Interview | Ligne Roset

Tell us a little about Ligne Roset. What were the company’s highlights, the decisive turning points that built its personality and current structure? How does its story continue today? What prospects are on the future?

Ligne Roset is a family business born more than one hundred and sixty years ago in France. Over the years, what was a small company has increasingly expanded and, generation after generation, has become a real player in the world of international design. At the beginning, Ligne Roset was a manufacturer of upholstery, cabinet for the French market such as institutions, contract projects and universities. Later, the owners Pierre and Michel decided to develop the export business starting with Germany, USA and other countries to become a real international actor in the field of high-end furniture design. In France we are the first manufacturer, editor and distributor, boasting three level personality that gives us the opportunity to real understand the market, the need of customers and the continue evolution of taste. Looking for the future, Ligne Roset aims to continue its development all over the world, expanding the business and style. We want also to increase the contract business, pushing the quality of our creations, production and distribution without losing our identity.

 

For this Salone 2023 the company presented important new products, once again proving its constant design and stylistic research. Could you tell us about it?

The Dna of our company lies in the development of many products thanks to the constant collaboration with designers able to understand and enhance our personality with new collections. With the installation of Salvioni Milano Durini, this year we are showing some highlights such as the Kashima sofa a reedition of Michel Ducaroy, the Camma table by Marie C Dorner in Carrara marble and some lighting pieces by Pierre Guariche. We have also placed a special edition of the Togo sofa by Michel Ducaroy, made to celebrate the 50° anniversary of this piece. The artistic direction of the company foresees that every year we alternate between new releases and re-editions of iconic pieces from the past, aimed at representing the dual soul of Ligne Roset: on the one hand the new and the contemporary, on the other the more than prestigious past that made it up not only identity but also prestige.

 

So, the company’s DNA alternates between new editions and re-editions of past classics. What is the path that led you to create this double identity?

The idea of re-edition of some well-known pieces is in line with the demand of the contemporary market and the continue developing of new technologies in the field of high-end furniture. In a way we had to create this double identity, because many of the well-known pieces still sold today in the vintage markets belongs to Ligne Roset. The demand was very high. In addition, we have very nice archives thanks to the collaboration with many design stars such as Pierre Paulin. We met him around 2005 and had the chance to work with him, the best of the best, we became one of the bigger editors of his creative genius.

 

Also, this year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Togo sofa, a unique piece that still dominates the international design scene today. What does this anniversary represent for you? How did you choose to celebrate it?

Of course, we couldn’t miss this anniversary. Togo was created in the 1973 and is one of the most well known and most-sold sofa of Ligne Roset. We decided to celebrate this iconic piece with a limited edition covering “La Toile du peintre” by Pierre Frey and a new unexpected one: Floraly, a re-edition of the first fabric that covered Togo in 1973.

 

Both the Kashima sofa and the Togo sofa are born from the creative genius of Michel Ducaroy. Could you tell us a little about him? What is the relationship between Ligne Roset and this designer?

Michel Ducaroy places himself at the end of a period where the designers were internal to the company and whose production was entirely destined to internal production. Already in the 50s, Michel was famous in the field of product design for the use of foam and it is thanks to him and his creative genius that Ligne Roset was able to give a strong boost to its production, making a real technological revolution in the use of new materials.

Michel told us how to use the Foam. With his iconic pieces such as Togo and Saparella he showed us how to make products that didn’t need an internal structure since they were entirely made up of foam, an incredibly versatile and innovative material as well as cheap compared to the standards of the time.

The first time we showed Togo everyone was astonished: “Something is missing on your sofa”. It was a real technological revolution. Today Togo remains a design icon because it represents the perfect mix among expertise, technology and comfort.