La Maison Valmont VIP Lounge at The Armory Show in NYC
Swiss beauty brand, Valmont, known for its renowned anti-aging skincare products and dedicated promotion of contemporary art, is partnering with The Armory Show for its fourth consecutive year to create La Maison Valmont VIP Lounge from September 9-12, 2021. Continuing their philanthropic pursuits, this year’s VIP Lounge will highlight the brand’s ensuing partnership with Publicolor, a leading not-for-profit arts and education organization that uses design projects to empower struggling New York City students to realize their potential.
Kicking off New York’s fall art season, The Armory Show continues its legacy as a gateway to New York’s art scene, linking visitors to exhibitors at the fair as well as galleries, museums, art organizations, artists and collectors. This year, Valmont’s VIP Lounge will feature the brand’s iconic skincare and fragrance pillars and luxurious Valmont experiences including skincare consultations and complimentary Valmont beauty samples. Guests at the La Maison Valmont VIP lounge will also discover the The Mad Tea Party installation from the brand’s Alice in Doomeland exhibition which was introduced this year and is currently on display at the Venice Biennale in partnership with Publicolor.
Since its debut in 2015, Fondation Valmont, the brand’s philanthropic arm, has become a champion of contemporary art and the fourth pillar of the Valmont brand, bridging the gap between its luxury cosmetics company and the contemporary art circuit. Striving to advance the arts while simultaneously giving back, Valmont partnered with Publicolor, who uses a long-term continuum of design-based programs that engage at-risk New Yorker students in their education and empower them to plan and prepare for success in school, college, work and life.
To support the Publicolor organization, in 2019, Didier Guillon, Valmont’s Owner and Creative Director, hosted a competition for Publicolor students through which they made depictions of their own altered perceptions of the “Mad Tea Party’ scene in ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Broken up
into teams, the students created their visions whereby the winning group’s image was reproduced life-sized in the brand’s Alice in Doomedland exhibition showcased at the 2021 Venice Biennale. The outcome of this project addresses social and societal issues and depicts the inequity in our society, made more poignant through the young artists that come from at-risk neighborhoods in New York City.
Through the joint support of Fondation Valmont and Publicolor, the winning Publicolor team was scheduled to fly to Venice to see this life-sized diorama of their winning project, however, due to COVID travel restrictions, Didier set up a virtual live tour for the students to see their work showcased at the Venice Biennale. Continuing the celebration, Fondation Valmont will be hosting Publicolor Day on the opening day of The Armory Show whereby the winning team will be able to attend the fair and see their work on display for the first time since COVID.
Art is a fundamental of the Valmont Group and plays a role in every initiative of the brand, promoting their motto ‘When Art Meets Beauty’. An artist and collector himself, Didier has curated art exhibitions all over the world including multiple shows in Venice for the Biennale, Switzerland, Greece and New York City. Furthermore, the Valmont Group has acquired a historic palace in Venice, Palazzo Bonvincini, that is the new home of Valmont’s art charity, Fondation Valmont, that supports artists globally, presenting international art exhibitions and contributing to the local arts scene.
In addition to The Armory Show, Valmont is proud to continue their commitment to art and culture through its sponsorship for the Collectors’ Cocktail party hosted on September 8 for collectors, private buyers, VIP gallerists. Guests at the Collectors Cocktail party will also be treated to collagen eye masks for those who book a treatment at Valmont’s new spa at The Carlyle Hotel.
