Yet the French are no slouches and one particular designer / manufacturer has led the way since just prior to WW2. Ligne Roset is a French contemporary furniture company that now has over 200 stores globally and more than 1 000 retail distributors.

The company was founded by Antoine Roset in 1860 in Montagnieu, France as a small business manufacturing bentwood walking sticks. In 1936, Messieurs Roset took a different direction and began the manufacture of upholstered furniture. This proved a good move and post-war the range was extended.

Now, Ligne Roset (Roset Line) design and manufacture high echelon furniture, lighting, accessories and textiles using a team of some 50 leading European designers. An example, and one of Ligne Roset’s most recognised pieces, is Michel Ducaroy’s Togo designed in 1973. It is of ergonomic design and features five densities of polyether foam that are combined to make the frame. The foam construction and quilted covers make each piece both visually attractive and very comfortable.

Innovative design is something that Ligne Roset have become known for, and via its collaborations with such foremost talents in contemporary design, it has produced many award-winning collections over the years. This tradition of close collaboration with both established and emerging designers manifests as a deeply-held belief in design coupled to technical innovation.

Creativity is a key value of the brand. If a new product demands new materials or new production methods, the company will acquire them. Seats, pieces of furniture, lighting, textiles, rugs or bed linens: the idea precedes and the technique follows. ‘Anything is possible’, says CEO Michel Roset.

September/October 2011 Issue

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