This project for the Modernista brand is a contemporary reinterpretation of a Cubist lamp by Josef Gočár. The original geometric form is complemented by new shades created through a collaboration between lighting and glass designer Kateřina Handlová and Tereza Švelíková, founder of the brand Objet Petit, who specializes in hand-sewn niche lingerie.
The choice of lingerie is not merely an aesthetic gesture. For Tereza Švelíková, it is a natural extension of her creative work and her enduring interest in craftsmanship, the body, and intimacy. For Kateřina Handlová, it is a recurring theme—ranging from explorations of corsetry and motifs of femininity to questions regarding social norms, bodily boundaries, and the meaning of womanhood today.
The shades draw upon the materials, construction principles, and visual language of lingerie. They bring elements typically belonging to the intimate, personal sphere—such as textile softness, layering, seams, material tension, and the very concept of the body—to the lamp. Contrasting with the strict geometry of Cubism, the resulting object bridges architecture, craftsmanship, and femininity.
Here, lingerie acts as a mediator between the visible and the hidden; between protection, adornment, self-expression, and the gaze of others. At the same time, the project pays homage to the historical design of these Cubist lamps. Versions featuring textile shades emerged as early as the 1930s; thus, this contemporary interpretation does not create an entirely new element but rather revisits one of the original options, placing it within a more personal and modern context.
The result is an object that straddles the line between lighting design, textile craftsmanship, and an intimate artifact. It is as if the world of the bedroom were momentarily projected onto a geometric lamp—a nightgown draped over the light, a personal item elevated to a design object. The project’s defining character arises precisely from this tension between the public and the private, between rigorous structure and material softness.
