Cinabre at the Louvre
02/13/2021 11:20:28
I am very proud to present to you today our first collaboration with the Louvre. The Museum reached out to us to create a limited series of scarves, to be sold exclusively on their eShop. A project like this is a huge injection of energy, especially in such a difficult time for artisans like us. Once again, I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks to the museum teams for their trust and confidence.
LIKE BEYONCÉ AND JAY-Z, WE HAD THE LOUVRE ALL TO OURSELVES
It all started with a visit to a deserted Musée du Louvre. Fortunately, we were able to view the works, albeit in rather unique conditions, to get inspiration. What a privilege to have private time in this quintessential palace that normally welcomes up to 10 million visitors per year.
THE "PYRAMID" TAKES FLIGHT
For the Pyramid scarf we wanted to incorporate various key facets of the Louvre Museum: La Tradition Française, on the one hand, and 21st century pop symbols on the other. These paradoxes resonate well with the values of Cinabre, a blend of timeless and modern, traditional know-how and a taste for the quirky.
Result? Pei’s pyramids hover over the Tuileries Garden like UFOs. The designs are only revealed when the scarf is unfurled to its 2-meter length (79 inches), like a painting. Made in France, of course, the scarf is meticulously crafted with the same attention we give to all our products.
“An architectural joke, an eyesore, an anachronistic intrusion of Egyptian death symbolism in the middle of Paris, and a megalomaniacal folly imposed by Mr. Mitterrand (The French President at that time)” (NY Times, 1985). The intense controversy sparked by the Louvre pyramids even before their unveiling may sound surprising today. I have a lot of respect for such a daring choice, which actually ended up perfectly incorporated into the history and architecture of the museum, to the point of becoming one of the city’s most iconic symbols. Paris knows better than to be confined to a single postcard, further proof of its vitality and resilience. Betwixt the madness of a flying pyramid and the classicism of a French garden, our scarf pays tribute to this assumed disparity, which speaks to me in particular. After all, at Cinabre, we love taking men's accessories out of their traditional, slightly conservative world.
OUR 3 (OTHER) FAVOURITE MUSEUM VISITS
Paris: The sculpture garden of Rodin Museum has remained open. Strike the Thinker pose and meditate along with him on the future.
Paris from your computer: You can make a virtual tour of the Turner exhibition at the Jacquemart André Museum or discover the Miro exhibition at the Centre Pompidou.