La Prairie explores art and sustainability with its Gold Collection
The Swiss brand's new collection marks its first foray into refillable packaging and a collaboration with artist Carla Chan
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

La Prairie isn't called ‘the world's most luxurious skincare brand' for nothing, as its latest launch attests. The Gold Collection sees the brand's signature La Prairie’s Exclusive Cellular Complex blended with real gold particles designed to fortify ageing skin and infuse it with a glowing, youthful lustre.
Infusing precious materials into skin formulations is nothing new for the brand, which has previously created collections around the anti-aging benefits of caviar and platinum.
Foundational to all of these products is its Exclusive Cellular Complex, a formulation so highly protected that its components are produced in two separate labs and then blended in a third so that no single scientist or chemist has access to the recipe.
La Prairie's refillable packaging design
While the opulence of the Gold Collection may not be novel for La Prairie, its debut does mark a new chapter in the brand's history. For the first time ever, a La Prairie collection will come in replenishable vessels, with the Gold Collection's brushed metal casing and cap designed to be kept indefinitely. Only the glass vials that contain the formulas, once empty, are meant to be replaced by new ones.
La Prairie has noted that this is just one step on the very long road towards becoming a more sustainable brand. As its Chef Marketing Officer, Greg Prodromides, says, 'sustainability is an important topic for us and an
extremely complex one, where is all not necessarily as it seems. We consider it to be a journey.'
Sustainability in beauty is indeed a complex journey and many other luxury beauty brands, like Hermès and Dior, are also beginning with refillable packaging. Although, we'll have to wait and see what next steps all of these beauty brands will take to continue on the sustainable path.
The ’golden hour’ in the Alps as featured in Carla Chan’s ’Space Between The Light Glows’
Frieze collaboration
Throughout its nearly 50 year history, La Prairie has associated itself with the art world through patronage and artist collaborations. In conjunction with the Gold Collection launch, La Prairie has partnered with Frieze New York and Frieze London for a one-of-a-kind project.
Entitled ‘Space Between The Light Glows', the project features a video installation by Hong Kongese artist Carla Chan designed to immerse viewers into the majestic beauty of the ‘golden hour.' As Chan explains it, ‘the golden hour is a singular moment that focuses on change and the in-between. It is a moment where you lose the sense of time and space during which emotion, thoughts and imagination are heightened.'
Artist Carla Chan looking out onto the Monte Rosa Hut
To create the piece, Chan was invited to spend a few weeks at the Monte Rosa Hut, an architectural gem in the Swiss Alps that dramatically juts from the mountainous landscape and shimmers in the sun with its reflective aluminium exterior.
‘Nature was the big inspiration behind this piece,' says Chan. ‘The human encounter with raw nature – the stillness, the beauty it imparts pushed me to reflect on the relationship between nature and the humankind and how we cohabit together. It was important for me to create an immersive experience conducive to such contemplation.'
The work debuted at Frieze New York 2021 and will be on show in autumn 2021 at Frieze London.
INFORMATION
laprairie.com (opens in new tab)
Mary Cleary is the Beauty & Grooming Editor of Wallpaper*. Having been with the brand since 2017, she became an editor in February 2020 with the launch of the brand’s new beauty & grooming channel. Her work seeks to offer a new perspective on beauty, focusing on the pioneering personalities, product designs, and transformative trends within the industry.
-
Hermès perfume Un Jardin à Cythère is a cinematic exploration of a Greek garden
With Un Jardin à Cythère, Hermès perfumer Christine Nagel recreates the sensations of crunchy grass, watery pistachios, and windswept olive trees
By Mary Cleary • Published
-
Exploration, travel, adventure: the lowdown on Herno’s S/S 2023 collection
A closer look at Herno’s latest collection, which riffs on the brand’s heritage with a new fashion-focused lens
By Jack Moss • Published
-
Constance Guisset makes her Fuorisalone debut with a scenographic design party
Salone del Mobile 2023: ‘Surprise Party! Carte Blanche à Constance Guisset Studio’ (17 April – 13May 2023) is the first Milanese solo show of the French designer
By Maria Cristina Didero • Published
-
As Frieze Los Angeles 2023 opens, here's your ultimate guide to the fair and shows around the city
As Frieze LA 2023 opens for preview day (16 – 19 February 2023), we spotlight the 11 most exciting shows to see under the California sun
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith • Published
-
In LA, Patrick Jackson’s subversive sculptures ooze nostalgia and consumer culture
Timed to Frieze Los Angeles 2023, Patrick Jackson’s uncanny new exhibition 'Liquid Clay' at François Ghebaly’s disused warehouse space probes tactility, architecture and commerce
By Osman Can Yerebakan • Published
-
Stanya Kahn’s Frieze Los Angeles commission to unearth the ‘understory’ of human intervention in nature
We speak to multidisciplinary artist Stanya Kahn, whose ‘Understory’ installation will be unveiled at Frieze Los Angeles for the 2023 R.U.in.ART Commission
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith • Published
-
The art fair personality test: what type of Frieze Los Angeles visitor are you?
Are you a selfie seeker or a champagne visualist? Take our art fair personality test to identify yourself at Frieze Los Angeles (16-19 February 2023)
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith • Last updated
-
Universal Everything: the collective bringing mind-bending physicality to the digital space
In our new profile series, Generation Generative, we spotlight pioneers on the cutting edge of generative art. Our first feature is on Sheffield-based digital art collective Universal Everything, whose solo show ‘Lifeforms’ at 180 The Strand runs from 12 October – 4 December
By Nick Compton • Published
-
Where to eat during Frieze London
Get your fill of both art and food at these London restaurants, cafés, and bars during Frieze London 2021 (13 – 17 October)
By Mary Cleary • Last updated
-
Los Angeles exhibitions: an ongoing guide to the best shows in town
Read our ongoing picks of the best new and upcoming LA art exhibitions to see under the California sun
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith • Last updated
-
Frieze Seoul 2022: all you need to know about the inaugural fair
SuhYoung Yun reports on a dynamic, emotional opening day of Frieze Seoul, and speaks to key figures about what the fair means for Korea’s wider cultural scene, both locally and internationally
By SuhYoung Yun • Last updated