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D azzled by the poetry and sheer craftsmanship in Claude Lalanne's jewellery, model and actress Audrey Marnay tells us what it feels like to wear Lalanne in this exclusive photoshoot ahead of Sotheby's Collection Dorothée Lalanne sale.
Did you know the Lalannes?
Unfortunately not, but I knew their work. When I modelled for Monsieur Yves Saint Laurent at his final fashion show at the Centre Pompidou in January 2002, I was able to see up close the famous casts that Claude Lalanne had made in 1969 to adorn two of his muslin dresses. There was a breast and a belly, made from a cast of Veruschka's torso. These are the pieces that have always fascinated me. But even though I never had the chance to wear them, I opened the show with his first pea coat, which wasn't bad either.
Throughout your career, you have often worn fine jewellery. How was it different when you wore these pieces by Claude Lalanne?
Artist's jewellery is something quite different... It's not [just] carats, you can feel the artist's soul. I am very sensitive to touch, and when I stroke the Ginkgo necklace or the Serpent belt, it feels as though I am touching a sculpture, a piece of her work.
Do you feel you are connected to the Lalanne way of relating to nature?
Very much so. I like the way Claude looks at nature, somewhere between poetry and enchantment. The “Papillon” earrings that actually move - they’re irresistible! I also like her relationship with the act of creating itself, with the manual work that it implies. There is a physical dimension that speaks to me. Two years ago, I started another activity; I launched a tableware line for the home, I work with a potter in Majorca, around an olive leaf [motif] that I print in clay. So, I really understand the artisanal elements in Claude's work. If I have one regret, it is to never have met her, with François-Xavier, in their house in Ury, each one working in their workshop, in the middle of nature. I could have easily imagined myself there.
