Life in the Imperfect
Handcrafted using traditional techniques, each piece by French lifestyle brand Astier de Villatte are a true one-off.
Founded by ever-curious aesthetes Benoît Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli in 1996, Astier de Villatte is a French lifestyle brand famed for championing traditional craftsmanship and forgotten decorative arts. Best known for its enchanting ceramic dinnerware, which feature minor imperfections that reflect the exclusively-by-hand production process, the brand also creates candles, fragrances and vases – all of which feature subtle idiosyncrasies that make each piece utterly unique.
Since 2000, Astier de Villatte has been based in a bijoux atelier on Paris’s famous rue Saint Honoré that was previously home to an 18th century silversmith’s workshop that was once visited by Napoleon. “We found it by chance,” says co-founder Pericoli. “The boutique was closed for thirty years, which is incredible given that it is situated in one of the most sought-after streets in Paris.” A forgotten boutique, charged with history perfectly fits with their philosophy, and seemed almost predestined to be theirs.
“We are interested in things that have been forgotten,” says de Villatte. “As a result, we are attracted to ancient, obsolete techniques. Having said that, the technique is never an end in itself but only a means to that end. An artisanal technique, however ancient it is, is only interesting if it allows us to make interesting objects.”
We can detect the hand of the artisan and that each piece differs from the other. Certain imperfections give life to objects.
By making use of these and other techniques that have been forgotten or overtaken by modern production processes, Astier de Villatte not only evokes the spirit of a bygone age, but also creates pieces that each have a story all of their own.
Handmade at the brand’s atelier by a team of skilled French and Tibetan artisans, Astier de Villatte’s ceramics are notable not only for their exquisite look and feel, but also for the minor imperfections that make each piece a true one-off. It is this fact that makes the craft of ceramics so interesting for the pair. “The fact that we can detect the hand of the artisan and that each piece differs from the other is important to us. Certain imperfections give life to objects,” says de Villatte. “The ancient objects that we love always have this moving, living aspect that comes from the personality of the artisan behind the object,” he adds.
Crafted from black terracotta clay and finished with a milky white glaze using traditional methods, each piece is lightweight yet sturdy, and thus ideal for everyday use.
The lifestyle label draws inspiration from a variety of cultural locations and this fascination with the creativity of others has translated into a unique family of scents. “Perfumes speak directly to our emotions, our memory, rather than to our reason,” says Pericoli. “Describing the world through smells is what we try to do with our scented candles.”
Scent is a perfect vector of memories.
Named after some of the most inspirational cities in the world, each scent transports one to a specific country, city or even street. “The reconstitution is sometimes incredibly faithful to the place, like the Villa Médicis in Rome, where we evoke the perfume of the garden, its century-old umbrella pines, as well as the smell of the palace, the hot, slightly humid stone,” explains de Villatte.
For a brand that has meaning, beauty and life at its heart, Astier de Villatte are as much a one off in the world of luxury as their incredible creations.
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