The work of Anthony Vaccarello for Saint Laurent and that of Charlotte Perriand converge in their search for a cultural avant-garde that celebrates the contemporary. Just as Perriand championed the renewal of unique aesthetic values and narrated a modern sensitivity focused on everyday life, Vaccarello interprets a vision of contemporary fashion that aligns perfectly with the historical, cultural, and social moment we live in. The discovery and use of new materials for design and architecture is mirrored in the experimentation with leathers, chiffon, and satin for clothing. A rationalism that is human, sensitive, and unique.
The four pieces presented are the result of Perriand’s work from 1943 to 1967. Three of these were originally created for her homes around the world, while the last one had only been seen to date as a small-scale prototype that she kept on her desk. The Table Mille-Feuilles is being produced at full scale for the first time, making its debut in this collaboration. The house’s commitment to honouring the cultural and material heritage of an era aims to bring important pieces of design history to a wider audience. Perriand’s work was already known and admired by Yves Saint Laurent, who collected many of her designs throughout his life. The pure modernity of her work reflected the stylistic research that Yves Saint Laurent expressed through his own approach to fashion: the perfection of architecture was evident even in the garments he created.
Sofa for the Japanese Ambassadors’s Residence in Paris, 1967
In 1966, architect Junzô Sakakura was commissioned to design the new Japanese residence in Paris, with Perriand responsible for the interiors and furniture design. For the main living room, she designed a five-seat sofa, with a base over seven meters long that curves upwards at the ends, making the piece appear to float above the ground.
Rio de Janeiro Bookcase, 1962
The distinctive bookcase was created by Perriand for her husband, Jacques Martin, and designed to display books alongside works of art. Its large dimensions and meticulous craftsmanship are key features. The sliding doors are made of woven cane, a traditional local craft technique used for shading the walls of homes.
Mille-Feuilles Table, 1963
This table is composed of ten stacked layers of two different types of wood, one light and one dark. The circular top is beveled around the edges and recessed in the center. For many years, Perriand kept a small model of the table on her desk, never producing it due to the complexity of the craftsmanship required. The creative genius of Perriand is evident in the fact that each piece made will be unique, thanks to the wood’s grain and the patterns created during molding.
Indochina Guest Armchair, 1943
After consulting for the Japanese government, Perriand was appointed by the colonial administration of Vietnam as Director of Crafts and Applied Arts, during which time she created numerous personal pieces. Of this guest armchair, only a drawing remains, but eighty years later, it has been brought to life for this occasion. A traditional Thai cushion completes the seat, paying tribute to the architect’s ingenuity in blending history with modernity.
In conjunction with this project, a special volume has been created, featuring a collection of photographs of Charlotte Perriand and a catalog of the new collection. All pieces, in limited edition, are available made-to-order.
Saint Laurent-Charlotte Perriand is open to the public from April 8th to 13th at the Padiglione Visconti in Milan.
