Collection of Bohemian glass vases
Eric Schmitt, IBU Gallery
Eric Schmitt is a French designer whose work is preferred by French President Emmanuel Macron. The bronze Colonne consoles can be seen in the golden room (Le Salon doré) of the Elysee Palace. In 1987, Schmitt’s first works were presented at the VIA (Valorisation de l’Innovation dans l’Ameublement) exhibition, dedicated to the promotion of furniture innovation, after which the French furniture house Christian Liaigre offered cooperation to the young designer. Liaigre still produces unique Eric Schmitt collectibles. The designer is famous primarily for his masterful work with bronze and iron, combining them with fragile glass and stone. Often his objects provide their functionality without losing their sculptural charm. Creating a collection of vases made of Bohemian glass, Schmitt, as before, tried to level the line between utilitarian and artisanal. The collection demonstrates a rare integration of color for the designer and a great variety of shapes. According to Schmitt, there is nothing more interesting than tracing the result of your creative imagination from a sketch to the creation of a real product.
Chair 1930
Jean-Michel Frank and Adolphe Chaneau, Ecart International studio
The legendary grande dame of French design Andre Putman showed the whole world that at 53 years old (the beginning of Putman’s career) it is possible to become instantly recognizable and famous from New York to Hong Kong. Founded by her in 1978, the Ecart International studio primarily set about restoring the glory of such masters of the furniture industry of the 1930s as Jean-Michel Frank, Rene Erbst, Pierre Chareau, Robert Mallet-Stevens, Eileen Gray. The modernist foundation of Ecart became the basis for future guest designers. Bruno Moinard, Elliott Barnes, Olivia Putman stand guard over the postulates of the founder of the brand and famous designers of the 20th century. Furniture designed by Andre herself is also presented in Ecart in a mix with modernists and our contemporaries. Particularly noteworthy is the 1930 chair released this year by Jean-Michel Frank in tandem with Adolphe Chanot. Frank, a design legend of the 20th century, is the crown jewel of the Ecart collection. The release of each item of his authorship is equated to a truly big event.
Furtiv light collection
Gael Loriot-Prévot and Dominique Perrault for Ozone
A trendsetter in the field of light, Ozone is a stickler for subtle, refined lines and rare materials. From the track record of designers who worked on the collections of the lighting brand, one can highlight Joseph Dirand, Jean-Michel Wilmotte, Peter Marino. The founders of the brand, Etienne Gounod and Eric Janko, are adherents of architectural forms, complex materials and Bauhaus aesthetics. It is all these three “components” that can be seen in the new Furtiv light collection. Architects Gael Loriot-Prévot and Dominique Perrault are known for such grandiose projects as the reconstruction of La Poste du Louvre and the National Library of France in Paris, and the Dufour Pavilion in the Palace of Versailles. In all projects, the creative duo creates personal collections of furniture and lighting. It was the design and outline of the lamps for the reading room of the national library that served as the starting point for the creation of the Furtiv collection for Ozone. Mirror nickel and brushed aluminum emphasized the importance of architecture, design and light itself in one object.
Textile collection The Perfect Alcove
Patrick Gilles and Dorothea Boissier, C&C Milano, Gilles & Boissier
The works of Patrick Gilles and Dorothea Boissier are a clear example of how modern French design with all its principles and foundations is triumphantly moving around the world. Being students of great designers (Patrick, for example, studied with Christian Liaigre, and Dorothea with Philippe Starck), the creative couple skillfully formed their own signature style. Based on the knowledge of the masters, in 2004 the designers created their own bureau. The Gilles & Boissier style is devoid of bright colors and is filled with natural shades of wood, stone, ceramics, plaster, leather, and textiles. For each project, and the designers have a lot of them in their track record (for example, Baccarat hotels in New York, Cristal Room Baccarat in Hong Kong and Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid, as well as Moncler boutiques), furniture and accessories are made according to individual sketches. Balancing between styles and trends, in collaboration with the Italian textile house C&C Milano, the designers created their collection The Perfect Alcove. In it you will find unique three-dimensional ornaments, the tactility of natural fabrics and that same carefree calmness that we all so tirelessly strive for.
Florius sofa
Antonio Citterio for Maxalto, “Extra Class Interiors” salons
It would seem that representatives of top furniture houses have long said everything about the design of the sofa as such. But it is worth noting that there is no such thing as too much modernism, and it is this direction that underlies the design of the Florius sofa, made under the strict guidance of the creative director (since 1995) and designer of the Italian furniture brand Maxalto, Antonio Citterio. An adept of French furniture design from the vibrant interwar period, Citterio takes as a basis the principles of Le Corbusier and Jean-Michel Frank and pays tribute to the Japanese traditions that the French were so passionate about at the beginning of the 20th century. You can recognize the new product by its light shape, as if floating in the air, strict and straight outlines, low back, which is complemented by voluminous pillows. The company provides the opportunity to produce a sofa in non-standard configurations and individual sizes, which sometimes solves many problems at once.
