Sara Bran’s gold lace

On the occasion of the 2017 International Fine Watchmaking Exhibition and the launch of two watches made of gold lace, Piaget’s craft, we met the artist behind these works of art, the talented Sara Bran.

Recognized by the international community as an innovative designer and a modern artist, Sara Bran created this gold lace technique from scratch. Both manual and technical work, she has developed over years of research and practice this art of excellence bordering on traditional jewelry technique and contemporary artistic research.

Sara Bran, Gold Lace Maker

Can you tell me about your background? How does one become a gold lace maker?

My career path is atypical, it began with history of art and fine art studies, followed by painting, sculpture and drawing. I have always expressed a strong interest in jewelry, applied arts and decorative arts. On day, I broke a small piece of sculpture and decided to turn it into a pendant. The result was quite successful, so I made a few others until I was offered to design an entire collection. This is how I started creating jewelry alongside my work as a sculptor.

I acquired the skills to shape precious metals and, with this, became interested in manual cutting, a traditional piercing technique using a fretsaw which allows to make openings in the metal, for gemstones for example.

It does take a lot of patience and precision to make multiple cuts and play with light, but I found there was an interesting field to develop: gold lace. I was lucky to be trained by the best artisans in France whose demand for detail encouraged me to dive deeper into this exploration work. In this environment, I met female textile workers and realized that our activities were similar, except for the material. I then became interested in lace while doing research in museums, both in France and in Europe, on the field of textile lace ornamentation.

The profession of gold lace worker didn’t exist before, how did you address the technical aspect?

I started by inventorying and collecting patterns for several years, occasionally hunted for lace pieces and even met contemporary lacemakers. This allowed me to identify patterns I could reproduce, or rather reinterpret with my material, gold. I also carried out research on alloys and construction in order to achieve delicacy and suppleness in my creations, which are very similar to textile lace.

Sara Bran, modern artist

You currently work for one of the famous luxury brands of Place Vendôme: how did your collaboration with Maison Piaget begin?

As part of their art and excellence collection, which gathers all artistic professions, Piaget partners with artisans, experts in their fields. This is how Piaget offered me to create two exceptional pieces designed by their Maison.

How did you go about creating the Piaget cuff and watch?

When the Piaget teams came to visit my workshop located in the Gard department, they had particularly enjoyed my research with light. We then brainstormed two projects together. The first one was the creation of gold lace for one of Piaget’s iconic watches, the Altiplano Double Jeu. The watch opens up to reveal lace on top. The second one was the creation of a cuff. Numerous attempts, as well as several months of research and development with the Maison’s engineers were necessary before achieving the delicacy of the final result.

What makes your gold lace work unique?

In view of my research work on the ornamental style of lace, I offer a wide range of patterns borrowed from various European cultures. It’s not about reproducing honeycomb patterns in an almost industrial way. I am committed to creating my own designs and thus expressing creative strength and delicacy in the ornamental style of lace.

Sara Bran is therefore an artist to follow, and definitely one to collect. Finalist of the 2010 Bettencourt Prize “pour l’intelligence de la main” (for craftsmanship), then First Prize for Creation at the Salon Les Fêvres in 2011, her work has been exhibited in Paris, Berlin, Monaco, Lausanne, Lisbon, St Barth, Moscow, Tokyo, Singapore and Dubai, among others, and at the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Lisbon and in French National Museums. She regularly collaborates with French and international luxury brands, such as Guerlain and its capsule collection for La Petite Robe Noire.

Let’s appreciate and support the courage of these artists who center their lives around creation to always dazzle us and spread this know-how that must be encouraged.