From the meeting between Daum and Hilton McConnico, a rare alchemy was born between crystal and the poetry of design. From 1987 onwards, the Manufacture opened its doors to this multi-talented artist – painter, set designer, and designer – whose contemporary vision would profoundly mark Daum's history with over 41 works. Hilton McConnico, a lover of crystal glass, created a unique, colorful universe inspired by arid landscapes and organic forms. This fruitful collaboration resulted in over twenty pieces that have become iconic today: the Phèdre , Arizona , Nevada , and Sahara coupes and vases, the Cheyenne Feather , and the mythical Fire-Bearing Horse . But it is above all with his Cactus collection, a whimsical and prickly creation, that he sealed his artistic signature at Daum. A true emblem, this cactus imagined by McConnico became a totem figure, a manifesto work at the crossroads of Pop Art and Art Nouveau.

"Hilton was intuitive, a purveyor of taste and emotion," recalls Philippe Renaud, then artistic director of the House. "He didn't behave like a traditional designer. He had a unique way of bringing color to decoration and a dose of joyful irony to French luxury."

Visionary, unconventional, and profoundly poetic, Hilton McConnico offered Daum a bold and contemporary interpretation of its centuries-old know-how. Even today, his creations embody the Maison's timeless modernity and continue to inspire collectors and art lovers worldwide.