The following posts are a selection of French Designers that I have posted about over the last year. French design styles incorporate the new and the old. It is bold and sophisticated. It is attention to detail, whether a brooch, a clock, fabric, or glass.
The following designers offers an informative and interesting perspective on French design. The charm of French design is that it pervades all styles from traditional to modern and surprisingly it is diverse;
The Life and Legacy of Isabelle Hebey: A French Design Icon
Explore the life and legacy of Isabelle Hebey, the groundbreaking French designer known for her eclectic style and high-profile clients. Learn how she revolutionized interior design by seamlessly blending the old with the new.
Andrée Putnam (1925 – 2013), French Interior Designer
Andrée Putman was a French interior designer, furniture designer, and entrepreneur. She was born in Paris. Putman was probably best known internationally for her black and white palette, illustrated by the 1985 interior of Morgans Hotel in New York. It was commissioned by the entrepreneurs Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell.
Boris-Jean Lacroix (1902-1984) 🇫🇷 French Lighting Designer
Boris-Jean Lacroix (1902-1984) was a French Lighting Designer born in Paris. Biography Lacroix was a prolific designer of lighting, wallpaper, bookbinding, furniture, and interiors; in 1924, he began working for couturier Madeleine Vionnet as a designer of dresses, handbags, and costume jewellery; soon after, he decorated and designed her private residence. Jean-Michel Frank and…
Peter Raacke (b.1928) German metalworker and designer
Hessische Metallwerke commissioned Raacke to produce metal cutlery, kitchen equipment, and cookware, most notably his “Mono-a” line (v-33), with silverware available in stainless steel and sterling silver.
Paul Poiret (1879 – 1944) – King of Fashion
In the early decades of the 20th century, Paul Poiret was a crucial figure in the French fashion industry, notably by adding a deep oriental flavour and rich colours to contemporary clothing.
Sonia Delaunay (1885 – 1979) An Explorer of Colour
Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979), an interior and textile designer, revolutionized the use of color in the arts. Her collaboration with Robert Delaunay led to the development of Simultaneous Color, emphasizing vibrant hues. She commercialized her talent and designed geometric costumes, opened La Casa Sonia, and created popular textile patterns. During the 1930s Depression, she returned…
Albert Paley (b.1944) American modernist metal sculptor
Albert Paley (born 1944) is an American modernist metal sculptor. Starting as a jeweller, he has evolved into one of the world’s most renowned and famous metalsmiths. Furniture, gates, railings, and staircases are among his creations. He consults with architects and space planners, and he leads a team of craftspeople in his Rochester, New…
Armand Point (1861-1932), French Algerian painter, and designer
Armand Point (1861-1932) was a Symbolist painter, engraver, and designer from France, one of the Salon de la Rose + Croix founding members.
Point’s first paintings were orientalist scenes of markets and musicians and scenes from his childhood in Algeria’s streets. In 1888, he moved to Paris to study under Auguste Herst and Fernand…
André Hunebelle (1896-1985) Designer French Decorative Arts
André Hunebelle, a French creative artist, studied mathematics at École Polytechnique and worked in glassware, lighting, and metalwork. He transitioned to media and film, producing and directing successful films like “Feu Sacré” and winning the Prix du Meill.
Frechet Brothers French decorators and furniture designers
Andre Frechet (1875-1973) and Paul Frechet were French decorators and furniture designers. They were born in Chalons-sur-Mame; and active in Paris.
Working together and individually from 1906, the Frechet brothers’ furniture designs were produced by various firms including Jacquemin freres in Strasbourg, E. Verot, and Charles Jean-selme; 1909-11.
Charles Plumet (1861 – 1928) French Architect Designer
In the year 1861, Charles Plumet was born. As an architect, he built structures in the mediaeval and early French Renaissance styles. He worked on interiors and furniture designs in Art Nouveau styles with Tony Selmersheim (1871–1971). Between 1896 and 1901, Charles Plumet joined l’Art dans Tout (Art in Everything), an association of architects,…
Paul Chemetov (b.1928) French Furniture Designer
Paul Chemetov, a French architect and furniture designer, studied at Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts and founded AUA in 1961. He designed low-cost housing and chair designs, earning the 1980 National Grand Prize for Architecture.
Georges Champion (1889 – 1940) French Furniture Designer
Georges Champion, a French decorator and furniture designer, was known for his sleek lines and modern aesthetic. Influenced by the Art Deco movement, Champion’s furniture featured geometric shapes and bold colors. He worked on high-profile projects, including Parisian hotels and restaurants. Champion’s designs are highly sought after by collectors and design enthusiasts worldwide.
Jeanine Abraham French Furniture Designer
Jeanine Abraham was a French furniture designer who left an indelible mark on interior design. Her designs were characterized by a unique blend of functionality and elegance, and were highly sought after by discerning clients. She studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts and Centre Art et Technique, and her work is highly…
Mario Botta (b.1943) Swiss Architect and Designer
While the space arrangements in this structure are inconsistent, its relationship to its site, separation of living from service spaces, and deep window recesses echo his stark, robust and towering style.
Clément Mère (1861 – 1940) French designer and furniture maker
Clément Mère was born in Bayonne and active in Paris. He was a French painter, table-builder, artist and furniture builder.
He studied painting with Jean-Léon Gérôme at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
Raymond Subes (1893 – 1970), French metalsmith
Raymond Subes (1893–1970) was a French metalsmith. He made ironwork for the oceanliners 1931 Atlantique, 1926 Ile-de-France, Pasteur, and 1935 Normandie. After World War II, he worked as a metalworker and became the head of Borderel et Robert.
Max Ingrand (1908 – 1969) French artist and decorator
Maurice Max-Ingrand (1908–1969) was a French artist and stained glass artist. He was captured by the Nazis during World War II but returned to France in 1945. In 1968, he established Verre Lumière, one of the first businesses to manufacture halogen lamps.
George Barbier one of the Great French Illustrators
George Barbier was one of the Great French Illustrators of the early 20th century
Jacques Gruber (1870 – 1936) French Stained Glass artist and designer
Jacques Gruber (1870-1936) was a French stained-glass artist, designer, and teacher, born Sundhausen, Alsace. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, under Gustave Moreau. He was distinguished as a designer in the Art Nouveau idiom.
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (b. 1949) French fashion designer
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (b. 1949) was a French fashion designer born in Casablanca. He studied law at Faculté de Droit, Limoges and founded the Ko ready-to-wear fashion firm in 1968. He was recognised for his avant-garde designs for women’s clothing featuring unconventional materials.
Paul Iribe (1883 – 1935) French Designer and Illustrator
Paul Iribe was a French designer and illustrator known for his contributions to the Art Deco movement. Iribe’s modernism was influenced by 19th-century luxury, and he wrote a manifesto against modern art.
Léon Jallot (1874 – 1967) French designer and artisan
Léon Jallot (1874-1967), a scion of the French Art Nouveau, stood out within the movement as an ébéniste, or cabinet maker.
Jean-Paul Gaultier (b.1952) French Fashion Designer
Before launching his label in 1976, Gaultier worked for Cardin, Jacques Esteirel, and Patou. From the onset, Gaultier was dubbed the ‘enfant terrible de Paris’.
Georges Dunaime – Art Deco -French Designer
Georges Dunaime designed lighting for E. Etling, the designer and engraver. His work included table lamps, torchéeres, and chandeliers made of silver, gilt, and patinated bronze with shades made of cloth, cut glass, quartz, marble, and alabaster.
Marc Held (b.1932), French Designer & Architect
Marc Held is an architect and designer who focuses on the interaction between traditional and modern architecture, creating Limoges dinnerware, ski gear, automobiles, and homes.
René Gabriel (1890 – 1950) French Interior Designer
René Gabriel was a follower of Francis Jourdain who made wallpaper, fabric, rugs, and porcelain for the Manufacture de Sèvres. He also designed bent-metal tubular seating and structures, and opened Ateliers d’Art, Neuilly. He taught at the Ecole des Arts Appliqués and was the director of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs. His…
Why was Edgar Brandt a leader in the field of ironwork?
Egdar Brandt was a French metalworker known for his innovative designs that incorporated traditional and modern techniques, and his work can be found in many public and private collections.
Maison Gripoix costume jeweller – glass with class
Maison Gripoix, a French costume jeweller, was located in Paris. Around 1890, Maison Gripoix sold glass beads and buttons wholesale. Subsequently, specialised in handmade imitations of precious and semi-precious jewels, including parures for Sarah Bernhardt.
Chafik Gasmi (b.1962) French-Algerian designer
Chafik Gasmi is a registered architect in France who founded UNIVERS INTÉRIEUR in 1990 and has since expanded his brand to include home goods and decor items. Chafik developed his ideas for the brand and graphic identity of the LE ROYAL MONCEAU building in Paris, collaborated with LANCME, created a resort for the launch…
Marcel Goupy (1886 – 1980) French Ceramicist
Marcel Goupy was a painter, ceramist, decorator of glass and crystal, and designer known for his Art Deco style. Marcel Goupy was an important figure in the Art Deco era, making glass vases, decanters, and lemonade and liqueur sets.
Louis Rault (1847 – 1903) French sculptor, engraver and jewellery designer
Louis Rault (1847 – 1903) was a French Sculptor, engraver, silversmith and jewellery designer.Between 1868 and 1875, Rault worked in the Boucheron workshop on the Place Vendôme in Paris. At the end of the nineteenth century, he set up a workshop where he produced silver and jewellery in the Art Nouveau style.
Jean Goulden (1878 – 1946) French Artisan & Crafter
Jean Goulden was a French painter, musician, and crafter who lived from 1878 to 1946. During World War I, he found Byzantine enamels near Mount Athos in Macedonia. His Cubist pendulum clocks were some of his best pieces. Only 180 of his items are known to exist.
Andre Hermant (1908 – 1978) French architect and furniture designer
In 1936, he became a member of UAM (Union des Artistes Modernes); after World War II, he participated in the reconstruction of the port of Le Havre under the direction of architect Auguste Perret.
Pierre Balmain (1914 – 1982) French fashion designer
Pierre Balmain (1914 – 1982) was a French fashion designer and the influential postwar fashion house Balmain founder. He described the art of dressmaking as “the architecture of movement,” and he was known for his sophistication and elegance. LEARN MORE
Serge Mouille (1922- 1988) French Lighting Designer
Serge Mouille was a French Lighting Designer; he was born and active in Paris. Mouille studied silversmithing, École des Artes Appliqués, Paris to 1941.
Maurice Dufrêne (1876 – 1955), French Decorative Artist
Maurice Dufrêne (1876–1955) was a French decorative artist who headed the Maîtrise workshop of the Galeries Lafayette department store. He designed many different types of decorative art, including metalwork, ceramics, glass, and fabric. His designs from 1910 onward are austere and neoclassical, reminiscent of the Louis XVI style.
Suzanne Guiguichon (1901 – 1985) French Furniture Designer
Suzanne Guiguichon was a French furniture designer and decorator. She was born and worked in Paris. Since 1929 she worked as a designer with Maurice Dufrene at the Galeries Lafayette design studio La Maitrise in Paris. Most of the furniture, clocks, lighting, fabrics, rugs, accessories Guiguichon designed anonymously.
Guillaume Saalburg French glassworker and engraver
Guillaume Saalburg was a French glassworker and engraver professionally active in Paris. Education He trained in a glass engraver’s workshop. Biography He worked as an architect and designer for business and domestic clients, collaborated with Philippe Starck, Jean-Michel Wilmotte, Gilles Derain, Richard Moyer, and Andree Putman: and participated in the design of the hall…
Suzanne Belperron (1900 – 1983) French Jewellery Designer
Suzanne Belporren was a French jewellery designer. Her career flourished in the 1920s and 1930s. Belperron produced numerous designs of sculptured jewellery for René Boivin’s Paris shop. She subsequently opened her own Paris shop called Herz-Belperron. Her designs often featured glass encrusted with gemstones.
Michele De Lucchi (b.1951) Italian architect and designer
At the Universita di Firenze, he experimented with new forms of art and film. In 1973, he created the Cavart group alongside Piero Brombin, Pier Paola Bortolami, Boris Pastrovicchio, and Valerio Tridenti, which was active in Architettura Radicale, filmmaking, written works, and happenings.
Pierre Paulin (1927 – 2009) French furniture designer
He was active in research for the government-sponsored Mobilier International. His first plastic object was the 1953 Chair 157 in polyester, ABS, and elastomers produced by Artifort of Maastricht. Around 1955, he was one of the first to work in elasticised fabrics for Thonet and subsequently for Artifort.
Pierre Guariche (1926 – 1995) french interior designer
Pierre Guariche was a French designer, interior decorator, and architect. He may be best known for the lights he made for Pierre Disderot in the 1950s. Guariche created the ground-breaking “tonneau” chair in 1953. He was searching for a contemporary, affordable alternative to the prewar modernists’ hard chic. Guariche founded the Atelier de Recherche…
Martine Bedin (b.1957) radical architecture and design
Bedin was one of the founders of the avant-garde Memphis group in Milan in 1981. Also, she has worked as an architect, industrial designer and professor. Her work is held in many important museums and private collections. Bedin’s aesthetic is typically colourful and self-consciously kitschy.
Jan and Joel Martel (1896 – 1966) twin brothers and French sculptors
Jan and Joel Martel (1896 – 1966) were twin brothers and French sculptors. They were born in Nantes and active in Paris. Cement, glass, steel, mirrors, ceramics, lacquers, and synthetics were all used in their projects.
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