Arne Jacobsen: The History of Danish Design In the hushed lobby of Copenhagen’s SAS Royal Hotel in 1960, a silent revolution takes place. Travelers discover for the first time furniture with unprecedented organic forms, sculpted like protective cocoons in the bustle of the modern world. These revolutionary creations bear the signature of Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971),…
Did you know that the color mauve was considered revolutionary in 1856? That a simple Colgate toothpaste tube forever changed our relationship to hygiene? That Steve Jobs drew inspiration from a calligraphy course to create computer typography? Why are Louis XIV furniture pieces so gilded? Why are our smartphones all rectangular? Design is never innocent….
Ulm, Germany, 1953. On a hill overlooking the city, Max Bill inaugurates the Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG Ulm), a design school that aims to reconnect with the legacy of the Bauhaus closed by the Nazis in 1933. But Ulm will not be a simple resurrection: it will radicalize the rationalist approach, develop a scientific methodology…
196O: a new (design) Revolution is coming… The organic design movement experienced a significant boom in the late 1950s, building upon the pioneering work of figures like Eero Saarinen. The 1960s marked a radical turning point in contemporary design history. Amidst social upheavals and the excitement of technological progress, design evolved from functionalism to emotional,…
Vous l’aurez peut-être remarqué ces dernières années de plus en plus de collections de tissus d’ameublement spécial extérieur – dites “outddor” – ont fait leur apparition. Ceci est en partie du à l’usage du polypropylène, elle aussi en constante augmentation. On trouve ainsi du mobilier mais aussi de plus en plus de matière textile: tissus, …
Moscow, 1917. While Parisian Art Deco celebrated the luxury of the interwar period and Dutch De Stijl pursued pure abstraction, the October Revolution shook Russia and gave birth to one of the most radical artistic movements of the 20th century. Russian Constructivism emerged from revolutionary chaos, carried by an unshakeable conviction: art must no longer…
Artisans d’Excellence 2025 (Artisans of Excellence): the must-attend event for decorative arts crafts From October 2 to 4, 2025, the Palais de la Porte Dorée will host the second edition of Artisans d’Excellence, an unmissable event for lovers of decorative arts, interior design, and exceptional craftsmanship. After a first successful edition in 2024 – with…
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, 1932. While the Great Depression paralyzes America and Streamline Moderne begins transforming the American industrial landscape, Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen founds an institution that will revolutionize American design: the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Far from the New York or California metropolises, in the affluent suburbs of Detroit, this school invents a unique…
(POST IN PROGRESS) Amsterdam, 1917. While Art Deco triumphed in Paris with its geometric ornaments and refined luxury, a group of Dutch artists and architects chose a radically opposite path. In a Europe torn apart by World War I, they founded a magazine that would give its name to one of the most radical movements…
New York, 1933. The “Century of Progress” World’s Fair in Chicago celebrated American technological progress at the heart of the Great Depression. While Europe sank into political tensions and Russian Constructivism faded under Stalin, America invented a radically new visual language: Streamline Moderne. This style, which would transform everything – from toasters to locomotives, from…
The Martindale test is the global reference for evaluating the abrasion resistance of upholstery fabrics. This technical standard, adopted by the international textile industry, allows both professionals and private clients to select fabrics with full knowledge of their durability. Understanding Martindale rub counts is essential to adapt your textile choices to the real-life use of…
Le Corbusier Paris, 1925. Dans son atelier de la rue de Sèvres, Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, dit Le Corbusier, dessine l’avenir de l’architecture moderne. Révolutionnaire suisse naturalisé français, cet homme au nœud papillon noir ne se contente pas de concevoir des bâtiments : il réinvente l’art de vivre au XXe siècle. Architecte, urbaniste, peintre et théoricien, Le…
