Savoir-faire

Institutions, manufacturers, luxury houses … the French design world’s eco-system relies on the savoir-faire of French craftsmen who have been trained in the best schools and embarked on careers as cabinet-makers, saddle makers, upholsterers or wood inlayers. Thus, Philippe Nigro could rely on traditional high-end cabinetry, leather sheathing and upholstery craftsmen to produce his Carré d’assise for Hermès. And chair manufacturer Perrouin asked Jean-Marc Gady to imagine a curved wood armchair in beech and a woolen textile to be made in their workshops. As for Fréderic Ruyant, he set up shop in the Mobilier National workrooms to imagine, with the highly qualified craftsmen there, the Suite & Office storage unit that epitomizes a unique savoir-faire. In a more contemporary mood, Ionna Vautrin combined Tyvek woven paper with turned beech for her ultra-poetic Forêt Illuminée lamp (Super-ette).