Chris Basias, the founder of the Athens-based creative studio CHRIS BASIAS (42 Anagnostopoulou Street, Kolonaki), is an internationally renowned lighting designer. His most recent success is the luminaire he designed for Louis Vuitton.
What does this mean? That one of his designs lights up many boutiques of the historic house in different parts of the world, the luxury stores of the fashion industry giant that is always interested in collaborations with promising young artists.
“The LVMH Group discovered me at the Euroluce exhibition in Milan. They got my e-mail, we had a correspondence, but because they used a different name I didn’t realize which client it was.
They kept asking me to send designs and then they told me that it was for Louis Vuitton and that my designs were going to Paris to be approved by Michael Burke, the president of the company.
I started by creating lighting for the Louis Vuitton jewellery store in Riyadh. It’s the first LV jewellery store in the world to have a separate entrance from the boutique – it’s a masterpiece. Since then, LV boutiques in Italy, Saudi Arabia and even in far-off China have hosted them.”
I ask him to tell me about this particular luminaire he designed for LV. “It’s called Flow. It stands for ‘Floating Leaves Out on my Window’, the leaves that the wind took and scattered outside my window.
It’s a bronze disc that makes a slight tilt on one or both sides. Sort of like a light wave. The composition also includes plain petals that contribute to an intense play of shadows.”
As an interior designer, she insists that lighting is the Alpha and Omega of a space. “Even a work of art, if not properly lit loses its value. Look at the special lighting in museums.
Even something mediocre, if you invest in the right lighting it will take on a different dimension. The same has been observed in mass-produced clothing stores.
When they are properly lit, sales increase since a positive mood is created in the consumer. And at home, proper lighting contributes to a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere.
Lighting has two main aspects, the aesthetic and the architectural-practical aspect. It is the most important factor, it can literally transform a space,” he says, noting that for our private space we should choose warm light sources to create the desired warmth and a beautiful atmosphere.
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He admits that the luminaires he designs are distinguished by a sculptural mood in both forms and shapes – and the truth is that when they started to be shown at exhibitions such as Art Basel in Miami or in prestigious galleries in Paris and London, everyone was talking about the artist who turns lighting into fine art.
Since then, his designs have illuminated iconic spaces such as the Porsche Design Tower and the One Thousand Museum in Miami – a building designed by the great Zaha Hadid – as well as the mansions of Hollywood stars and celebrities: Ricky Martin has chosen a Chris Basias luminaire for his living room.
Not even 40 years old, the already award-winning Chris Basias, originally from Trikala, is a great chapter in contemporary interior design. It all started when he decided to show his designs to a well-known Greek company, which realized that he was a unique talent.
