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WERK ETHIC WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF MARC JACOBS MET ? A SEASON OF MADLY CREATIVE FASHION, JEWELRY, AND ART FUELS THE IMAGINATION. PRODUCED BY LUCY BAMMAN WRITTEN BY EMILY SELTER

At the beginning of the 20th century, the banker Adolphe Stoclet commissioned the Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann to design a modern mansion in that reflected a new, emerging sensibility far removed from the ornately decorated rooms that had been popular during the 19th century. As one of the found- ers of the Wiener Werkstätte (or Workshops), Hoffmann constructed a shockingly streamlined edifice filled with works by members of the artists’ col- lective, includ- ing a sparkling gold mosaic mural designed by Gustav Klimt—and starkly modern furniture by his frequent collaborator Kolo- man Moser. The Palais Stoclet was a true Gesamtkunstwerk, or total work of art. Everything, from the furniture down to the doorknobs and coffee cups, was custom made. But while the building’s magnificent interi- ors are still intact today, they have not been seen by the public for years. As his- tory would have it, the building became locked in a custody battle among the four Stoclet heirs and has remained closed to all visitors. The magnum opus of the Werkstätte sits today like a time capsule in the middle of Brussels, with just a few caretakers allowed to see the treasures A design for hidden within its walls. a woman’s While the case of the Palais Stoclet coat by Max

Snischeck, 1914. will not be resolved any time soon, MAK OF COURTESY

48 Josef Hoffmann tobacco case of t rend a lert gold, lapis lazuli, pearl, turquoise, coral, opal, and carnelian, 1912.

Phillip Häusler brass table lamp, c. 1919.

the expansive and influ- ential oeuvre of the Wiener Werkstätte will be on display at the Neue Galerie in New Costumes for York City this fall. The exhibition, Die Fledermaus PHOTOGRAPH: © MAK; LAMP: MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON. GIFT OF THE MARGARET COURTESYFAMILY, K. KOERNER OF NEUE OF GALERIE AND COURTESY JOSEPH COLLECTION, NEW LEO KOERNER YORK; CASE: TOBACCO PRIVATE PRIVATE COLLECTION, NECKLACE: MURRELL; MAK/NATHAN COURTESY © BOOK: TEMPLATE OF NEUE GALERIE WERKSTATTE” NEW “WIENER YORK. NEUE GALERIE NEW YORK; MIRROR: COURTESY OF NEUE GALERIE NEW YORK; PALAIS STOCLET: GETTY IMAGES at the Vienna “Wiener Werkstätte 1903–​1932: The State Opera, 1924. Luxury of Beauty,” will include works by all of its significant members. Founded in 1903 by Hoffmann and Moser, the Werkstätte wanted to bring the radical high-art ideas of the to every area of modern life through their streamlined designs. They detested the Matera table by elaborate decoration of the Art Nou- DimoreStudio. veau taste popular at the turn of the 20th century and sought to create pieces that were both practical and beautiful. They Dining room of the considered the creation of textiles, fur- Palais Stoclet. niture, and silverware to be art on Wiener Werkstätte textile sample book, c. 1911.

Dagobert Peche linden-and-gilt Koloman Moser silver, mirror, 1922. carnelian, chalcedony, and diamond necklace, 1903. t rend a lert Temple oil lamp by Bethan Laura Wood.

“Ladies, let me show you something very special that Giamba has been toiling away at for weeks. Come with me.” He pressed against one panel of the boiserie walls, revealing Giambattista’s inner sanctum—a hidden workroom that contained only one gown displayed on a mannequin in the middle of the pristine space. “This dress was inspired by Gustav Klimt’s Adele Bloch-Bauer I. Do you know the painting? It was purchased for $135 million by Ronald Lauder and hangs in the Neue Galerie in New York.” The ladies stared in disbelief at the artistry of the off-the- shoulder ball gown that transformed from ivory tulle at the bodice into a shimmering gold column, with a cascading train-length skirt embroidered with thousands of gold chips, lapis lazuli, and precious gemstones, painstakingly scattered into a swirling mosaic FROM TOP: pattern. It truly looked like a Klimt Dresses by Marc Jacobs from painting come to life. Fall 2017. Piaget —K EV IN K WAN Paper Flower cuff watch. RICH PEOPLE PROBLEMS: A NOVEL

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Promenade THE EXHIBITION sofa by Philippe Nigro for Wiener “Wiener Werkstätte 1903–1932: The GTV Design. Luxury of Beauty,” at the Neue Galerie New York, runs from October 26 to ­January 29, 2018. neuegalerie.org. The first major U.S. museum retrospec- tive devoted to the Viennese artists’ and artisans’ collective presents more than 400 objects, including furniture, jewelry, and costumes created by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser, Dagobert Green Tea Checkers Peche, Joseph Urban, and others. Silver- cake by Lady M plated Confections. water pitcher by Maharaja embroi- HOLDBACK, SILK FABRIC: PAMELA COOK/STUDIO D; CAKE: STUART TYSON/ STUDIO D; BROOCH: NEUE GALERIE NEW YORK; CERAMIC VASE: YORK PRIVATE NEW GALERIE NEUE OF COURTESY COLLECTION, Christofle. dered raw silk* by Katie Leede & Company.

Designers continue to be inspired by the Josef Hoffmann brooch made of silver, diamond, moonstone, opal, lapis Wiener Werkstätte aes- lazuli, coral, and leopardite, 1904. thetic today, creating furni- ture and objects that recall the streamlined simplicity of the collective’s products. Fashion design- ers in particular are drawn to the Werk- stätte’s renowned handmade textiles, which were known for their geometric patterns inspired by natural forms. The modern elegance of these motifs is echoed Vally Wieselthier glazed ceramic in this fall’s collections, from Azzedine vase, c. 1925. Alaïa and Marc Jacobs’s bold patterned runway confections to Roger Vivier’s slippers embroidered with a floral motif and a haute-jewelry cuff from Piaget. In other words, the enduring appeal of the Wiener Werkstätte reminds us that simplicity in form the same level as Klimt’s paintings. The and function is always in fashion. ◾ exhibition will present more than 400 of the elegant objects and pieces of furni- ture created by the artists and craftsmen of the movement, from a geometric sil- ver flower basket in the shape of a cage designed by Hoffmann in 1905 to a whim- sical gold jewel box created by Dagobert Peche in 1920. These highly evolved yet everyday objects are striking in their

timelessness, and they look contempo- PRESENTED Caviar silver frame rary even a century later. BY TARGET by Buccellati. Project 62™ Gold Decorative Basket, $19.99. 54 ELLE DECOR Target.com *Available to the trade only.