Christian Lacroix unveils a new range of vibrant, decorative accessories for Pêle-Mêle

“Pêle-Mêle” is the title of the very first book that tells the story of the early years of Christian Lacroix from a tender age to when he first founded his Maison de Couture… Published in 1992, it already spoke of the many themes that later became the world of Lacroix as we know it today.

 “I borrowed the name of this book to adorn our 2024 Christian Lacroix Maison collection, because it is reminiscent of Arles, our muse for this season and, of course, the town where Christian spent his youth.”

Without this multi-layered town with its wide variety of influences, there would be no Maison Lacroix. Therefore this collection is intended as an homage to this historic town in Provence, so dear to our hearts. Rugged yet refined, proud yet welcoming, it is a place of contrasts, steeped in history, light and shade.

Trinquetaille

First let’s head for “Trinquetaille”, the multicultural district where Christian grew up – this was the inspiration for a patchwork design recalling the Provençal style quilted fabric known as boutis, stitched with a multitude of Provençal suns. It is printed on both a cotton velour and a wallpaper in shades of terracotta.

 “Cotillons” speaks of neighbourhood festivals, where you might see young acrobats dressed as harlequins – just like the ones who inspired Picasso and photographer Lucien Clergue. This joyful print appears on a rustic cotton canvas.

 Now let’s leave Arles for a moment and discover “Avant le Mistral”, a broad landscape set right in the heart of the Arles countryside, where a storm threatens on a horizon studded with age-old almond trees in bloom.

 “En allant aux Baux” represents a 17th-century map of the region, unfurled, and embroidered onto a big linen panel. It is also available as a natural grasscloth wallcovering.

Roubine

 From here, we followed a “Roubine”, one of those little freshwater streams that sparkle here and there across the region, using a woven velvet with silky, winding graphic lines to conjure them up.

 Sooner or later, all these little rivulets end up in the river that runs through the town, and thus do we continue our guided tour with “Reflet sur le Rhône”. This water-coloured drawing comes in the form of a linen fabric and a natural fabric pasted onto wallpaper.

 In the marshes alongside the river Rhône grow magnificent flowers called “Iris des Marais”. Here we have captured them in all their marvellous polychromy, on a background of black cotton sateen and also on a rustic white cotton canvas.

Think of Arles and Vincent Van Gogh immediately springs to mind, with his sumptuous bunches of sunflowers painted to brighten the walls of the room where his friend Paul Gauguin stayed, when he came to visit. “Soleils”, as the French call these mythical flowers, is the version of this ode to friendship, a gleaming Jacquard in dazzling colours which is just as gorgeous on the back as on the front.

Hortus

 “Hortus” is a park in Arles, inspired by the town’s ancient past. It is an extravaganza of fruit and flowers, whose mixing and mingling recalls the Roman banquets of yore. The design is printed on a linen fabric and a panoramic wallpaper.

Last but not least, “SurréArles’isme” is a riotous fresco of wild and imaginary flowers panorama. And it is also an ode to a town that is constantly reinventing itself, yet somehow manages to remain the same, attracting ever more artists and talents as time goes by.

Sacha Walckhoff, Creative Director, Christian Lacroix Maison