Product designer and artistic director Dennis Beard debuted his first collection with LBL Lighting in Dallas, and his background in set design and theater was evident, as was his openness to a wide range of materials, from sheets of Swarovski Elements crystal to the acrylic tabs used to hold apparel price tags.
“I love taking common objects and giving them a twist,” Beard said. Inspired by Dolly Parton’s outfits as a child with years of lighting design behind him, Beard added that design transcends categories. “What I gained from one area, I could bring to another.”
The elegant Mademoiselle pendant, shown, drapes several sheets over a single bulb. “I wanted to take crystal and use it in a different way,” Beard said. The Swarovski Element crystal sheets were exclusive to Chanel for years, he said, but no longer. With options in gold and clear glass, a double-layered pendant will retail for about $1,640. A wall sconce and a longer piece will also be added, he said.
The new line also had such LED fixtures as Lulu, a square flush with crystals and light-changing LEDs, and the linear and laser cut Gypsy, which had a lace-inspired design. “I love LED because you can do so many things with it. You can be really minimal.”
And those acrylic tabs? They were used on a drum shape called Sunkissed. Other pieces used apparel items such as metal hooks and eyes and zippers.