Reading and writing are the foundations of our culture and society and are things that should be accessible to everyone. Despite this, millions of people through the world, in particular children, are not able to write. Montblanc has teamed up with UNICEF to dedicate itself to this major problem in a joint campaign “Sign up for the right to write”. In a worldwide initiative, international celebrities from politics, business, arts, culture and sports will be committing themselves to fight against illiteracy.
As part of this project, three internationally recognized designers have designed highly collectable artworks in a Limited Edition of 4810 pieces, each for the MB 149. The three are celebrated American artist Tom Sachs, prominent French interior designer Andrée Putman, and internationally renowned German-American architect Helmut Jahn. Using their distinctive design languages, they have come up with three very personal creations, which redefine packaging as a work of art in its own right.
Andrée Putman
For Montblanc’s Meisterstück 149, the famous French designer Andrée Putman has created a black, highly polished lacquered wooden case decorated with brilliant white Montblanc stars – a design which is unmistakably hers.
Her name is synonymous with sophisticated French design and she enjoys international acclaim: Andrée Putman’s aesthetic work embodies her philosophy of “Beautiful things for everyone”, without being an end in itself. Surprise and subtlety are core ingredients of Putman’s work, while natural elegance, purism and originality are keynote features of her discreetly luxurious style.
Andrée Christine Aynard (1925-2013) was born into a wealthy family of bankers. Her formal artistic education first came, however, through music.
At the age of 20, she had a serious bike accident, which she barely survived. Her characteristic posture stemmed from this event: she was a tall woman who stood straight and walked as if on a tightrope. Soon after the accident, she broke free from her initial career in music and from the illusion of safety her social environment offered her and decided to discover the world. One day, she emptied her bedroom and furnished it with just a hard iron bed, a chair and a Miró poster on the white walls. This early expression of her desire of independence led to a confrontation with her family who wondered “if she realises the sorrow she makes them feel?”.
Andrée Putman Limited Edition / Meisterstück 149 Fountain Pen
This “UNICEF” Limited Edition set features a beautiful black thick acrylic lid covered with the famous Montblanc stars and lined with satin. Underneath are fitted areas for a bottle of Montblanc ink and just an outstanding acrylic travel tube fitted for and containing a Montblanc 149 fountain pen. This tube has large Montblanc stars on each end.
The Andrée Putman Special Edition was released in 2004 in a Limited Edition of 4810 pieces, in support of UNICEF’s “Right to write” program.
