LALIQUE – GLASS & CRYSTAL – PARIS, FRANCE

1860 | BIRTH OF RENÉ LALIQUE

René Lalique was born in Aÿ-en-Champagne in the Marne region of France. Some years later, the Lalique family moved to Paris but continued to spend holidays in Aÿ. René Lalique remained deeply attached to his birthplace throughout his life.

1885 | THE FIRST PARISIAN WORKSHOP

Following the death of his father, René Lalique became an apprentice to craftsman and jeweller Louis Aucoc. It was during this time that he learned jewellery-making techniques, while attending classes at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. He then left for England where he continued his studies for two more years.

In 1885, after gaining recognition as an independent designer for some of the great jewellery Houses such as Jacta, Cartier and Boucheron, René Lalique took over the workshop of jeweller Jules Destape on Place Gaillon in Paris.

1890 | THE TRANSITION FROM JEWELLERY TO ENAMEL AND GLASS

René Lalique’s work had gained wide-spread popularity.

He now opened his third workshop at 20, Rue Thérèse in Paris. His first experiments and designs using glass date from this era. Lalique already used enamel and glass, side-by-side with gold, opals, diamonds, pearls or amethysts, to embellish his jewellery.

1900 | THE PARIS EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE

Over the next decade, René Lalique forged his reputation. He won competitions, exhibited his work and created jewellery for well-known entertainers such as actress Sarah Bernhardt. His desire to “create something that had never been seen before” earned him the accolade of “inventor of modern jewellery”. He revolutionised jewellery styles of the period, becoming a favourite with leading socialites, and was admired by the most distinguished of his fellow-jewellers. His work was commissioned by the great courts and collected by the world’s wealthy.

So when René Lalique took part in the 1900 Great Exhibition in Paris, it was the crowning moment of René Lalique’s career as a jeweller. It was that same year he was also named Officer of the French Legion d’Honneur.

1921 | FOUNDING THE ALSACE GLASSWORKS

René Lalique had now devoted himself to glassmaking for several years. His quest for a suitable location to produce glassware and a qualified workforce led him to Alsace. He founded the Verrerie d’Alsace glassworks at Wingen-sur-Moder in Alsace, at the heart of a region with a strong and historic glassmaking tradition. This is now the world’s only Lalique factory.

1925 | INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION OF MODERN INDUSTRIAL AND DECORATIVE ARTS

René Lalique participated in numerous architectural projects. The 1925 International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris marked the climax of René Lalique’s career as glassmaker, and a triumph for the Art Deco movement. His techniques with glass gave rise to a style that was essentially expressed through the contrast between clear and frosted glass. He sometimes added a patina or enamel or used stained glass.

1935 | FITTING OUT THE NORMANDIE LUXURY LINER

René Lalique was commissioned for a series of high-profile projects. These included decorating the famous fashion designer Madeleine Vionnet’s haute couture salons, designing glass doors for Prince Yasuhiko Asaka’s residence in Tokyo and creating the fountain which for a time decorated the Galerie des Champs-Elysées in Paris. He then participated in the interior design of the vast first-class dining room of the luxury liner Normandie. He designed lighting columns and chandeliers for this colossus of the seas.

1935 was also the year in which René Lalique opened the Lalique shop at 11 Rue Royale in Paris.

1945 | DEATH OF RENÉ LALIQUE

Death of René Lalique. His son Marc took over as head of the business. He was to bring Lalique into the age of crystal.

1977 | MARIE-CLAUDE LALIQUE BECOMES HEAD OF THE BUSINESS

Marc’s daughter Marie-Claude Lalique became CEO of the company. She renewed the tradition of jewellery design and developed the fragrance business.

1992 | LAUNCH OF LALIQUE PARFUMS

The history of Lalique has always been closely linked to that of perfumery. When Marie-Claude, the grand-daughter of René Lalique, created the eponymous fragrance, “Lalique de Lalique” in 1992, her initiative was more than legitimate.

Lalique Parfums has a unique signature that combines creativity in its bottle design with a quest for exceptional quality within its fragrances.

2008 | ART & FRAGRANCE ACQUIRES LALIQUE

Swiss group Art & Fragrance under the management of Silvio Denz acquired Lalique with the aim of developing it globally and increasing the production capacity of crystal glassworks.

2010 | MODERNISING THE LALIQUE FACTORY

A new tank furnace was inaugurated at the Lalique crystal glassworks, demonstrating the commitment to modernising the Wingen-sur-Moder factory.

2011 | OPENING OF THE LALIQUE MUSEUM

The Lalique museum opened its doors in Wingen-sur-Moder after two years of construction. The museum houses over 650 pieces by René Lalique and his successors. The building designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte contains a collection of jewellery, glass and modern-day crystal presented in a bright and luminous environment.

2011 | LAUNCH OF THE LALIQUE MAISON COLLECTION

Lalique presented a new collection of furniture, home accessories and household linen. The Art Deco-inspired Lalique Maison collection sprung from a remarkable collaboration between the famous crystal glassworks and internationally acclaimed designers Lady Tina Green and Pietro Mingarelli.

2011 | LAUNCH OF LALIQUE ART

This new division enables Lalique to share expertise with prominent contemporary artists, foundations and talented designers to create unique and outstanding works of art.

The first piece produced, Yves Klein’s Victoire de Samothrace by Lalique, created in partnership with the Yves Klein Archives, draws on traditional expertise required for the exceptional lost wax technique.

2012 | REBIRTH OF FINE JEWELLERY AND LALIQUE HIGH JEWELLERY

In 2012, the l’Odyssée du Feu Sacré collection marked the rebirth of fine jewellery and Lalique jewellery, marking the House’s return to the roots of its founder: Master Jeweller René Lalique.

2014 | LAUNCH OF THE NOIR PREMIER COLLECTION

Lalique presents for the first time an exclusive collection of 5 fragrances. Composed of peerless ingredients, these scents reveal novel facets of timeless olfactory families.

With the strategic launch of the “Noir Premier” collection, Lalique writes a new chapter in its history. Lalique, perfumer and crystal maker, diversifies its offer with selective and edgy creations for a clientele of perfume connoisseurs.

2015 | OPENING OF VILLA RENÉ LALIQUE

The Villa René Lalique at Wingen-Sur-Moder in Alsace, is home today to an ultrarefined five-star hotel and a gourmet restaurant with two Michelin stars. The interior was designed by Lady Tina Green and Pietro Mingarelli.

The former villa, built by René Lalique in 1920, has taken on a new lease of life as a showcase for Lalique’s flair and expertise.

1888 – 2018 | 130 YEARS OF LALIQUE

Lalique can look back with pride on a wonderful tradition : 130 years of savoir-faire and creative excellence in the French “Art of Living”, producing timeless creations: art objects, light fixtures, furniture, jewellery, fragrances and more – all “made in France”.

2018 | OPENING OF THE NEW LALIQUE HOTEL AND RESTAURANT AT CHÂTEAU LAFAURIE-PEYRAGUEY

Purchased in 2014 by Silvio Denz, Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey is getting ready to greet a new dawn. Redesigned as a luxury hotel with a gourmet restaurant, the entire establishment has been decorated by interior designers Lady Tina Green and Pietro Mingarelli.

This latest Lalique hotel, managed by Christophe Noulibos, comprising ten rooms and three suites, is intended as a place where four worlds: wine, crystal, gastronomy and hospitality come together.

The man taking up this gastronomic challenge is Jérôme Schilling, former executive chef at Villa René Lalique alongside the three Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Klein, who takes charge of the restaurant kitchen serving around forty covers.

Lalique, the ultimate symbol of french luxury. Enter the world of Lalique and discover Lalique crystal decorative items, interior design, jewellery, perfumes, art, fine/high jewellery & hotel