Swarovski Crystal World

With the exciting release of the new bejewelled collection Luminaire last week it seems like a good time to talk crystals. Over the summer I was lucky enough to visit the fantastic Swarovski KristallWelten in Wattens near Innsbruck in Austria. Having worked with crystals on cards for many years and being a devoted Swarovski shopper I was very keen to visit. I have to say it did not disappoint. It is everything you would expect from Swarovski - a magical place, completely absorbing and how I imagine walking around wonka's chocolate factory might be.

With the world's largest cut crystal, works of major artists like Dali and Warhol, a giant crystal dome (my personal fave - the acoustics were other worldly), crystalline forests, a giant emerging from the hillside, there's a whole lot to see and experience. Of course, at the end of it all the most amazing gift shop ha! Lovely to spot some super cards from Five Dollar Shake in there. Some fantastic inspiration and am very much looking forward to going back sometime to see the latest works.

SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL WORLD - EMILY HAUCK KARIKA NOVA

above clockwise from top left: lee bul's amazing light sculpture room - a personal favourite (bul recently exhibited at the hayward), mr j and miss g wandering the exhibition, me in the fantastic crystal dome, mr j with an amazing crystalline tree designed by tord boontje 'winter wonderland' (his work for lagom can be seen here), a snap of arik levy's bejewelled installation, five dollar shake's some girls sparkle card, one of a few fashion inspired installations, close up of tord boontje's crystal tree, love this installation by arik levy, another view of lee bul's chamber.

#kristallwelten #swarovski #leebul #tordboontje #ariklevy #fivedollarshake #lagom #crystals