About
Artist: Jimmy Law
The Viewing Room art Gallery at LORIENT Fashion & Art Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery in Pretoria established in 2007.
“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance”
(Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)
The art gallery is dedicated to the promotion of national and international artists, providing original fine art to established and emerging collectors.
It is also home to innovative, singular, and pioneering exhibitions across a variety of media and genres that reflect a commitment to contemporary issues and ideas. It aims to give a platform to artists to unpack issues that touch them.
Much like an artist draws his brush across a page, so Lucy Anastasiadis, Creative Director of St. Lorient Fashion and Art Gallery, ensures that elements of fashion are intertwined to create a masterpiece of clothing. A Fusion of Fashion and Art aptly describes the elegance and style of the brand’s base – a modern masterpiece on the brink of Brooklyn-Circle. This gallery is unique in that, not only do they showcase designer wear for ladies, but also an array of artworks from South African artists.
“I analyse a piece of art exactly the same way I read a book”, says Lucy. “What was the process that got them there, what was the artists’ inspiration, what is the intent of the piece? The same applies when I put on my Creative-Director hat and sit down with an idea in mind.
St. Lorient, first established in 1979, prides themselves in decades of dedicated passion to designing innovative bridal wear, evening wear, matric dance gowns, mother-of-the-bride outfits and elegant day wear. Lucy, after graduating with a BA degree in classical languages and Honours in Ancient Greek, entered the fashion world with her mom, Barbara Apostoleris, who was a fashion designer in her time. There seems to be a sense of tradition in the air, and timelessness to the items that St. Lorient creates. The difference is that these garments are tailored exclusively for each customer with a touch of the latest trends and colours.
Just as an artists brush captures the essence of a woman on canvas. Likewise, at St. Lorient, customers’ best features are brought out with ‘strokes’ of creative mastery. Lucy and her team have an eye for the fuller figure – the Rubenesque shapes of female form. They’re able to instil poise, class and flair through paying special attention, and taking care, to design each dress according to the figure of each customer.
St. Lorient is a monumental tribute to fashion, a household name to brides, and an icon of innovation that produces only the most exquisite, feminine wear. This certainly hasn’t come without a fair share of hard work but Lucy pays homage to her husband: “He has a unique sense of aesthetics,” she says. “I am grateful for his continuous advice and vision.” With a supportive husband, experienced consultants in the fashion Gallery, and a committed team of fashion designers and seamstresses under her wing, Lucy says that their aim is to make the customer feel comfortable, look great, and exude confidence in what she is wearing.
Coco Chanel, late French, fashion designer, said,
“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”
This statement is evident throughout the gallery of St. Lorient. Whether browsing the rails of designer attire, or perusing the artistic talent on display, you will find the entity that depicts that which is solely you. St. Lorient Fashion and Art Gallery is ultimately a destination-gallery, offering a lifestyle experience where beauty is more than skin deep.
Since January 2021 Lucy Anastasiadis has decided to dedicate her time to the promotion of the arts in Pretoria. So it is with regret that the fashion side of the business has closed its chapter in Fashion.