As seen in a previous post, in the history of modern fashion there are some designs, motifs or inspirations that have the potential of becoming an obsessive presence, returning season after season or every so many years like a dreaded burden, similar to the cursed albatross hanging from the neck of the ancient mariner.
In another post we looked at the futuristic circuit board bodysuit, can you guess another inspiration that can be compared to the proverbial albatross? Go on, guess it. I know you can do it. Yes... you got it! It's the Memphis Milano aesthetics.
Over ten years ago the shapes of the vases and dishes by this Italian collective reappeared in Dior's Autumn/Winter 2011-12 Haute Couture collection. Then it was the turn of footwear brand Sergio Rossi with its Spring/Summer 2013 collection with unmistakable graphic zigzag lines or black and white stripes broken by colourful elements reminiscent of Michele De Lucchi's tables and lamps, or by the contrasting shades and patterns of Nathalie Du Pasquier's porcelain vases and fruit bowls.
The pastel shades in Prada's A/W 2015 collection looked entirely lifted from Michele De Lucchi's Girmi prototypes, while Arthur Arbesser's Resort 2016 collection borrowed from Ettore Sottsass' works and Valentino's A/W 17 collection featured prints by Nathalie du Pasquier. Then it was the turn of Saint Laurent's creative director Anthony Vaccarello who, in 2021, created a capsule collection dedicated to Memphis Milano and added to its Saint Laurent Rive Droite "curated" site a selection of books about the group and interior design pieces by the design collective.
In July, also Boucheron jumped on the Memphis Milano bandwagon. We're all familiar with the reason behind our unwavering fascination with Memphis Milano, the continuous allure for the collective is actually almost effortlessly comprehensible: the eccentric textures, the collision of vibrant colors and patterns of their pieces, all serve as symbols of the unbridled optimism and exuberance of the 1980s. They have an uncanny ability to instantly uplift your spirits.
Yet, there's another aspect to consider: the fact that the objects created by this collective bore little resemblance to conventional interior design pieces. Instead, they resembled more fantastical toys, poised to captivate and astound you with their sheer audacity and unconventional aesthetics.
Boucheron combined in its 2023 High Jewelry Carte Blanche collection entitled "More Is More" these two points: the vibrant patterns and dynamic textures and the notion that the design pieces possessed an appearance akin to toys, yet transcended mere playthings.
The collection moves from the paralyzing days of Covid lockdown, when Creative Director Claire Choisne came up with a new concept of High Jewelry, released from any constraints and characterized by a variety of sizes, shapes, and materials, geared more towards joy than towards ostentatious luxury, and boldly incorporating innovative materials and technical solutions.
The collection, unveiled in July in Paris, exudes a vibrant and joyful spirit reminiscent of the 1980s. It features pop colors, extravagant volumes, and whimsical silhouettes.
When it was launched models playfully showcased the pieces while sitting on Masanori Umeda's Tawaraya Ring (1981), the famous Memphis Milano boxing ring-shaped seating unit/bed, evoking a sense of fun and nostalgia.
Geometric designs, spheres, cubes and black and white Memphis Milano graphic stripes are combined together in this collection.
For example, there are rings adorned with a yellow diamond and sapphire sphere and a rock crystal and white gold cube, outlined by titanium and resin. A two-finger black and white striped resin ring also displays a rock crystal sphere carved with yellow diamonds and sapphires.
The black-and-white stripes reappear in bangles and in an Art Deco-inspired hair jewel (a more practical scrunchie featured in this collection integrates instead a sphere and a cube View this photo).
The bangles showcase the Maison's signature designs through the Memphis Milano-evoking hand-lacquered black and white elements emulating the "gros grain" code of Boucheron. They also incorporate the maison’s clou de Paris motif in red, blue, and green lacquer, diamond lines and double-gadroon motifs in resin and aluminum.
The Art Deco hair jewel plays instead with optical illusions and features black and white lines that create a maze-like pattern, merging parallels and perspectives.
The collection also includes a black and white jeweled pocket applique made from 3D-printed titanium, mounted on stretch fabric and equipped with a magnet for attachment to clothing.
This is actually not the only design that can be attached to a garment: there are also two 40 cm long yellow gold, titanium and aluminum jewel strings set with citrine, diamonds, black lacquer, onyx and white opal that can be applied to the base of a hood.
Transformation and multi-wear pieces are actually a key to the collection as the hood strings can become long earrings, or diamond-paved stud earrings, while a tsavorite and black lacquer sphere-shaped bangle with a titanium structure can be turned into a cuff bracelet and two rings when the sphere is dismantled, making it a four-in-one creation.
The theme of flatness and illusion runs through the collection, particularly evident in the brooches inspired by high school iron-on badges featuring a variety of subjects like Hokusai's wave (a homage to Japan) and the Maison's iconic designs, including the Jack.
One standout piece is an oversized hair bow, red on one side and adorned with black and white stripes (again emulating Boucheron's "gros grain" code) on the other.
Despite its playful and cartoonish appearance, this design, dubbed "Tie the Knot", is set with diamonds and white gold. Remarkably, it weighs a mere 94 grams, thanks to its construction from bio acetate, a favorite of eyeglass manufacturers and a sustainable material derived from wood paste and cotton fibers.
Bio acetate's production methods are eco-friendly, mixing lightness and sustainability. For the back of this piece, they employed magnesium that is 30% lighter than aluminum and ten times lighter than gold. The strips of the bow were meticulously shaped, dyed black through a cataphoresis treatment and then set. All 200 components necessary for its creation were individually crafted and assembled, ensuring both resilience and flexibility.
There are other pieces in the collection that embody the same whimsical quality as this bow, and that also call to mind the flat aesthetic of the iconic "Stolen Jewels" pixelated collection by design duo Mike and Maaike.
There is a comic book quality in the oversized titanium chain link piece lined with black lacquer and mandarin garnet elements, as well as in the large flat pearl necklace.
Borrowed from a Boucheron archive necklace, the extra-large digital printed soap bubble-like pearl elements on an aluminum base are covered with mother of pearl powder to recreate the nacre reflections of natural pearls.
Memphis Milano's creations often evoked the world of toys, and certain designs in this collection playfully reference that theme.
For instance, a cube necklace, aptly named "Solve Me," brings to mind the iconic Rubik's cube, the quintessential '80s puzzle. In this necklace, each of the 21 precious cubes boasts a different color, alternating between grey and pink spinels, pink sapphires, and diamonds.
Besides, three brooches re-imagine Boucheron's iconic Jack design and with their resin-colored cones they resemble spinners more than traditional Haute Joaillerie.
So, while moving from Memphis Milano, the pieces in this collection transcend the literal interpretation of the original aesthetics they borrow from, presenting at the same time cutting-edge technical solutions for Haute Joaillerie.
Rather than merely mimicking the aesthetics of Memphis Milano, these creations move from this inspiration, but then take another direction. They whimsically reimagine some of the original moods and shapes, reinventing the duality of Memphis Milano (think about Umeda's "Tawaraya Ring" – a boxing ring that can be a seating unit/bed or vice versa…) to highlight the transformative potential of jewelry (a cuff that turns into rings, the hood strings that can be disassembled into earrings…), adding in this way a layer of intrigue, and playing between forms and functions, inviting the wearer to be an active part of a dynamic dialogue with their accessories.
So, engage in a dialogue with Memphis Milano if you must, but do it cleverly, pushing boundaries and embracing playful transformations and unconventionally quirky innovations that can inject new life - and joy - into the world of design.
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