Perrier-Jouet pairs art and champagne with design duo Mischer’traxler
Axelle de Buffevent began freelancing in Europe as a creative director for interior and tableware companies, such as Philippe Deshoulieres and Arc International, before moving on to cosmetics and perfume houses like Shu Uemura and Elie Saab. In 2012, Pernod Ricard suggested she join them full-time. This was a unique move as large companies in France often outsourced this job role, with fashion maisons being the only ones to have an in-house creative director. The main question that de Buffevent needed to address was how to manage a luxury house with a story and know-how, such as Perrier-Jouet, Martell and Mumm, within a big corporate group that also catered to the mass market. To that end, de Buffevent has collaborated with Design Miami/, a global forum design with shows in Basel and, where else, Miami.
“Collaborating with Design Miami/ was obvious to me. I really came to the company with that idea. It’s so much within the DNA of the house,” says de Buffevent. For Design Miami/ 2015, held in December 2015, Perrier-Jouet debuted l’Eden, a work by Japanese artist Ritsue Mishima of crystalline forms that adhere to themes of artistry and nature that eventually manifested in a limited edition Perrier-Jouet bottle.
The origin of this Design Miami/ collaboration dates back to 2012. The 2014 project was particularly memorable – Small Discoveries – with Austrian duo Mischer’traxler. Centred around Ephemera, a installation best described as a mechanical ornamental garden table populated by colourful metal plants and insects representing current, extinct and rediscovered species. It is kinetic and dynamic – the plants and insects, along with the digital leaves in the accompanying mirrors, will rise, dance and glow in isolation, only to retract into stasis when someone approaches the installation.
Created by Katharina Mischer and Thomas Traxler, the piece is a meditation on fleeting moments and transitory playfulness, part of a year-long residency sponsored by Perrier-Jouet, that would eventually be replaced by Ritsue Mishima. As part of the collaboration, Mischer’traxler also designed a special bottle, also titled Small Discoveries, depicting butterflies flitting amongst foliage to celebrate the 2007 Vintage Belle Epoque Cuvée.
What’s the idea behind Small Discoveries and how did this collection start?
Axelle de Buffevent: At Design Miami, not only are we the champagne sponsor, but we also commission a piece by an up-and-coming designer and give him or her international visibility. The designer is selected by a jury of four people, including me. The process takes about four or five months of discussions and we shortlist two or three studios, which come back to us with a proposal on a very open brief that reflects their vision of art nouveau. I then choose the one I feel most comfortable with or attracted to. Before making my decision, I meet all the studios. So I met Mischer’traxler and not only was their project obvious to me, but it sits perfectly well within their body of work, so it was a very honest, genuine project for them.
Describe the values shared by Perrier-Jouet and Mischer’traxler.
There are four key values of art nouveau that are very dear to Perrier-Jouet. The first is to be inspired by nature, which is where champagne starts. Most of Mischer’traxler’s work has an incredible relationship with nature, like The Idea of a Tree, which is solar-powered. Secondly, it’s all about infusing beauty into everyday life. This is what champagne is about and what Mischer’traxler does is really about this. Thirdly, our philosophy is to maintain a crafted approach in all projects, and 100 per cent of what is shown here (at Design Miami/) with Mischer’traxler’s work, Ephemera, was done in their studio in Vienna. The fourth key value is the idea of pushing boundaries. That’s what Perrier-Jouet is about. Mischer’traxler has a global approach. They don’t keep things in boxes.
How do you pick Perrier-Jouet’s collaborations in general?
Collaborations have to be artistic. We did the London Design Festival 2014 with Jeremy Wintrebert at the V&A, and AD Interieurs at Musee des Art Decoratifs in Paris with Miguel Chevalier. It’s all art-oriented and about supporting the future generation.
Is associating yourself with design a way to reach different consumer markets?
When we did the limited-edition with Makoto Azuma in Japan, it attracted the attention of people who had never been interested in the brand. It’s a way of creating a dialogue and giving people the opportunity to discover your brand. An artistic platform brings attention in a different way because it’s not only about the product; it’s the story that goes with it.
