Follow the call of the disco ball. The universal club mantra is as true as the laws of nature, but as anyone who has experienced the rollercoaster of a big night out will tell you: Our cherished hedonistic pastime is full of chaotic energy. That familiar tension is captured by Kelly Wearstler’s new Dalí-esque melted disco ball series, a collaboration with Dutch creative collective Rotganzen.
The collection, called Quelle Fête and an evolution of Rotganzen’s After Party Series for Disco Gufram, recalls the melancholic glory of dancing the night away at glamorous haunts like Studio 54, Paradise Garage, and The Roxy in the 1970s and ‘80s, “when everyone thought there was no end to the happiness, but it also felt a little unreal,” says Rotganzen’s managing partner Erik Schilp. “For anyone who has been to the more famous clubs, there’s always that double feeling of extreme happiness and elation confronted with the dark side—drugs and the exclusion of a lot of people. It’s a commentary on that dynamic in that it makes you happy, but also makes you wonder, think, and doubt a little.”
The name of each piece references L.A.-inspired music (LA Woman, Tiffany Queen) and evokes the spectrum of emotions felt during a power-charged club adventure. Cracked Actor, Schilp explains, “embodies the frustration and longing felt sitting in the corner waiting for a cab to bring you home”—the sorrow of a club night gone wrong. Sunset People, meanwhile, feels “intimate and erotic,” like two strangers embracing on the dance floor.
Rotganzen painstakingly produces each piece by hand in their studio out of foam, and then covers them almost entirely with tiles. (The only uncovered surface is the felted underside so as to not damage furniture or surfaces.) Besides the 150-editioned Tiny Dancer, each piece comes in a run of 10. The new release signals an evolution for the retail platform helmed by the “queen of the power clash.” Though Wearstler’s bracingly maximalist interiors often feature rare pieces by emerging artists and designers, her lifestyle brand has traditionally stocked home furnishings and accessories of her own design. Look for more of these limited-edition designer collaborations in the future.
