"It became a quiet kind of fantasy"

There’s no denying that interior designer Kelly Wearstler is a phenomenon. Her client list, awards, and magazine covers include names like Cameron Diaz, Proper hotels, Louis Vuitton, and Elle Decor. In 2023, the California-based designer introduced her first-ever tableware collections—Zuma and Dune—through Serax. The pairing of Serax’s architectural minimalism with Wearstler’s vintage-inspired richness proved to be a perfect match. Wearstler herself summed it up as:“Old soul, new spirit.”

At first glance, your visual languages seem worlds apart—Kelly is the sun, Marie is the eclipse. Why does it work?

Marie: “Visually, we’re definitely different—her work is expressive yet calming, while mine tends to be darker and more enigmatic. But that contrast creates something interesting. I bring a twist that adds depth and intrigue to her pieces. It wasn’t about capturing each object perfectly, but about building a narrative, creating tension, and leaving space for interpretation.”

Kelly: “Marie has an incredible eye and tells stories through visuals with such precision—she knows exactly what matters in an image and what doesn’t. I’m much more focused on how things feel, how they live in a space. I work on intuition, while Marie approaches a composition almost like a mathematical equation. Every element in her frame has to earn its place. That push and pull between my instinctive approach and her exacting vision creates a dynamic we could never achieve alone.”

The first shoot was almost a surreal anti-dinner party. This one feels more refined, elegant, with nods to surrealism.

Marie: “That first shoot was rooted in absurdity. This time, we wanted to bring in more lightness and imagination. A teapot with eyelashes, a tiny fish in a vase—little details that tell a story. I love images where one subtle surreal gesture is enough to transport the viewer to another world. And despite the whimsy, it still fits seamlessly within the Serax aesthetic.”

Kelly: “This second collaboration feels like we’ve really found a shared language. It’s less about shock value, and more about intentional surprises. We both realized we can push boundaries and still honor beauty. Elegance without a sense of play quickly becomes sterile. Marie flipped some of my shallow bowls upside down and turned them into pedestals for wildly colorful, almost impossible-looking dishes. That’s exactly the kind of refined playfulness that resonates with me.”

Kelly, what was your reaction to that image?

Kelly: “Marie took my Zuma vase and turned it into a stage for this tiny, surreal drama. That sardine just hangs there, like it was always meant to be. What makes it so strong is the contrast—my work is warm and tactile, while her composition is cool and controlled. She has an incredible gift for reimagining the ordinary in a completely new way.”

Still, one wonderfully weird anti-dish made it into the shoot—a sausage swan. How didthatcome to be?

Marie: “The sausage swan is actually one of my favorite images from the shoot—it’s kind of a tribute to absurdity. The idea came to me while standing in a butcher shop. I’m obsessed with the theatrical vibe you find there: glossy pâtés, retro price signs, hanging sausages... From there, we started thinking about balloon animals at kids’ parties, and wondered—what if we made one out of a white sausage? Belgium’s most famous butcher, Hendrik Dierendonck, shaped it for us on the spot. I mean—who else could’ve pulled that off? And yes—we did eat the swan afterwards!”

Kelly: “Those odd, almost unappetizing dishes Marie uses—the pickle cake, the sausage swan—are genius precisely because theydon’tmake sense. They challenge you to rethink what beauty and appropriateness even mean. I love how she uses food as sculpture, as commentary. The best moments are the ones that completely catch you off guard.”