What happens when Badgley Mischka and Christofle merge together? An effortlessly chic synergy of design and dinnerware that calls for a summer wedding celebration. The famed Parisian silversmith Christofle hosted a champagne reception on Wednesday night at their Upper East Side boutique to celebrate their recent collaboration with the iconic couture label Badgley Mischka. As part of their Star Table series, the brand enlisted the sartorial finesse of the designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka to create a stunning wedding tablescape that features Christofle tableware. The result was pure magic.
Haute Living sat down with James Mischka to unveil the inspiration behind the breathtaking tablescape, talk about the importance of the dinner table, and pick up a few tips on planning the perfect wedding.
Tell us about the inspiration behind your tablescape.
[Mark and I] had a house in Kentucky for a number of years and we love the South so it’s inspired by Magnolia blossoms. All of the flowers have a Southern feel and the whole table has a Southern feel. The linens are all manufactured in Kentucky so it’s a very Southern brides wedding. It’s very personalized.
What is the designing process like for tableware?
It’s all about attention to detail, it’s about trying new materials. There’s even a silhouette to a table; we chose this flatware because we love the silhouette. It’s classic and simple but also very modern at the same time. It’s the same with the plates and glasses, so we really try to incorporate that into our gowns and tables, too.
So it’s all about putting a look together for the final product?
It is—that’s why I like mixing and matching. There’s really no rule about mixing and matching, except that is has to look fabulous together. So that’s the only rule that we really adhere to.
Is it the same with jewelry as it is with tablescapes?
I think that the idea of wearing a suite of jewelry is fabulous, but you know, break up your suite of jewelry. Or if you don’t have the suite of jewelry, mix it up and match. But you can tell we mixed a very sort of ornate glass crystal with a sort of streamlined flatware, and the china’s a little bit in between. The napkins are very modern.
What role do you think that the tablescape has at an event? How does the presentation of the dinner table affect the ritual?
It’s the first thing you see. It’s super important. This is obviously a more formal table and we love when you can take an element, like these embroidered napkins or the fabulous silver, and put it at your family dinner table to sell the entire experience.
What is the most important thing to consider when planning a tablescape for a wedding?
I think that the most important thing about a wedding table is that the bride and groom’s personalities show, not necessarily the wedding planner’s, because that can happen sometimes. It’s important that they know what they want and have a theme, like a Southern wedding, a black-and-white wedding, you know. Figure out what you want and specialize in that. A lot of our friends have been planning their own weddings with a little bit of help from a planner. They did the tables themselves at all of these fabulous weddings in Montauk, Connecticut, and Kentucky.
So it’s kind of like with the dress where you have to listen to yourself?
The thing with the dress is that you have to explore a little bit. If you haven’t used a type of linen, use it; if you haven’t used a type of flatware, use it. It makes a big difference in the way that your wedding guests feel. It’s not always easy to pull it together but it’s your big day so you want something special.
