Timeless design that becomes more beautiful with age
For designer Vincent Bosmans, an Authentage design always starts with the same idea: creating lighting that lasts. ‘We want to design fixtures that can be passed down from generation to generation,’ he says. That is why Authentage consciously works with materials such as brass and alabaster. ‘No plastic, no disposable products. Materials that stand the test of time.’
For him, timelessness is not a style, but an attitude. ‘We don't follow trends. I like to compare it to slow fashion: pieces that are not tied to one style, but continue to work in different interiors.’ That vision is fuelled by custom projects. What emerges from those projects sometimes grows into the general collection. ‘If a design works for different types of customers, from classic to contemporary, then you know you've got timelessness.
’Craftsmanship plays a major role. Each product passes through the hands of several craftsmen, each with their own speciality: turning, patinating, assembling. ‘You can see that in small, deliberate imperfections. They make each piece unique,’ says Vincent. Brass in particular takes on its own character over time. ‘The patina is never identical, and that's how it should be.’
The vision behind Bellefeu and Psilax
At Bellefeu, timelessness is inherent in the material itself. ‘No two lamps are identical,’ explains Vincent. The grain of the alabaster Bellefeu, the hand-cast splashes and drops on the Bellefeu wax lamp and the natural patina of brass give each lamp its own character. The patented LED system reinterprets candlelight in a safe, maintenance-free way and brings tranquillity to any space.
Psilax is based on the experience of light. ‘From the rotary dimmer to the fine lines: every detail has been carefully chosen,’ says Vincent. The design pushes the boundaries of manufacturability, while residual material is reused in other components.
The power of Psilax lies in its form, but equally in the subtlety of the light: how it glides softly along a wall or curtain, how it illuminates and accentuates an object in an almost sculptural way... The lamp creates a refined, poetic play of light and shadow.
