INTRODUCTION

Austria

The world-renowned Austrian family owned company, Swarovski, has been producing the finest cut crystal since the late 19th century. Throughout the 20th Century, Swarovski worked hand in hand with the most talented innovators in all fields of design. In recent years, the company has instigated a series of high profile projects aimed at bringing crystal to the forefront of fashion, working with designers such as Julien MacDonald and Alexander McQueen.

Crystal has now become an essential ingredient in cutting edge fashion, and Swarovski has successfully built a strong mutually creative relationship with the fashion community.

Crystal Palace Project: Reinventing the chandelier Your palace or mine?

Chandeliers move from the ballroom to your room. Traditional chandeliers are creeping back into our consciousness as we look for more feeling, more fantasy in our interiors. You see them in hotels like the Hudson, on the catwalks of Paul Smith, in the pages of Elle Decoration and Wallpaper. But most importantly you see them in your dreams.

"The poignant lyricism of the chandeliers touched a nerve in those who feel that much of today's design is missing emotional weight" Crystal Palace Swarovski's crystal chandelier components, introduced in the 1950's, are celebrated worldwide for their superb quality, for their lustre and brilliance.

Now, Swarovski, is launching this challenging new initiative, working with cutting edge designers around the world, the aim is to break down barriers and preconceptions regarding the role and image of the traditional chandelier, whilst still capturing and perpetuating its fantasy and emotional impact, and to stimulate an entirely new vision for the chandelier, to make it relevant to contemporary lifestyle, an object of desire for today and for the future.

Swarovski, the world’s leading manufacturer of cut crystal, presents the Crystal Palace Collection, chandeliers brilliantly reinvented as an art form. The Swarovski CrystalPalace Collection seeks to develop innovative and revolutionary chandeliers made possible by the fusion ofexceptional design and flawless, state-of-the-art Swarovski crystal chandelier components.

Swarovski has selected designers and artists from around the world to exploit not only the beauty, but also thetechnical possibilities of Swarovski crystal. The results are an array of radiantly personal and technologicallyground-breaking interpretations of the chandelier.

Swarovski is honoured to work with luminaries of thedesign industry including amoungst others Ingo Maurer, Ron Arad, Yves Béhar and Tom Dixon.

Crystal Palace also reveals the diversity of artistic talent with a creation fromthe music world by Lenny Kravitz and from the world of jewellery by Solange Azagury-Partridge. Their mandate was that of reinventing the chandelier; their means,Swarovski’s entire components collection, inexhaustible material knowledge and technical expertise.

Swarovski will continue to expand its product offering,technology and expertise, inviting cutting edge designers to explore the use of crystal in new and unexpected ways