Introduction

I first met Stephen Laurent, Lolo, a few years ago. I had a working relationship with his partner Noriko, and while they were still living in Paris, I had the opportunity to meet and work with Noriko at a brand exhibition every season, and I heard more about Lolo and his manufacturing during the conversation.
At that time, they wanted to show me their crafts if we had a chance the right time, I think.
It was only 1-2 years since Accalmie ‘Lolo’s brand’ was established.After that, I heard that the two of them were coming back to Japan together, and we were talking about wanting to see each other. However, it took a long time to arrange and search for the materials store, the paper mill, and other essential items for his production in Japan, and it was difficult to get to the right time.
In the middle of this, Covid-19 began to impact to the world, and I decided to contact him for the first time in a while, as I decided to launch a new online gallery project.
Of course, both of us are confined to our homes so we have time to meet. I can say that our relationship has tied by COVID-19 in a way.

When we finally met, we talked about what he had been up to. I was able to see his workplace, and learn his craftsmanship.
There was a craft for Noriko and also I could see the work process hewas working on at that time.
It is studded with many details and quality that he proudly and responsibly created by French-style Sadler (horse maker) techniques, and there are some things that are so incredible that the words handmade and hand-sewn cannot simply be used to describe them.
My first impression was “things and assets that will be passed down from generation to generation. ” It doesn’t mean that it’s expensive, but it has the quality to be able to take over time.
With that in mind, I felt very strongly that it was made.
After receiving the general explanation, I asked him straight up why they use crocodile leather, because they represent luxury, or because they are legitimate materials in classical traditions.
The answer was unexpected and he brought me a crocodile bag and a calfskin bag Noriko had used for more than a decade.
What is the difference between the damage accumulated in leather and the aging?
The silver surface remains firmly on the bottom and corners of the crocodile, which is prone to damage, and the original glare is suppressed as a material, and the crocodile leather changes over time gracefully.
As for the calfskin, the damage that makes you feel the passage of time is clearly shown in the details, and in a way, the aging of this leather is sometimes called a “sharp feeling.”
“This is the reason,” he said.
Crocodile skin’s durability as a material is incomparable to other leather materials, he said.To be honest, I was reluctant to use crocodile leather, but his words were able to get in.
It was also my first impression of his craftsmanship that made me even more satisfied.
From there, we started discussing ideas specializing in materials, as mentioned in the conversation.
As a Galerie a, I wanted to bring out a side not found in his previous works, and because of his heavy weight, I wanted to show him a playful output in his manufacturing, in which classic elements appearon the surface.
Among them, I was lucky enough to come across two materials, vegetable tannin-finished slim crocodile leather and natural die super matte-finished black crocodile leather, and in a way I was able to express my own unique style.
After a long period of thought, the title of this exhibition, “Timeless,” contains the meaning of “beauty, talent, charm, etc. that will not fadeover time, “and I felt that it expresses the charm of his work.
In this exhibition, we coordinated and displayed the same timeless furniture and works in order to show our respect for his work and the correlation with the title.
I would appreciate it if you could feel something like that.


Galerie a RepresentativeAkiyoshi