Serge Manzon (1930-1998)

Nickel-plated steel choker necklace. Mabille edition circa 1962 Diameter: 12 cm Similar model in the collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs Inv. N°: 993.163.1 Serge Manzon, born in February 1930, worked as a fashion stylist for ten years, initially creating jewelry and accessories, such as the "tour du cou/porte robe" (a necklace/dress-holder) that allowed dresses to be hung on it and changed as often as desired, and an astonishing watch created in association with Longines. He then turned to furniture and objects. These creations, a kind of "structured objects emerging from the straitjacket and standardization" engendered by industry, were highly prized from the 70s until his death in 1998. Serge Manzon always strived for excellence, for quality, "a certain folie des grandeurs of which people have been deprived"; it didn't matter how expensive it was to make, only perfection counted. These qualities were appreciated by the Mobilier National, as well as by Monsieur Pierre Cardin, who more than once opened his Faubourg Saint-Honoré gallery to him and published his furniture. He also exhibited his astonishing furniture at the Centre Georges POMPIDOU in 1984, but always with pure, rational forms, meticulous in their simplicity. "I start with a simple geometric shape (circle, crescent, cube, etc.), cut it out and then reassemble it in my own way. More often than not, a triangle penetrates a sphere until it bursts from one side to the other. You have to turn around my lamps to understand. Serge Manzon's approach is traditional: once the model has been designed, he meets with each craftsman - always French (cabinetmakers, varnishers, upholsterers, etc.) - to create the unique piece.