From Lacloche Frères…
Although little known to the public today, the Maison Lacloche was one of Paris’ leading jewelers in the last century. It was founded by four brothers of Belgian origin. The two older brothers, Léopold and Jules, started out from modest beginnings in Paris in 1892, on the rue de Châteaudun in the ninth arrondissement. The two younger brothers, Fernand and Jacques, opened premises in Madrid in the Equitativa Palace. Thanks to their connections to renowned jewelers, the siblings soon had branches in some of Europe’s most fashionable seaside resorts and spa towns: Aix-les-Bains, Biarritz, Nice, San Sebastián...
In October 1901, the daily newspaper Le Figaro announced with great pomp the opening of a branch of Lacloche Frères on the rue de la Paix, one of the French capital’s most prestigious thoroughfares. It was located at number 15 while its competitor Cartier was at number 13. Three years later, Lacloche Frères opened a store in London. Again, their boutique was found in a very chic neighborhood: New Bond Street. The British branch was so successful that it allowed them to buy stock from the famous Russian goldsmith, Carl Fabergé, in 1917.
Throughout the Roaring Twenties, the jewelers accompanied their trendy clientele to their preferred holiday destinations: Lacloche was present in Cannes, as well as Deauville. It also attracted the attention of the press during the famous International Exhibition that drew large crowds to Paris in 1925.
For three decades, the creations signed by Lacloche Frères were especially appreciated by royalty: Alfonso XIII of Spain, Edward VII of England, the King of Greece and the King of Siam. They adorned Hollywood stars and aristocratic figures, including the Duchess of Westminster. However, despite the commercial success and renown, the business eventually floundered. Fernand Lacloche, alone at the helm, and especially his sons, were addicted to gambling. They squandered such a fortune on the green baize of casino tables that the family business was liquidated in 1931.
… to Jacques Lacloche
The adventure however, did not stop there. Jacques Lacloche, the son of one of the four brothers, had been employed in the family business since the age of 18, and started a jewelry business under his own name. He began by renting a showcase at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes. In 1938, he opened a shop on the Place Vendôme in Paris, then another on the Croisette in Cannes. He ran a successful enterprise for thirty years. His cosmopolitan clientele included Prince Rainier of Monaco, Prince Ali Khan and Si Brahim El Glaoui, son of the Pasha of Marrakech.
Jacques Lacloche was also the first jeweler to launch a perfume, christened No. 1. The man was a true pioneer. Increasingly passionate about contemporary art, he eventually abandoned the world of jewelry to found a design gallery, in 1967, on the rue de Grenelle in Paris. Some of the pieces produced by this visionary, such as Roger Tallon's aluminum staircase, are legendary.
This chronological exhibition evokes the two main periods in the history of the Maison, that of the Lacloche Frères and Jacques Lacloche.
