Maker Monday: An aspire Exclusive Interview With Marc Larminaux

Marc Larminaux has been with Lalique since 2002, where he began as a junior designer and is now the artistic and creative director, leading a Paris-based team. With a background in industrial design from Central Saint Martins and ceramic and glass design from École Olivier de Serres, Marc has developed a distinctive approach to design that blends digital sculpture with traditional craftsmanship. He works closely with Lalique’s Alsace factory to merge 21st-century technology with generational artisanal techniques, creating a balance between innovation and heritage. Deeply inspired by nature, art history, and the legacy of René Lalique, Marc has spent over two decades shaping crystal collections and collaborations with leading brands and artists, bringing a fresh, contemporary edge to the house’s iconic style. Learn more about Marc and the luxury ceramics he creates in today’s Maker Monday.

Magnitude Vase with Gold Leaves

Andrew Joseph: What inspired you to become a designer?
Marc Larminaux: My first source of inspiration was my grandfather, a furniture maker. As a child, I spent long hours in his workshop, immersed in the rhythm of skilled hands shaping wood. I was fascinated by the transformation of raw material into meaningful objects, and I would often ask the craftsmen to bring my drawings to life as small creations.

Drawing has always been instinctive to me. Growing up in a region renowned for its ceramic heritage further nurtured this sensitivity to material and form. Creativity was never something I chose; it has always been part of my environment, and deeply part of who I am.

AJ: Can you describe your design philosophy in three words?
ML: Creativity, emotion, poetry.

Alize Vase

AJ: How do you approach a new design project?
ML: Each project begins with a gesture; drawing is always my starting point. From the initial sketch, the idea gradually takes shape through 3D modeling, renderings, and sometimes prototyping, whether through 3D printing or hand modeling with materials such as plastiline or plaster.

Dialogue is essential throughout this process. I work closely with the master glassmakers at the Manufacture, where each exchange refines both the design and its technical feasibility. It is a continuous interplay between vision and savoir faire.

Once the direction is defined, we develop the molds and tools that will give birth to the first crystal pieces. These are then meticulously refined through finishing techniques such as sandblasting and polishing, until the object reaches its final expression.

AJ: What is the best piece of advice you have received as a designer?
ML: To remain true to oneself, and to stay curious. Authenticity and curiosity are essential. When you trust your intuition and remain open to discovery, your work gains sincerity and depth; it becomes both personal and meaningful.

Lalique Flagship Store in New York City

AJ: What is your favorite place to find inspiration?
ML: Inspiration is everywhere, but I find it most profoundly in nature, within the René Lalique archives, and at the heart of the Manufacture. These are places where heritage, material, and imagination continuously dialogue.

AJ: What is your favorite thing about being a designer?
ML: Design allows me to remain connected to my essence, to that sense of curiosity, playfulness, and creative freedom. It is a way of constantly exploring, experimenting, and expressing that inner world, day after day.

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