Saint-Louis
Name : Maison Saint-Louis
Founded in : 1586
Based in: Vosges, France
Savoir-faire : cristal
What is the story of the Maison Saint-Louis?
Born in 1586, the Müntzthal glass factory became in 1767 the “Royal glass factory” by patent letters of King Louis XV and became Saint-Louis. The master glassmakers, with their secret and pride, blow, engrave and cut without respite, seeking to produce the finest and most transparent glass. It was in 1781 that the men of art broke through the enigma in Saint-Louis. Renamed Cristallerie royale de Saint-Louis, the manufactory devoted itself since 1829 to the sole production of crystal and introduced the notion of serving glasses for the table with the famous Trianon model. Through aesthetic and formal innovations, rewarded with gold medals and order books filled with orders, the crystal art of living will seduce the whole world.
Since then, the manufacture has been producing crystal pieces every day – services, vases, chandeliers and candelabra – made by master glassmakers and master cutters who are among the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France. All of them possess an irreplaceable, ancestral know-how, enriched from generation to generation: mouth-blown crystal, hand-cut, engraved and decorated by hand, with 24-carat gold or platinum.
How to describe Saint-Louis?
Saint-Louis is a Manufacture in the spirit of the times, a clever blend of tradition and innovation, which has never ceased to draw its inspiration from contemporary artistic trends to build and renew its identity. In a trend of creativity that characterized the early 20th century with Art Nouveau and Art Deco, many designers brought their talent to Saint-Louis.
Saint-Louis has belonged to the Hermès group since 1995 and today it still draws on the imagination and talent of designers who introduce new uses into the world of crystal. The table, decoration and lighting collections are enriched with the creations of Éric Gizard, Hervé van der Straeten, Ionna Vautrin, José Lévy, Kiki van Eijk, Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, Paola Navone…
What is the importance of know-how at Saint-Louis?
430 years in crystal. Every day, Saint-Louis designs crystal pieces made by master glassmakers and master cutters who are among the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France. Know-how is at the heart of each of our pieces.
The manufacture is the birthplace of crystal, the hot workshop blends in with Saint-Louis with the hall, the beating heart of the manufactory. The instinctive breath of the Warmth, maintained to the fullest in the hall, responds to the meticulousness of the Cold, which gives the workshops a studious atmosphere.
Tell us more about the Collection Folia:
Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance conceived the Folia collection as an initiatory journey through the manufacture and forest of Saint-Louis, as a vibrant tribute. A sculptor of materials, close to nature, he imagined, for this very first transverse collection, the vibrant combination of crystal and wood, the simplicity of lines, the modernity of uses.
What are your strength ?
A team of experts is at your disposal to realize your projects of light, decoration, or exceptional table, from the most creative to the most functional.
We offer a half-measure service. It was in 1837 that Saint-Louis included chandeliers in its catalogue. Since then, the manufactory has offered almost infinite customization services, to dare to use spectacular lighting. Saint-Louis offers a customization of the standard offer: the half measure. It allows to respond autonomously, and immediately, to a certain number of special requests anticipated by Saint-Louis. It mainly consists of offering, in the form of options, variants of the standard models, in order to better match the customer’s wishes.
We also offer a tailor-made service. Over the years, Saint-Louis has become a master in the art of fulfilling its customers’ wildest dreams, going so far as to build a 9-metre high chandelier. Made-to-dream.