The Skirt Collection
The SKIRT lighting collection (part of the overall DRAPE collection) consists of the DRAPE SKIRT 9 Chandelier, the DRAPE SKIRT 15 Chandelier, and the latest addition, the DRAPE SKIRT 18 Chandelier.
Each design features a “skirt” element. These “skirts” are armatures of brass tubes grouped and connected into clusters. The tubes are bent by hand, one at a time, and are somewhat irregularly. The individual pendants that make up each chandelier in the SKIRT collection are suspended on a fabric-wrapped electrical cord, and each cord passes through one of the tubes of a “skirt” element.
“The SKIRT collection brings to life an idea I had, to tell a story about lighting that was graceful and feminine. I wanted to do this within the existing language of the DRAPE collection, to further build on this idea of single cord-suspended glass pendants,” says SkLO Design Partner, Karen Gilbert. “The skirts themselves play a powerful role in the physical composition of these fixtures – they are doing all the work – yet they endow the designs with a language that is decorative and minimal.”
The DRAPE SKIRT 9 Chandelier features a single large central “skirt” element. This “skirt” arranges 8 of the 9 pendants in a circular cluster, and the 9th hangs slightly below in the center. The single “skirt” can be located anywhere along the length of cords, and this information can be specified. All SkLO light fixtures are built to order.
The DRAPE SKIRT 15 Chandelier is a linear chandelier. Here, the “skirt” elements are groups of 3 tubes and pendants, and there are 5 of these “skirts” spaced along the length of a slim brass bar. The 5 groups of 3 make 15 cord suspended lit glass pendants. Like the DRAPE SKIRT 9 Chandelier, where the brass bar and “skirt” elements appear within the overall length of the fixture can be specified, with the individual pendants typically staggered identically in each group of 3.
2019 saw the introduction of the DRAPE SKIRT 18 Chandelier, the most recent addition to the SKIRT collection. The DRAPE SKIRT 18 features similar “skirt” elements as that of the DRAPE SKIRT 15 – the “skirt” elements are groups of 3 tubes and pendants. Here, they are arranged around a circular brass ring, 6 groups of 3 pendants. The DRAPE SKIRT 18 Chandelier references the classic chandelier language and form, yet it is an entirely modern interpretation. Each lit sphere measures approximately 4 1/2″ (11 cm) in diameter, and the glass features a signature SkLO detail, a small open mouth at the underside where the piece is broken hot from the glassblower’s pipe and fire polished.
“I love how we achieve an imposing chandelier with the subtle addition of a minimal amount of additional elements, just the 6 “skirt” elements and the ring itself. The relationship between all these simple elements is extraordinarily complex – the “skirt” elements are held in place by the slight friction of the fabric of the cord against the bent tubes, and the “skirts”, in turn, support the ring. Where one element gives support, the other, in turn, offers the opportunity for composition. This is all accomplished in a way that looks effortless, and that is what makes it beautiful,” says Karen Gilbert.
Like all designs within the DRAPE collection, all 3 chandeliers in the DRAPE SKIRT collection are available in 2 metal finishes, 5 glass colors, and 4 fabric-wrapped electrical cord colors.