LAFAYETTE 148
X SAVE VENICE

REFLECTING THE BRAND’S COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING WOMEN ARTISTS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE, LAFAYETTE 148 HAS PROUDLY PARTNERED WITH SAVE VENICE, THE LEADING AMERICAN NON-PROFIT DEDICATED TO PRESERVING AND PROMOTING THE ARTISTIC HERITAGE OF VENICE, ITALY, ON THE RESTORATION OF GROUNDBREAKING FEMALE PAINTER GIULIA LAMA’S EARLY 18^TH-CENTURY MASTERPIECE VIRGIN IN PRAYER.

Melissa Conn, Director, Venice Office, Save Venice, and Lafayette 148 Creative Director Emily Smith sat down to talk female artistry, the importance of craft and the conservation of Giulia Lama’s large-scale oil painting in the church of Santa Maria Assunta in the village of Malamocco on Venice’s Lido for which L148 is the exclusive corporate sponsor. The restoration was undertaken as part of Save Venice’s “Women Artists of Venice,” which is leading the way in identifying, restoring and recognizing the overlooked accomplishments of historic women artists in Venice—including Giulia Lama, whose life and career received little attention until the 20^th century.

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Led by conservator Claudia Vittori and her team, the 2023 treatment addressed several condition problems that had resulted in the work being ignored for decades and achieved transformative results. The thick layer of non-original surface residues were methodically thinned and removed, the remarkable results revealing vibrant hues of burnt Sienna, Lido blue and lagoon green—brighter colors than those previously associated with Lama—and restoring a profound sense of depth, perspective and movement to the scene. Investigations also confirmed Giulia’s expert working technique and a masterful use of pigments to create her color palette.

Both the art and artist are present across the Resort 2025 collection, with Lama’s innovative use of vibrant color setting the tone for how Creative Director Emily Smith and her team approached materiality, motif, texture, silhouette and palette to celebrate the craftsmanship behind oil painting.

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The artwork and restoration also inspired a standalone LAFAYETTE 148 × SAVE VENICE capsule collection, featuring an abstract interpretation of the painting printed upon nine unique pieces. Ten percent of the capsule’s sales will be donated to Save Venice’s ‘Women Artists of Venice’ program through 2024.

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LAFAYETTE 148X SAVE VENICE

MASTERPIECES

LAFAYETTE 148
X SAVE VENICE

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