Dishes. the crystal knows no crisis

A great sound of hard rock comes out of the speakers attached to the metal pillars here and there. A musical background chosen by the women and men who tame the molten glass in the hot workshop of the Saint-Louis crystal factory. We didn’t expect such an atmosphere or even to see a team made up of many thirty-year-olds playing in this factory celebrating its 438th anniversary. And if the atmosphere is calmer in the cold workshop where every piece is cut and carved, the different generations also cooperate harmoniously. Clearly, St. Louis has no recruiting problems.

This is confirmed by its executive director Jerome de Lavergnole. “The average age in production workshops is 38 years old. That’s pretty young. In fact, it is fundamental to maintain a well-balanced pyramid, otherwise our know-how is doomed to disappear. Transmission is at the heart of our business. Diversity is also important. In general, we have 40% women and 60% men. It’s not parity yet, but we’re moving forward.” The interest of blowers and cutters in the production is a godsend as the order book is full.

A new oven will even open in July to meet the growing demand. “We have almost doubled our turnover in almost four years,” explains Jérôme de Lavergnon. No doubt the crystal is popular. And this is undoubtedly due to the creative dynamism that includes the diversification of the range and collaborations with outstanding designers such as No Duchaufour-Laurance or Pierre Charpin. This bridge, between the need to preserve techniques but also to develop them, is what gave rise to the birth of Cirva (international center for research and innovation in glass and plastic arts) in Marseille.

Open minded

“We are the fruit of the marriage of Jack Lang and Louis XIV,” laughs Stanislas Collodier, who runs this non-profit association, which is recognized as a common interest. It was actually Jack Lang who started Cirva in 1983 as part of the glass plan. This initiative was in line with the Colbertist tradition of the French state’s commitment to the arts and crafts. But our form, an art center oriented towards experimentation, is completely original. The glass artisans working here are extremely open-minded and have one goal: to take artists on an adventure with their unfamiliar material.” Cirva has undoubtedly been a locomotive for connecting design, art and glass. The reunification was also facilitated by the two openings, in 1991 of Cerfav (European Center for Glass Art Research and Training) in Vannes-le-Châtel, Meurthe-et-Moselle, and in 1992 of Civa (Centre). international glass art) on the site of the Meisenthal glass factory in the Northern Vosges, founded in 1704 and closed in 1969.

Art that is sublime

In all these structures, we are delighted with the UNESCO’s December 2023 gesture of classifying glassmaking as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as well as among all French manufacturers, Saint-Louis, Baccarat, Lalique, Daum, and artisans who see: their specialty is classified as treasure. A treasure guarded, according to the Crystal and Glass Federation, by four thousand men and women in France. Baccarat General Manager Maggie Henriques sees this recognition as a new challenge to overcome.

“Our responsibility is to design crystal glass into the future, highlighting young artists and thinking of new uses. Mixology, for example, interests us. It’s a way to reach young people, take the complexity out of buying crystal and show that it can make all the difference in taste.” Because Maggie Henriques is sure of it. the crystal enhances everything, even the simple gesture of drinking a glass of water, the beauty of which is particularly dependent on the way it captures and reflects light. A form of magic that goes hand in hand with durability as glass can be re-melted, transmuted and rarely corrupted over the centuries.

Mix and match spirit

If there’s one piece that has stood the test of time, it’s the Duralex Nesting Cup. Far from the gold of the palaces, its reputation has been built in restaurants since its launch in 1946. “From the 1950s to the 1970s, most of us looked at the number on the bottom of the glass to find out how old we were.” says Melanie Lebrancheau, Duralex’s French Marketing Director. If it was more difficult in 1990-2000, now we have gathered momentum again.” Both Gigogne and Picardie, a nine-pointed star, ship to over 240 countries.

And not only in restaurants, but also in such demanding stores as the Center Georges Pompidou in Paris or the MoMA in New York. “To wake up this sleeping beauty, we had to go through innovations, for example around color and containers, because we have to offer solutions for different uses, for example for using cocktails. In general, we have a complete offering, from salad bowls to glasses, including plates and mugs… that work very well in the mix.”

Break the codes

The formula is stated: mix and match. A study conducted by the YouGov Institute for Duralex in August 2023 shows that 73% of French people are fond of mixing styles when it comes to cooking, and that 80% of 25-34 year olds believe that the table can be set in several ways. in style. dishes Therefore, it is no longer surprising to see a Picard and a bubbly glass from Saint-Louis or a Massénat from Baccarat side by side at dinner. Restaurants are the first to lead by example like Sapid, the address of Ducasse’s galaxy, where you eat in Gien porcelain and drink in Gigogne. So instead of cracking glasses, we have fun cracking codes without hesitation.