Elizabeth Garouste Delivers a Whimsical Collection at Ralph Pucci

Dancers from Alice Farley’s troupe activate Elizabeth Garouste’s new collection at Ralph Pucci. Photo: Antoine Bootz

At a time when everyone could use a bit of fantasy, that’s exactly what French design extraordinaire Elizabeth Garouste delivers. In her second collection with Ralph Pucci in New York, Garouste’s pieces exude a whimsical yet sophisticated spirit in a staggering scope of techniques and materials.

“She’s a true original,” says Pucci. Artistic forms get a boost of energy with audacious color combinations. “The play of forms, materials, and colors gives the whole collection a poetic air,” notes the artist, who cites inspiration as diverse as ancient Greece and cozy English country houses.

Among the works are a gilded wrought-iron floor lamp that emits an ethereal glow thanks to a gemlike frosty blue bulb, bronze sconces shaped that resemble Surrealist theatre masks with contorted faces, and a striking armoire made of patinated iron dotted with ceramic disks in alternating shades of blue. Adding even more whimsy is a striped swing chair with an exaggerated curved shape hanging from wrought-iron chains. Visitors will also find a gilded mirror with amoeba-esque cutouts, a three-legged console adorned with masks that features a stone top, and a pill-shaped black credenza with flagellum-like red legs.