For La Prairie’s first project for the year, the brand is proud to introduce its latest initiative – La Prairie x ECAL.
In 2021, Swiss Luxury house La Prairie is joining forces with ECAL/Ecole cantonale d’art de, contributing to nourishing the next generation of artists and designers.
As part of the partnership with the school, La Prairie has collaborated with students of ECAL Master of Advanced Studies in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship programme, under the creative leadership of Sabine Marcelis, designer and winner of Wallpaper Magazine’s 2020 Designer of the Year award.
For this collaboration, students were invited to design an object of design that expresses the brand’s vision of Swissness – the purity, precision and timelessness inherent to the land of the house’s origins. Using materials native to Switzerland, each student expressed a unique interpretation that captures the imagination.
According to La Prairie, their work embodies an unmistakable Swiss aesthetic and, “as citizens of the world, they bring a singular perspective to the notion of Swissness. The result is a combination of sculptural, kinetic, interactive and time-infused works that express diverse and creative interpretations of Swiss aesthetics. The works tell an emotional, immersive story through dynamic and interactive installations.”
“We are delighted to partner with ECAL on this exciting initiative," La Prairie chief marketing officer, Greg Prodromides, said. "We firmly believe that it is essential to support and encourage young artists who are forward-thinking while remaining sensitive to the timelessness of art.
In making the deliberate choice to work with young designers from varied backgrounds and experiences, we are treated to an exceptional array of interpretations of Swissness. We believe that this kind of diversity further enhances the values of creation and creativity, so essential to our identity as a luxury house.”
The six students and their work will be featured in a week-long online Instagram exhibition from January 18-24, 2021 hosted on La Prairie's page. The winning student will receive a grant from La Prairie to use towards launching their design career.
The winning piece will be selected by two parties: by a jury composed of design experts from ECAL and La Prairie and, in a first for the house, a call for votes from the public over Instagram.
