philippe starck: marie coquine for baccarat

created by french designer philippe starck for baccarat, the ‘marie coquine’ standing lamp sets a crystal chandelier into an umbrella suspended in mid-air, layering imagery and textures in a display both imaginative and functional. the piece incorporates a 12-light zénith chandelier into an umbrella, with an ivory canopy above the candelabra softening the cast light, and a chestnut wood handle extending from its base.

the lamp incorporates a 12-light zénith chandelier

philippe starck‘s lamp for baccarat is crafted as a suspended piece at one end of a pole extended on a wheeled steel tripod, and from the other end hangs a leather punching bag with saddle stitching. at its most distant points, ‘marie coquine’ measures just over 14 feet (4.3m) in length, at a height of up to 9.3 feet (2.8m). accompanying the piece’s exhibition is imaginative text that reinforces the juxtaposition of fantasy and reality: ‘I saw a very beautiful baccarat chandelier. so far, so normal! then it began to rain on the chandelier. how odd! the chandelier, still identifiably baccarat, opened a large, white umbrella and drifted skywards. I shouted ‘why?’ and from afar came the chandelier’s response: ‘because I am marie coquine, and because everything is possible in a dream.’

‘marie coquine’ is produced in a limited edition set of 120 pieces, to be available beginning july 2011. the lamp is on display at milan design week 2011.

full view of the lamphead on exhibition image © designboom

‘marie coquine’ by philippe starck for baccarat image © designboom

installation view of the lamp image © designboom

full view of ‘marie coquine’ on display at the baccarat exhibition, during milan design week 2011 image © designboom

the chandelier hung independently

three-quarters underside view of the lamphead and umbrella image © designboom

detail view of lamp image © designboom

detail of the leather counterweight image © designboom

‘marie coquine’ is part of a 2011 collection of new lighting solutions designed for baccarat by eight international designers, including in addition to philippe starck, alain moatti & henri rivière, arik levy, eriko horiki, jaime hayon, michele de lucchi, and yann kersalé.

the designs within the ‘highlights collection’ range from contemporary reinterpretations of classic chandeliers to complete free-ranging design variations in which heritage is fused with modernity. crystal is combined with unlikely materials into lighting structures, utilizing LED technologies.

jaime hayon and philippe starck at the baccarat exhibition during milan design week 2011 portrait © designboom

baccarat’s reel of highlights from the exhibition