Magazine LALIQUE 2025

HERITAGE

Marc became the sole proprietor of the company after René Lalique, weakened by old age, passed away on 1 May 1945. His sister Suzanne, who inherited 50% of the business, transferred her shares to Marc in order to help him overcome the challenges ahead. For the first time, Marc was able to apply his vision in terms of both artistic creativity and commercial strategy. He decided then to replace glass with crystal, a material better suited to his aesthetic aspirations. However, this transition would take several years, since new furnaces and machinery had to be ordered gradually. In addition, he needed to recruit qualified workers able to master the techniques of crystal manufacturing, different from those of glass. From then on, the older models would be realised in crystal, if their moulds were still in existence. The glassworks became a crystalworks renamed Cristal Lalique, and because René was no longer around, the objects would be signed “Lalique France”.

MARC REVEALED HIS PRACTICAL NATURE BY CREATING NEW GLASSWARE MODELS, THE KINDS OF OBJECTS WHICH WERE VERY MUCH IN DEMAND THEN. IN 1935, HE DESIGNED THE GLASS TABLE CACTUS , AN EXCEPTIONAL CREATION THAT IS STILL VERY SUCCESSFUL TODAY.

By the end of the 1920s, the factory, then renamed Verrerie Lalique, had been considerably enlarged to include at least 150 workers and a lot more machinery. Unfortunately, the Wall Street crash, which hit New York on 24 October 1929, led to the collapse of the American economy and triggered a chain reaction that quickly provoked the downfall of the world economies. This unforeseen event also destabilised Lalique’s production, with the year-end holiday orders being brutally cancelled. Like all industry leaders, René Lalique tried desperately to keep his factory operational, despite having to dismiss most of his workers. The following years were difficult, but the end of the 1930s saw a resurgence of expansion. Always on the lookout for the latest trends,

Marc revealed his practical nature by creating new glassware models, the kinds of objects which were very much in demand then. In 1935, he designed the glass table Cactus , an exceptional creation that is still very successful today. Soon afterwards, production was strengthened to cover all sorts of items, including flacons, following the recovery of the French perfume industry. At the same time, Marc rented the boutique located at 11 Rue Royale, a shrine to luxury since the nineteenth century when it was home to Lubin perfumes, purveyors to the Royal Courts of Europe. Then came the war – another disaster for the economy. The glassworks were badly situated, right at the centre of the battlefield, and were seriously damaged; many mobilised workers would never return.

Marc had a childhood friend, Robert Ricci, son of Nina Ricci, founder of the eponymous couture house. They met at the École des Roches, and their unwavering friendship lasted for life. Robert took care of the business because Nina was only concerned with designing, and it was therefore only natural that, when the first perfume, Cœur Joie (Joyful Heart), was created in 1945, Robert solicited Lalique for the production of its heart shaped flacon. In 1948, a new perfume, L’Air du Temp s (The Air of the Times), was launched by Nina Ricci. For its introduction, the perfume, tinted yellow to symbolise sunlight and joy, was contained in an oval flacon, resembling a radiant sun. A new flacon was designed in 1951, its twisted shape simulating a whirl of wind, its crowning, imposing stopper formed of two kissing doves in flight. The first, ultra-luxurious, limited edition presented this flacon inside a pleated, yellow silk cage, hand-made in the couture workshops. A double door opened to reveal the interior, lit by a hidden, minuscule bulb. Another casket, shaped

like a cube and covered in yellow silk, housed the same flacon, and had been designed to be sold at more affordable prices. This model was produced in large quantities over several decades. The name of the perfume, L’Air du Temps , perfectly reflected the identity of its fragrance, young, fresh, light, in perfect harmony with the spirit of the period, which contributed to its immediate and resounding success. In order to achieve its goal, the physical presentation of a perfume must visually embody the name of that perfume, which is particularly challenging when the name is abstract.

Next page, from top to bottom: Nina Ricci, L’Air du Temps , first version from 1948 Packaging box inspired by the plaster bas-reliefs of Alberto and Diego Giacometti © Christie Mayer Lefkowith collection Nina Ricci, Coeur Joie , created in 1945 Packaging box by Christian Bérard, limited luxury edition © Christie Mayer Lefkowith collection Nina Ricci, L’Air du Temps , second version from 1951 Limited edition luxury silk box produced in the couture workshops, exterior design by René Bouché © Christie Mayer Lefkowith collection

From top to bottom: Ange glass created by Marc Lalique in 1948 © Studio Y. Langlois Cactus table created by Marc Lalique in 1951

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