Blog 1 — Emma DeRoche Interior Design Beverly Hills

*Emma DeRoche presenting her creation at the ArtWolf gallery inside the Pacific Design Center.*

It all started late January 2023 with an invitation from the Luminaire showroom to be part of a selection of 6 renown interior designers, architects and product designers, to reimagine the iconic Archibald chair created by French architect Jean-Marie Massaud for the italian luxury furniture company Poltrona Frau.

CALIFORNIA HOME + DESIGN’s editor Lindsey Shook covered the L.A. Art Week event and interviewed me on my inspirations behind my creation called “La Robe de Marie”:

What was the inspiration for the direction of your chair's deconstruction?

For the Archibald revamp I wanted to give it new proportions, with a direction of grandeur, the stamp of my upbringing and the flavors of my personality. I was inspired by visual memories I dearly cherish from my walks as a child in the Jardins de Versailles with all the oxidized-larger-than-life- bronze sculptures, as well as visions of a young fashionable Marie Antoinette running in the gardens in one of her blue dresses.

How does the finished piece evoke the essence of your brand?

I was born and raised in Paris, so it authentically hit home to work on a piece that was originally designed by a French architect for an Italian company.

All I had left to do was apply the essence of my designs, which focus on visual and sensory aspects and the implementation of art to design. The concept of transforming the chair into a sculpture-like element came naturally to me.

The fact that it ended up looking like a throne is a magical coincidence since the movements are a representation of upside-down flowing fabric. I couldn't have found a better partner in crime to execute it than the brilliant team at Hattas Studios.

STORY OF A CHAIR DESIGN

We began by conducting extensive image research to gather inspiration and refine our vision. By exploring various forms, materials, and textures, we seek to distill key elements that will shape our design. Through this visual exploration, we identify the aesthetic direction to convey our storyline for the chair. To effectively communicate our vision to the maker, we create a visual moodboard that encapsulated the essence of our design through a curated collection of images, colors, physical samples and textures providing a tangible reference point to the team

OFF TO FABRICATION, OR THE CHALLENGE TO BEAT THE CLOCK

With only 2 weeks before the show, having a metal sculpture made to surround the chair was similar to wishing for snow in Malibu. So we turned to our favorite local fine artists at Hattas Studio and began a series of brainstorming meetings to discuss the feasibility of this both exciting and challenging creative project. As any design project, having our visual moodboard ready helped communicate a clear and cohesive vision of this unique chair design. After many talks, the consortium was to use foam to be sculpted, slightly plastered, and finally faux finished with metallic paints.

The rest of the logistic dance was coordinating the back and forth trips between our upholsterer and the art studio to make sure the result was seamless. The chair had to loose its original leather for a luxury shimmery blue woven fabric from Kravet, and its metal legs wrapped in a rich blue leather from Edelman Leather, as a remnant hommage to Poltrauna Frau’s original choice of leather for the Archibald.

COUNTDOWN TO THE REVEAL

The morning of the show, at 10am, the chair’s finishing touches were applied and drying.

At 12pm the chair was being delivered at Luminaire. A couple designers were present working their final touches. Mine was to install real moss at the base of one leg with an antique brass Escargot sculpture as a last wink to French culture. “Hello my favorite appetizer!”. Most of you know, but for those who don’t, Escargot are a delicacy of French cuisine where certain species of land snails are prepared and baked in butter, garlic and parsley. And since King Louis XVI was well known for his festive dinner parties, such as “Le Grand Couvert” public dinners with Marie Antoinette...

LUMINAIRE’S PARTY

At 6pm the party started strong as a celebration of creative energy. It turned out as a beautiful waltz of writers, editors, designers, friends, clients and industry partners. But the highlight for us was to have our studio’s name attached alongside highly talented Designers and Architects Cesar Giraldo, Tamara Kaye-Honey, Chet Callahan, Nicole Gordon and Guilherme Wentz, I immensely respect.

MARIE ANTOINETTE: THE FIRST FASHIONISTA DIVA

Fashion Icon and Symbol of Luxury, Queen of France Marie Antoinette remains an iconic figure who defined an era of elegance and extravagance. Her fashion legacy is undeniable, influencing aesthetics and personal expression in fashion to this day. Her styles, including the extravagant "pouf" hairstyle, set European trends. Her luxurious lifestyle extended to the Petit Trianon, symbolizing her yearning for an idyllic retreat from court life. Her fashion choices, while innovative, also sparked criticism for their opulence during France's financial crises. The apocryphal "Let them eat cake" quote epitomized her perceived detachment from the common people's hardships.

As we know it, Marie Antoinette's story underscores fashion's role in reflecting societal values and identity.

SHOWTIME: ART WOLF GALLERY

Fast forward to Spring 2024, we had the honor of being invited by my good friend Gallery curator Yael McShane Wolfhart of Art Wolf Gallery to have “La Robe de Marie” exhibited at her gallery in collaboration with her new show “The Female Gaze” opening on the occasion of Woman history’s month.

“ Yael […] is The Art Wolf, an experiential gallerist amplifying the work of contemporary women artists in sculpture, painting, photography, and ceramics.” - CNN Magazine. She is the coolest chick you want to work with in the industry. She’s the epitome of the women empowerment era we’re entering, with the most relaxed, friendly, sunny attitude. And if you’re lucky, you’ll hear her howl the coolest wolf’s cry to introduce the name of her reverse eponymous gallery when presenting herself (Art Wolf vs Wolfhart).

“The Art Wolf’s Female Gaze exhibition […] features the work of Susanna Speirs Ali, Lareina Holsopple, Dopez, Justina Blakeney, Sofia Peters, Lois Samuels, and Osiris Zuñiga. […] is a world where all the images of women are by women.” - CNN Magazine. Other articles and mentions include Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop “a thought-provoking collection of [art] by female artists…”, and CA Home + Design’s article “…an arresting art show…” by Abigail stone for CA Home+ Design.

Currently showing at none other than the mecca of the Interior Design world in Los Angeles, in the heart of West Hollywood: the Pacific Design Center, come quick to visit us until May!

- Price upon request: Yael @ 215.776.9741

FINAL ACT: LA ROBE DE MARIE

We’ll leave you with an other portrait of our chair. Just like art, this chair sparks a lot of emotions. We’ve heard so many imaginative interpretations and we would love to know: what it evokes to you?

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Amicalement votre,

Emma DeRoche - Principle

Emma DeRoche Interior Design

“La Robe de Marie” When Art, History and Furniture design collide

June’s Post