Interview Apollo Tea | Scenography
ISABELLE DAËRON
« I studied to be a designer. Water, with its issues, its materiality, its beliefs, is a subject that has guided me for around ten years through the design of objects but also drawings and books. I created Idaë studio in 2018. We are a team of designers working on a variety of projects, from urban design to scenography. The common thread is the importance of narrative and mediation.
Our collaboration with Saint-Louis goes back many years. I first became interested in Saint-Louis crystal when I was a student. Working with Lily Monsaingeon, we entered the Comité Colbert competition on how crystal is used on a daily basis. Although we did not win, the project hold the attention of the artistic director. In 2008, 3 vases were produced. This was the Makina project, which highlighted the sizes of each piece on elementary shapes.
In 2010, we had the chance to design a scenography for the Saint-Louis Boutique Rue Royale. A few years later, with Studio Idaë, we continued to imagine window displays for the Boutique and the brand's affiliates. »
Sketch of the window display
How did you conceive and build the Apollo Tea window display?
Isabelle: I would say the Apollo Tea window display is a team effort, both within the studio and with Anne Lhomme, creative director at Saint-Louis.
At first, we tried to understand the specificities of these new pieces. The idea was to embody tea tasting through the use of space and color, while seeking a visual balance between the transparency of crystal, the powdery aspect of porcelain and a narrative visual environment. When we start a project, it's always an exciting moment when we read and learn a lot, like the Chinese legend of Shennong, which recounts the discovery of tea.
Alcove modelling
Behind a window, there's above all a story to be told through words, images and colors. We gather images, notions, graphic principles... all sorts of materials, which we then organize. Then we summarize a proposal with text and drawings. Drawing has the advantage of expressing an intention while retaining a certain openness. This process is very important to me. It allows for flexibility and exchange throughout the development of the project.
The objective for this window display was to create a relatively abstract setting that would showcase Apollo Tea, while evoking a reminiscence of tea tasting. Hills in shades of green evoke the singular shape of tea plantations, with scrolls in the colors of black and green tea infusions in the background.
A message from the range or a detail of tea tasting that you felt was important to convey.
Isabelle: In the Apollo Tea collection, there are contrasts between the sparkling aspect of crystal and the matte appearance of porcelain. We tried to capture this principle in the finish of the hills, which interact with the print on a matte veil.
It's very beautiful when water vapor condenses on crystal, but it's a moment that's very difficult to convey in color or form. The gradations on the translucent textiles in the background were designed with this in mind.
Interview Apollo Tea | Heritage
Donia Lakhdar Maktoum
