Melding fine design and fine food, the pop-up café is created to mark the Reverso watch's 90th anniversary
The hip creative enclave of K11 in Shanghai welcomed a new addition into its midst earlier this month—Jaeger-LeCoultre's 1931 Café. Designed to resemble the chic interior of a 1930s luxury ocean liner with touches of classic movies glamour, the predominantly black-and-white palette is juxtaposed with the warm richness of chrome, velvet, and lacquered wood.
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The Art Deco elements are inspired by Jaeger-LeCoultre's Reverso, which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. Created at the height of the style movement, the rectangular watch with a swivelling case (hence the name Reverso) was designed based on the instruction of a polo player who wanted a timepiece that wouldn't damage so easily when he played.
The well-defined angles of Art Deco also inspires the aesthetic of the finely handcrafted cakes and pastries by Nina Métayer, a Parisian who has been named Pastry Chef of the Year twice. Her gorgeous confectionaries are made using flavours found in Jaeger-LeCoultre's home in Vallée de Joux—think mountain berries, nuts, honey and Swiss chocolates.
The pastry chef and the watchmaker share the same deep values and our gestures are driven by the same desire: not to create for ourselves but to excel for the pleasure of the recipient
— Nina Métayer
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