The object of desire and worship is adored and revered. Gold in the latest designer collections

Passing the gallery

Leading headings: Elena Prytula

Magazine: N10 (66) 2002

A long time ago, a certain philosopher said that "everything flows, everything changes." It seems he was wrong: the situation with gold has not changed since the Argonauts. It is still the object of desire and worship. Attempts to spoil his reputation with stories about someone's "death for the metal" - pure insinuation. Gold is beyond these suspicions. It is adored and revered. So it was, so it is and so it will be As soon as it became clear that luxury had become an end in itself in the latest designer collections, golden streams gushed from all sides. Moreover, the “flooded” turned out to be not only fashion with “eastern” fabrics embroidered with gold and a scattering of heavy “Gypsy” earrings and necklaces, but also interior design. The "gold rush" gradually spread to all the leading companies: those who have always been indifferent to "brawls" proudly declared their loyalty to gold during the difficult years of minimalism for him; the newly joined showed their enthusiasm with all the enthusiasm of the neophytes. Gold has appeared everywhere, even where it has never been before - from the faucet handles in the bathroom, made of the appropriate precious metal and crystal, to bed linen with gold thread and dishes with gold painting. But the main feature of today's "fever" - contempt for fakes: no props, gold must be real. Of course, strict adherence to these principles makes the design project budget comparable to the annual income of a small developing country. But does it really matter when it comes to genuine luxury? From the moment when gold began to cover everything that was possible (and from the point of view of technology, they succeeded significantly in this), it seemed that gold was “tamed”, that it became something everyday. This is a dangerous delusion: the very idea of ​​democracy is alien to gold, it still remains the most outspoken symbol of power and wealth. Indeed, something gold has never had is modesty. The furniture covered with gold leaf does not “speak”, but “loudly declares” its own luxury, just as gold cutlery - about the high status of the dinner. Fans of remaining inconspicuous are recommended to look for something else in the periodic table: with Aurum, they are unlikely to succeed. However, gold today can also be deliberately shocking - this is manifested in unexpected forms of “golden” furniture like “joker” armchair, and in the incomprehensible, but obviously occult meaning of decorative balls dotted with huge golden figures. In itself, the striking gold, plus the extravagance of the idea, is without a doubt a double-blow. Until recently, it was believed that gold should be “consumed” according to taste and common sense. However, today's fashion "for all Eastern" justifies almost any gold excesses. But the whimsical gilded carvings beyond measure, and even the walls entirely covered with gold, the floor and the ceiling give out today in the owner of the interior not an Arab sheikh, but an expert in the latest trends of esthete. In other words, looking at the horizons of today's interior fashion, you clearly see: the golden idol revealed itself in all its splendor. All worship.