On April 12, 2011 Christian Lacroix's latest work in home decor furniture will debut at Milan Design Week- 'Salone del Mobile', in collaboration with an italian mosaic art factory, Sicis. His 11 designs, which include sofas, chairs, lamps, and carpets were inspired by a mosaic illustration he created of Byzantine empress Theodora.
His collection was inspired by both new and old, and his love of interiors since he was a child.
“I think of the 1950s when I was a child—silent and well mannered but bored to death,” he said. “How I used to re-create everything in my head—not only the appearance of those in my inner circle but also the decoration of the houses where I was brought. Returning to my bedroom, I would draw everything as if it was costumes and stage sets because the performance idea made me feel part of the world. Theatre, opera or cinema, I only liked life that appeared via images, exalted by words and made grandiose by the décor, the criterions and order of aesthetic codes being well established.”
His love of fashion definitely influences his designs, regardless of his absence from the runway, personally. Lacroix mixes textiles such as leather and French brocade with various mosaics from Sici's. He takes a very intricate and couture appeal to furniture, which will be very apparent to the public when viewing the collection.
“The juxtaposition of intricate work and artisanal incrustations evokes exactly what I did in Haute Couture,” Lacroix said in a release. “What really appeals when working with Sicis is the way in which we can create the trompe l’oeil effect or a treasure’s richness or a miniature’s complexity or the purity of a metallic tint achieved via tiny stone and glass splinters.”
