For the preeminent ship in the brand’s first new class of ships in ten years, Celebrity took the approach of working not only with adept collaborators but also with designers who had never undertaken sea-bound vessels. Learning curves aside, this proved to be a groundbreaking approach, with the finished product shattering all stereotypes of how a ship should look. Perhaps the most emphatic of Edge’s design fans was Celebrity design ambassador Nate Berkus, who says, “For me it comes down to a question of innovation and quality. The moment I first stepped on the ship I could feel that all the design finishes were selected to give one a sense of modern luxury.”
It all starts at the Grand Plaza, where the Paris-based duo of Jouin Manku (responsible for the Jules Verne restaurant at the Eiffel Tower, no less) sought to celebrate the ruggedly handsome steel structure of the ship for a very personal reason—partner Patrick Jouin’s grandparents worked at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the very shipyard that built Edge and the storied Normandy before her. “This project was a very emotional one for me. Sanjit [Manku] and I channeled that into our design, which inspired our unique approach in showing the craftmanship,” Joiun says. All steel beams and ribs in the space were simply painted white, with the occasional warm wood accent and up-light. The pièce de resistance in the space is a programmable chandelier that symbolizes a cloud presiding over the horizon where the ocean meets the sea.
