If you thought economic upheaval would have pruned people's interest in ornamentation, frivolity of fashion or delight in surface sheen with seemingly no function, you need to think again. Now, more than ever, trend forecasters tell us, people are willing and eager to embrace all that is escapist, whimsical and joyous - be it in films, fashion or home decor.
So whether it is Indian designer Manish Malhotra's crystal-spangled dominatrices who shone at Paris Fashion Week, or Jimmie Martin's Kylie chair with a shimmering headrest, it is clear that fashion influences are definitely cross-fertilising trends in interior design... and people are loving it. Both these designers created their collections with the support of Swarovski, world leader in precision-cut crystal for fashion, jewellery and design.
"Even in a downturn, people want to dress up and look good," says Werner Baumgartner, managing director, Swarovski Middle East. Baumgartner should know, because he is the man responsible for turning the abaya into a sparkling fashion statement, thus establishing Swarovski's most important business segment in the Middle East. "And fashion has not been hit as badly as some of the big projects we were working on in the design field."
So with vertical markets such as architectural lighting hit by the downturn, is fashion going to be a key focus for the company this year? "Our focus has shifted now from big projects to individual homes. People still have a lot of money in this region and are interested in doing up their homes."
The company has some 26,000 employees, a presence in over 120 countries and a turnover in 2008 of 2.52 billion euros (about Dh14 billion). Swarovski comprises two major businesses: one producing and selling loose elements to the industry while the other, established in the mid-1970s, uses these same elements to create finished crystal products, jewellery, fashion accessories, objects and homewares, sold through a global network of over 1,150 Swarovski stores.
The crystal components, known by their product brand names Crystallized - Swarovski Elements for fashion and Strass Swarovski Crystal for architecture and light, have become an essential ingredient of international design.
Baumgartner says that when it comes to interiors, the company is still "learning to walk" compared to its century-old association with the fashion industry which started with haute couture icons like Coco Chanel. "We are currently in the process of finding big design names in the region who we could approach to come up with concepts and ideas in the application of crystals," he says.
In the past, Swarovski has collaborated with designers like Maya Romanoff to produce crystal encrusted wallpaper, exhibited two years ago at INDEX. They have also been associated with some highly visible and prestigious projects, such as Dubai's Cavalli Club and the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman, which boasts the largest chandelier in the world, decorated with more than 600,000 Swarovski crystals.
Today, Swarovski's lighting systems combine modern lighting ideas, such as fibre optics and LEDs with the mood-enhancing qualities of cut crystal. Their current portfolio includes down-lights, recessed spotlights, shimmering starry sky ceilings and illuminated crystal panels.
Crystal components are also used as decorative accents in an interior scheme, as evidenced by one of the company's splashiest recent collaborations with the Cavalli Club. As you walk in, you see crystal strands fashioned into six-metre high curtains with the Cavalli logo worked into them - an incredible feat of precision engineering. Bespoke strands made up of different types of crystal were hung at varying heights over the lounge bar, sushi bar and VIP lounge, forming a type of cathedral-shaped canopy.
The brilliance of crystal in the style of Roberto Cavalli, known as The King of Bling, is evident throughout the club.Swarovski's Middle East unit is focused on products unique to this region, particularly in fashion. Projects currently underway include Dubai's luxury Pentominium tower, and India's biggest private home, the Mukesh Ambani residence Antilla in Mumbai.
Swarovski has worked closely with Vescom, introducing the first ever crystal-encrusted wallcoverings, and German fabric house Nya Nordiska who used Swarovski's transparent, ‘Crystal Fabric'.
They have also collaborated with textile designer, Ulf Moritz, who incorporated crystal into his collection of ornamental trimmings. Italian company, Edra, creators of the crystal-crusted Flap sofa, has gone on to create the ‘Diamond Collection' of contemporary sofas and armchairs.
"We have more than 100 years experience in fashion; we are approached by designers," Baumgartner says.
"In newer segments like interiors, customers may not know about us yet. We come up with ideas and then approach companies that are the best fit. Swarovski crystal elements have become a glamorous ingredient in furniture, fabrics, wallpaper, bathrooms and accessories."
