Tour an art deco French palace with Loewe fragrance
A new series of images explores the architecture and interiors of Villa Magnán in Biarritz, a recently restored art deco home, as a showcase for Loewe fragrance
![Loewe fragrance candles at Villa Magnán in Biarritz](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CYaUMsFto97xju8TqnAXUc-415-80.jpeg)
‘History as basis, as starting point. History as inspiration,' is the brand comment from Loewe when asked about the connection between its fragrances and Villa Magnán in Biarritz, south-west France, where the Loewe fragrance collection has been photographed.
The brand’s focus on history is no surprise. A 175-year-old Spanish leather goods purveyor that has become a benchmark of 21st-century style, Loewe is continually toggling between the traditional and the modern.
Loewe’s home fragrance line is a case in point. As creative director Jonathan Anderson told us ahead of its launch last year, ‘the ribbed terracotta pot that holds our candles is based on a 5th century BC Greek mug I bought at an auction several years ago. In the rhythmic purity of this incredibly old object, I find unquestionable modernity, and function: it offered the perfect template as a container for our candles, which come in three different sizes.'
As for the inspiration of the collection’s second design, Anderson says, ‘a classic Louis XIV-era French ambeau informs the geometry of the other candle base: craft knows no historic border for me.'
It makes sense, then, that the brand has chosen to capture its home fragrance collection alongside the atmospheric interiors of Villa Magnán.
The art deco palace was built in 1927 for the Marquis and Marquise de Casa Riera and their children, an aristocratic family with links to the fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga.
Fleeing from the Spanish Civil War, the family moved into the house in 1931 and lived there for just five years, making further sporadic visits over the course of the Second World War.
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
From 1950, it remained largely untouched, becoming a crumbling manor set amongst increasingly wild parkland.
A few years ago, the property was bought by stylist and production designer Anne Israël and her cinematographer husband, Jérôme Israël. The pair have restored the house to its art deco glory while infusing it with distinctly modern decor.
The resulting images, seen here, are a welcome visual treat, showcasing the villa’s unique interiors alongside Loewe’s signature candles.
INFORMATION
Mary Cleary is a writer based in London and New York. Previously beauty & grooming editor at Wallpaper*, she is now a contributing editor, alongside writing for various publications on all aspects of culture.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published