Throughout history, determined women have repeatedly been ahead of their time, opening new paths with vision and courage. Madame Clicquot was one of them: only a few years after taking over the house in 1805, she revolutionized the champagne industry. She broke with the conventions of her era, developed new techniques, and became one of the first women entrepreneurs of the modern age. Known as "La Grande Dame de la Champagne", her free and bold spirit continues to inspire the house today.
For its 250th anniversary, Veuve Clicquot chose to honor this legacy through a collaboration with Paola Paronetto, another woman of uncompromising spirit who has made a name for herself in the international ceramics and design scene through the authenticity of her ceramic work and her mastery of color.
Paronetto is known for ceramic works that seem as though they were made of paper. She entered the world of ceramic art at a time when it was still rather rigid: “There was a kind of rule among ceramists that one had to work with certain forms or glazes,” she explains. “Over time I became frustrated and felt the need to break through those boundaries.” Her encounter with paper clay in 2000 was the turning point.
Her works, handmade through a lengthy and partly secret process, are delicate yet structurally solid. Thanks to their matte surface, the pieces absorb light and change their color throughout the day, appearing to be in motion rather than static. Her creations range from vases to lamps, but Paronetto is especially known for her bottles. “I immediately saw the connection with Veuve Clicquot and had the idea of designing bottle-shaped boxes. Since we wanted to avoid paper waste and make the packaging sustainable, we chose a more traditional champagne box with a similar texture to the Cartoccio bottle, whose lines create different effects of light and color.”
Her interpretation of La Grande Dame 2015 is imbued with a message of optimism and embodies the importance of female empowerment: “The story of Madame Clicquot moved me because of her strength, her tenacity, and her willingness to innovate,” says Paronetto, referring to the obstacles the entrepreneur had to overcome as a young widow in a male-dominated industry. “She had decided to follow her vision.”
Paronetto's collaboration with Veuve Clicquot resulted in a limited edition: I Giganti, a composition of three giant bottles standing 1.35 meters high. “My wish was to design larger sculptures, even for outdoor spaces, but I am still far from that goal, at least with paper clay,” she says. “Then I met an Italian company that works with metal prototypes, and we began developing a group of bottles 4 to 6 meters high. These were first presented at the launch of La Grande Dame 2015 during the Salone del Mobile in Milan.”
We are delighted to present Paola Paronetto exclusively in our shop at Naglergasse 17 and invite you to immerse yourself in her creativity and in the interplay of craftsmanship, elegance, style, and excellence.
Visit us at Naglergasse 17. We look forward to seeing you!
