Design Meets Fashion in Saint Laurent’s Latest Revival

During this year’s Salone del Mobile, French fashion house Saint Laurent will present Saint Laurent –  Charlotte Perriand, a special exhibition dedicated to four rare furniture designs by the pioneering 20th-century French architect and designer Charlotte Perriand. The showcase will take place at Padiglione Visconti in Milan from April 8 to 13.

Under the creative direction of Anthony Vaccarello, the brand has meticulously reproduced a series of designs that had previously existed only as prototypes or drawings, many of which Perriand created for her personal residences across the globe. Now, for the first time, they will be available in a limited-edition, made-to-order collection.

The selection includes the Rio bookshelf from 1962, originally designed for Perriand’s husband while he was living in Brazil. Crafted from solid rosewood, the piece features sliding doors made of woven cane and was conceived as a way to showcase books and works of art in harmony. The original belongs to a private collection and has only been exhibited three times in the past 25 years.

Another highlight is the Mille-feuilles table (1963), composed of ten alternating layers of light and dark wood. Although the design remained untouched on Perriand’s desk for decades due to the complexity of its construction, Saint Laurent has brought it to life with exceptional fidelity to her original sketch.

Also on view is a 1943 armchair, which Perriand designed for a Vietnamese couple. The original piece has since been lost, with only a single surviving drawing. Using that as a guide, Saint Laurent has created a new version that honors the spirit and form of the original.

Rounding out the collection is a 23-foot-long (7-meter) blue sofa created in 1967 for the Japanese ambassador’s residence in Paris. Designed in Perriand’s signature minimalist style, the piece once occupied the main reception room of the residence, a space envisioned in collaboration with architect Junzô Sakakura.

In addition to the exhibition, a kiosk outside Saint Laurent’s Piazza San Babila store in Milan will feature a newly released book of Perriand’s photography, alongside a catalog of the revived furniture collection. A selection of her photographs will also be exhibited at Saint Laurent’s bookshop and record store on Rue de Babylone in Paris from April 9 to May 4, and at the Rive Droite flagship on Rue Saint-Honoré from April 8 to May 7.

For those in Milan this April, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience Charlotte Perriand’s vision through the lens of Saint Laurent’s precise and poetic interpretation.

Photos: YSL