collection 01
les âmes simples
Our inaugural collection takes place in Belgium,
the land of rainfall and medieval heritage.
Consisting of a bench, a table, a mirror, and a candle holder,
this collection interprets and reflects the daily lives led by the Béguines.
The forms are freely inspired by objects found in their homes: the Béguinages.
This collection was produced in collaboration with young craftspeople in Brussels who have perfected traditional skills such as ironwork, upholstery, and natural wax casting.
the story
Les âmes simples refers to Marguerite Porete’s book “Le miroir des âmes simples et anéanties” written in the late 13th century.
The Christian laywoman and mystic identified God as a stream of love in which one can take part, from the moment the hindrances to freedom represented by spiritual obligation and material possessions are abandoned.
Written in vernacular language, “The Mirror of Simple Souls” became a symbol of free thinking and was therefore considered heretical. Marguerite Porete was arrested by The Inquisition and was burned at the stake in Paris on June 1st, 1310.
After her execution, her writings remained an inspiration for the Béguines, an independent religious order active in the Low Countries of which Porete had been a member.
The first Béguinage, an architectural complex inside cities where lay religious women lived, was founded in Belgium.
The Béguines were non-ordained religious women who lived in restricted communities without taking vows or retiring from the world. They freely lived their spirituality inside their semi-monastic communities, devoting themselves to voluntary poverty, care of the poor and sick, and religious matters, all the while free to leave should they wish.
As independent groups of women, they were owners, makers, and benefactors who created their own society and economy.
Today, the Béguinages are protected by UNESCO and are part of Belgian history and heritage.
Taking the Béguines’ lifestyle as a through-line, Les âmes simples raises social and political questions about autonomy, collaboration, feminism, and the place of spirituality in society.
Fascinated by this movement that started in the thirteenth century, we decided to create a collection that focuses on aspects of isolation, on simple ways of living, and on human relationships with nature and spirituality.