Lalique

It all began in Aÿ, in Champagne, where René Lalique was born on April 6, 1860. Trained in goldsmithing in Paris, then in London at Sydenham Art College, he established himself as a freelance designer for leading jewelry houses such as Boucheron and Cartier.

In 1885, he took over the workshop of jeweler Jules Destape, and in 1888 registered his “RL” hallmark at 24 rue du Quatre-Septembre—an address that would become the birthplace of an aesthetic revolution.

At the 1900 Paris World’s Fair, he was hailed as the “inventor of modern jewelry” and elevated to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor. His Art Nouveau jewelry sets marked a definitive break with the jewelry conventions of the time. Dragonflies, snakes, flower-women, and motifs drawn from flora and fauna would find their way into the collections of the world’s greatest museums.

As early as 1905, René Lalique turned his attention to glass. His collaboration with perfumer François Coty, which began in 1907, marked a revolution that was as much commercial as it was aesthetic: the perfume bottle thus became a work of art.

In 1922, the Verrerie d’Alsace opened its doors in Wingen-sur-Moder, in a region with a centuries-old glassmaking tradition. This crystal factory remains the only Lalique manufacturing facility in the world today.

But in the Lalique family tree, one figure often remains in the shadows. Born in 1892, the daughter of René Lalique and Alice Ledru, Suzanne Lalique-Haviland grew up under the watchful eye of her father and her grandfather, the sculptor Auguste Ledru.

Though reserved by nature, she was nonetheless a talent in her own right. As early as the 1910s, she designed powder boxes, candy boxes, and decorative objects for René.

Then, in the 1920s, she contributed to the creation of glass vases and bowls that cemented the House’s place in the Art Deco era. Glass, porcelain, painting, fabric, costumes, and stage sets—upon her death in 1989, Suzanne Lalique-Haviland left behind a multifaceted legacy that brings honor to the House.

In 2008, the Swiss company Art & Fragrance, led by Silvio Denz—a major collector of Lalique bottles—acquired the crystal manufacturer and embarked on a true transformation of the century-old brand. This included modernizing the factory, building a logistics center, installing a new tank furnace, and reactivating the lost-wax foundry.

The company was renamed Lalique Group SA in 2016 and is once again thriving across six pillars: decorative objects, perfume, jewelry, art, interior design, and hospitality.

Today, approximately 250 people work at the Wingen-sur-Moder factory, including four “Meilleurs Ouvriers de France.” Thanks to them, the spirit of a House deeply rooted in France’s artistic and cultural heritage lives on.

The Wingen-sur-Moder crystal factory houses workshops for hot and cold glasswork, consisting primarily of cutting, polishing, and decoration. An in-house school trains about ten glassmaking apprentices each year, ensuring the transmission of traditional skills.

Every Lalique piece is created in these workshops. The process begins in the tank furnace, which produces six metric tons of molten crystal per day at over 1,400°C. Glistening and flowing, the molten crystal is then mouth-blown or pressed into a mold by master glassmakers.

The scrap rate after just the melting and molding stages alone reaches 40 to 50 percent. Only flawless pieces move on to the cold glass workshop, where sculptors and engravers work under cold water using diamond-tipped tools: trimming the edges, smoothing out mold seams, and refining details—all part of the art of craftsmanship.

Next come other techniques that give the crystal its signature contrast between brilliant transparency and satin-finished surfaces.

While René Lalique always designed his creations for living spaces, his heirs had the audacity to take the concept to its logical conclusion, and the expansion into the hotel and restaurant industry is a wise extension of that vision.

In September 2015, the villa that René Lalique had built for himself in 1920 in Wingen-sur-Moder opened its doors as a 5-star hotel. The Villa René Lalique features six exclusive suites, designed around iconic Lalique motifs, all furnished with custom-designed Lalique Maison pieces.

The historic building stands alongside a contemporary extension—open to the natural surroundings—designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta. This venue serves as the ultimate showcase of Lalique’s craftsmanship all under one roof: crystal, perfume, jewelry, tableware, and fine dining. A member of Relais & Châteaux since 2016 and of the Grandes Tables du Monde since 2019, the hotel also received a Michelin Key in 2025.

In 2016, the Château Hochberg by Lalique opened right next to the Villa. This 4-star hotel, featuring 15 rooms and a bistronomic restaurant seating 60, is housed in a historic building overlooking the village, with views of the Northern Vosges.

Its Lalique-decorated bar, summer terrace, and the cuisine of Chef Michel Scheidler make it a place with a relaxed atmosphere, without compromising on quality.

Paul Stradner, chef at Villa René Lalique.

A native of Styria (Austria), Paul Stradner grew up on an Austrian farm surrounded by cattle and pigs, raised on his grandmother’s simple, hearty home cooking. It was to escape the drudgery of farm work that he began cooking and discovered his calling.

He began his apprenticeship at age 15 and honed his style at leading restaurants in Germany and Alsace: seven years at the Schwarzwaldstube at the three-Michelin-starred Hotel Traube Tonbach in the Black Forest; then at the Brenners Park-Hotel in Baden-Baden, where he earned two Michelin stars. In 2017, Jean-Georges Klein invited him to join him at the Villa René Lalique, and it was love at first sight. When his mentor retired in 2020, he took sole charge of the two-star kitchen.

His cuisine is a self-portrait blending childhood memories, the flavors of Alsace, and high-level French technique, expressed through a precise, delicate style rooted in local terroir. Paul Stradner and his teams manage the park’s vegetable garden, which features more than 70 varieties of herbs, vegetables, and edible flowers. For each service, he personally selects the Lalique pieces to complement his plating. In this way, the culinary arts and the art of glassmaking come together.

Romain Iltis, head sommelier.

Born in Colmar, Romain Iltis initially planned to pursue a career in cooking. However, meeting his sommelier instructor, Antoine Woërlé, and reaching the finals of the Chapoutier Trophy for best sommelier student shifted his passion toward wine.

Working at Alain Ducasse in Paris, Le Chabichou in Courchevel, and then L’Arnsbourg, run by Jean-Georges Klein, in Baerenthal, he has earned accolades with impressive consistency: Best Sommelier of France in 2012, then Best Craftsman of France (sommelier category) in 2015—just like his father before him. That same year, he joined Villa René Lalique as head sommelier upon its opening. Today, he also serves as wine director for the Lalique Group and has been president of the Association of Alsatian Sommeliers since 2023.

Under his leadership, the Villa’s wine cellar—nicknamed “La Cathédrale” and also designed by Mario Botta—houses nearly 30,000 bottles representing 2,500 different wines. It is one of the most beautiful wine cellars in Europe. He also oversees wine selection at Château Hochberg, promoting the vineyards of Silvio Denz’s estates alongside the region’s leading wineries.

Tableware has been at the heart of Lalique’s identity since its inception.

From the early 20th century onward, René Lalique created decanters, goblets, chandeliers, and panels—notably for the ocean liner Normandie and the Côte d’Azur Pullman-Express train—all pieces in which glass shapes the architecture of the dining experience. In the group’s restaurants, these creations are an integral part of the dining experience.

The House offers several collections of blown crystal glasses and decanters, all crafted in Wingen-sur-Moder in that inimitable style that blends transparency with a satin finish.

Among the notable collections, “100 Points”—born from a collaboration with wine critic James Suckling—is one of the most famous. Functional and elegant, its versatile blown crystal glasses with stems finished in a satin-polished finish are designed to enhance all types of wine.

The museum shop serves as a natural extension of the tour: jewelry, perfumes, books—including an eight-volume reference catalog on the collections—games, and decorative objects are displayed alongside the House’s latest creations.

In the news, the House is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Tourbillons vase, created in 1926 by Suzanne Lalique-Haviland, whose flowing swirls—inspired by a sprouting fern—have lost none of their charm. To mark this anniversary, Lalique is unveiling a collection of four pieces enhanced by a delicate coral patina, including a limited edition of 26 pieces accented with gold leaf.

At the same time, the Air de Lalique collection—an ode to lightness and movement—features vases, bowls, and sculptures with fluid curves that capture the caress of a summer breeze in crystal. Available in clear crystal or with a coral patina, some pieces are finished with rose gold leaf. This year confirms, if confirmation were needed, that Lalique continues to transcend its own classics, which are resolutely timeless.