Movement, speed, fluidity, industry. These are a few terms that zip through the mind at breakneck speeds when confronted with one of Sacha Lakic’s projects. It may be any number of things: a bike, a piece of furniture, an object, a space or — most impressively, enough to take your breath away — a car.
Lakic was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia but identifies as French. When he was little, his family moved to Paris. His love for cars and the industrial started early on, with apprenticeships under Peugot and Alain Carre under his belt before most even dream of starting a career. Lakic’s big break came in 2002 when Venturi commissioned him to create their latest electric-powered car, two years after starting his own company. Flash-forward to the present, and Lakic’s imprint can be found everywhere where the industrial is paramount.
Lakic doesn’t just anticipate and shape trends: he takes note of them, eschews them and moves effortlessly beyond them. As Lakic himself said, “Of course I’m looking around to see what is happening, but I never try to follow tendencies. It’s the
fastest way to become out of fashion. I’m trying to create something unique, different, an alternative choice — something that could be defined as an industrial piece of art, a timeless product that you can keep forever.” His future-minded endeavors always balance the austere and the exciting, and his mastery of this aesthetic has a whole range of luxury clients investing in his unique vision. Lakic, as we at SOMA know, is anything but out of fashion.
In the world of Lakic, creating a finished product is a matter of perfection: “perfect proportions, the right material, matching perfect finish, matching the right colors in combination with nice technical details should result in something that shows a unique savoir faire of the company.” Necessary to any of his visions is a “strong brand image or the ‘story’ behind the product, its function and its rarity. Price is never an issue. The most expensive thing is not necessarily a cool luxury product.” What’s the endpoint of a project then? Lakic said, “When you feel a kind of emotion when looking at or using the product — if you feel touched by it — then the product is perfectly designed.”
Lakic anticipates a lot of upcoming projects and new fields to explore in the future: “I still have a lot to do. My current projects are fascinating and are moving me toward new fields like architecture and interior design. Aircrafts and the space industry also attract me more and more. I’m not anxious about the future because luckily my life is great.”
Moving onto the task at hand: Sacha was very excited to have his palm read by SOMA. We just had to share his response: “I’m both curious and a bit nervous. My palm might reveal some of my secrets. I hope Lena doesn’t reveal too much of my dark side!”
And with that, let’s read away.
1. Inclined by nature to be a collector, an accumulator of stuff. Objects, both large and small, that he or she finds beautiful or inspire him or her tend to be acquired and kept. He or she needs a bigger house/apartment to house the collections. He or she also needs to try to avoid collecting things such as baby elephants or Lear jets, no matter how heart-pleasing these may be.
2. Sees him or herself as a sensitive person who touches the world gently and lightly, but he or she also has a solidly practical aspect to his or her character that does not completely match his or her self image. Being practical does not always mean being gentle.
3. Wealth accumulated will tend to be saved and invested broadly. He or she becomes nervous if all his or her eggs are in one basket so
to speak, since it means that he or she is more vulnerable to sudden loss.
4. There is a love of travel shown here (and of acquiring some of those beautiful and inspirational objects in far-flung places).
5. Not a gambler. All risks taken will be very calculated. There is no interest in taking random risks just for the thrill of it.
6. Strongly family-oriented. It’s not always easy to manage and negotiate with family members and friends who have become their family of choice, but he or she needs that sense of having family and tribe around him or her to really thrive.
7. Strongly self-willed and self-directed. He or she will choose his or her partner and their course in life rather than ever have it chosen for them. This is definitely not someone who would do well in an arranged marriage or taking over the family business unless it was clearly his or her own decision to do so!
8. Enjoys excellent health and matching stamina. Will not rust if left out in the rain. This continues well into old age. This is just as well, as he or she will tend to push his or herself harder than most and will need that health and stamina to avoid damaging his or herself in the process.
TEXT BY Max Kessler
