Dear Shaded Viewers,
This Monday, designer Agathe Fleurant presented the first collection of her jewelry brand, Mona Margaux, at the Bureau du Design de Paris, where she’s in residence for two years. At the entrance of the gallery, incense is placed, offering a first hint of the themes explored in the collection. This former fashion studio, now transformed into an art gallery, allows the jewelry to be presented as works of art in their own right, displayed alongside photographs of the pieces as well as atmospheric images taken by photographers Daniel Schweizer and Lucas Morin.
The name of the brand is far from incidental. Inspired by her grandmothers, Mona and Margaux, Agathe Fleurant bears their names as her second and third given names. In a desire to explore the traces left by our elders, Agathe draws her inspiration from funerary rites.
The images depict parts of the body marked by the shape of the links, or holding a ring. The portraits, shot in black and white, are calm and almost silent, leaving all the space for the jewelry. The models are bare-chested in an effort to desexualize the female body. Another series of images was created using artificial intelligence, based on objects and jewelry belonging to Agathe. The atmospheric shots, meanwhile, recall the brand’s craftsmanship, as all of its jewelry is made in Paris.
The ornaments; intertwined links forming a chain of transmission, are interchangeable, allowing a piece to transform from a bracelet into a necklace or even a belt. In the designer’s universe, there is the idea that an object accompanies us throughout a lifetime. With this in mind, the creator encourages the collection of her jewelry so that it may, in turn, be passed on.
You can go see the exhibition at the Galerie des Ateliers de Paris from the 10th of February to the 14th.
Later,
Alex.
