15 Sep 2022
Harmony: intrinsic to nature, it is a concord of elements, separate yet united. Since time immemorial, artists have pursued harmony, seeking to create a dynamic balance, a whole greater than its parts. Yet while harmony is sought by many, it is mastered by few. It is mastered by Bauhaus – a movement governed by the principles of harmony – by form and function, by the emotional and the rational, by art and science.
Inspired by Bauhaus, La Prairie sought to master the harmony of youth – a harmony that is fleeting. This scientific pursuit culminated in a breakthrough centred on skin ligaments – skin’s vertical pillars. Skin ligaments are directly correlated to essential elements of facial harmony, and are as of yet unaddressed by skincare.
In 2022, La Prairie thus initiates a paradigm shift. From focus on skin’s horizontal elements, to focus on its vertical dimension.
Skin’s architecture is composed of several horizontal and vertical elements, the vertical elements being skin ligaments. Skin ligaments are unique structural units that form a flexible yet strong network throughout the hypodermis. They are essential to the structural stability of the skin and anchor skin to its foundation. With age, the ligaments weaken and the entire skin follows gravity. Facial sagging sets in, firmness and contours are lost and the formation of deep wrinkles is accelerated. Given their fundamental importance, La Prairie scientists entered into a collaboration with a Swiss bioanalytical laboratory to develop ground-breaking test protocols that allowed them to identify and quantify components of skin ligaments.
The results of this research categorically demonstrate that aged skin can appear to be strengthened and seem visibly denser, and more youthful. Based on this, La Prairie created an ideal blend of proprietary caviar ingredients, augmented with a specific high-efficacy active, designed to help visibly strengthen the skin. The result is Caviar Infinite: thirty-five years of Caviar Science, mastered.
Infused with Caviar Infinite, Skin Caviar Harmony L’Extrait represents a new approach to lifting and firming.
Formulated with micro-fluidic technology, the beads of Skin Caviar Harmony L’Extrait delicately melt into the surrounding gel upon application. The texture transforms into a light extrait that infuses skin with an immediate tensing sensation and a satin-smooth finish. Over time, contours appear resculpted, volume feels regained and the appearance of wrinkles is reduced. The harmony of youth is mastered.
The Skin Caviar ritual begins with the application of Skin Caviar Harmony L’Extrait after skin has been thoroughly cleansed, toned and then primed with Skin Caviar Essence-in-Lotion. The pipette dispenses the perfect dose into the palm of the hand. To complete the ritual, Skin Caviar Harmony L’Extrait’s resculpting benefits are complemented by the lifting and firming action of Skin Caviar Liquid Lift and Skin Caviar Luxe Cream. The lifting ritual is elevated to a new dimension.
Inspired by Bauhaus, the packaging design of Skin Caviar Harmony L’Extrait is a dynamic duality of form and function. A cobalt glass vial encapsulates the potent formula deep within, while its reflection creates the impression of undeniable harmony.
The Bauhaus movement has always inspired the codes of the House through its philosophy and the diverse disciplines that characterise it. Although the movement was progressive in its artistic expression and educational paradigm, the women of the Bauhaus were too often overshadowed by their male colleagues. Despite these obstacles, women excelled at the Bauhaus.
As a tribute to their spirit, legacy and diverse disciplines, La Prairie has created its own Women Bauhaus Collective to reinterpret their individual creative pursuit of harmony. Paying homage to the female figures of Bauhaus by exploring their mastery of harmony, the works reflect each of the talent’s personal responses to the theme in an expansive range of media.
Mentored by award-winning designer Sabine Marcelis, the five young talents – graduates from the world’s leading art and design schools, including Switzerland’s ECAL, the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Central Saint Martins in London, Hong Kong’s Design Institute and The School of Design Institute in Chicago – have each created a unique digital work that will be presented in a virtual exhibition hosted on laprairie.com.
Prior to the virtual exhibition, the project will be unveiled in an exclusive scenography designed by Marcelis. Visitors will be able to experience the installation in the La Prairie Lounge at Art Basel in Basel from June 16-19 as part of the House’s partnership with the art fair. This most recent artistic endeavour represents an occasion for La Prairie to extend its legacy beyond the world of skincare, offering women artists a platform upon which they can express their own vision, for a better and more equitable tomorrow.
