time

It’s the first of July, it’s summer, and when everything goes well, lots of sunshine, and many happy faces! I love summer, sunshine, flowers, and I am a happy person, who likes to smile. But today, for 15 years now, this month brings also some sadness. It’s also a period for me to remember some loved ones, who passed away. My mother and ‘grandma’ Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan

Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan (1906 – 2000) in vintage Cartier picture frame, handmade bronze lamp by Daum, Art Deco pendulettes by Cartier, Wedgwood vase (all private collecton), flowers by Bloom Studio (Click photo to enlarge).

Exactly 2 weeks after the death of my mother, ‘grandma’ Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan passed away.

Playing as a child in the garden of Yakymour was a happy, innocent time, thanx to ‘Grandma’ Yaky and to Sadruddin, where an by whom I could be fully myself and forget ‘the bad things’, and get some strenght.

She had a big heart. No matter what kind of religion, man or women, or even sexual oriantation, she was véry openminded, Yakymour was always an open house.  “We should take care of eachother, everybody should be loved!, We are here on earth to do good, and not to harm or judge people, so lets love” she always said. And that’s what she did! She teached and showed me a lot! I’m always be grateful to that.

We talked to each other occasionally on the phone. You were so tired. Taking care of my mother, and the things that had to be done afer that, made that we haven’t seen eachother anymore…. everything went soo quick. Begum Om Habibeh ‘Mata Salamat’ aka Yvette Labrousse died on 1 July 2000, in Le Cannet, near Cannes, at the age of 94 years.

Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan (1906 – 2000) in vintage Cartier picture frames, Wedgwood vase (all private collecton) (Click photo to enlarge).

Like my mother she had the wish to stay in her own house, her own room, her own bed. She had some wonderful people who loved her and who took care of her: thanx Jeanet.

In the years she gave me some beautiful presents, like these to vintage sterling Art Deco Cartier picture frames. I gave them a special place in my house, and sometimes I change the pictures, to think about the wonderful time we had.

Time flies, sometimes it (still) feels like yesterday! You where very special to me, I will always remember the time! Thanx always!

gr.Jean Amr