Longchamp and Pierre Renart: signature design at Milan Design Week
Longchamp and Pierre Renart sign an exclusive collaboration to be unveiled at Milan Design Week, the world's largest event dedicated to design, scheduled for April 7-13, 2025.
By Redazione | 14/04/2025 14:12
Longchamp and Pierre Renart sign an exclusive collaboration to be unveiled at Milan Design Week, the world's largest event dedicated to design, scheduled for April 7-13, 2025. For French designer Renart, famous for his flowing and enveloping wood creations, this collaboration marks a double debut: it is his first exploration of the combination of wood and leather and his first participation in the Milan event. Longchamp, a brand that has always been attentive to creative talent and innovation, confirms with this project its commitment to supporting the most promising artists and designers. Over the years, the fashion house has flanked emerging talents through its support of the ANDAM Fashion Awards and through frequent artistic collaborations. With Pierre Renart, Longchamp is focusing on one of the brightest figures on the French design scene, a master cabinetmaker who graduated from École Boulle in Paris in 2011 and whose works are already on display in international museums and private collections.
For Milan Design Week 2025, Renart has designed two projects made of American walnut and upholstered in soft cowhide leather. Its sinuous and light lines, inspired by the organic forms of nature, blend with the craftsmanship savoir-faire of the Parisian maison. Through the technique of layering wafer-thin sheets of wood, Renart succeeds in achieving dynamic and harmonious structures capable of conveying a feeling of fluid movement. The craftsmanship translates into a bench and eight chairs upholstered in leather, with a color palette ranging from mahogany to iconic brand shades such as dark heritage green and light green.
"Leather is a magnificent material to work with," Pierre Renart. "When I met Sophie Delafontaine, she explained to me all the different types of leather and the way Longchamp uses them. It is exciting to be able to apply this expertise to my creations. My goal, when a piece is finished, is for it to be definitive and timeless, that you don't feel the need to add or remove anything. I try to do something original with wood, breaking its traditional and rigid image," explains Pierre Renart.
The works will be on display at Longchamp's Milan boutique on Via della Spiga from April 7 to May 13, 2025. The chairs will be available in a limited edition for purchase, an opportunity for collectors and design enthusiasts to own a unique piece that combines craftsmanship and innovation.
A talent that redefines wood
Pierre Renart stands out in the design scene for his constant research into the interaction between materials and forms. A graduate of École Boulle, he has been able to combine the rigor of traditional craftsmanship with the possibilities offered by new technologies, developing an unmistakable aesthetic language. His famous Möbius console table in American walnut, part of the Ribbon collection, became part of the permanent collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, a recognition that has consecrated his talent on an international scale.
Several of his works have been acquired by Mobilier National, the institution that oversees the furnishing of French state buildings, and by prestigious private collections. Since 2022, the designer has been collaborating with Longchamp to create custom-made furniture for its boutiques, including the Regent Street flagship store in London. This synergy has led to a dialogue between design and high leather goods, culminating in the collection to be presented at Milan Design Week.
Longchamp, an icon of French elegance.
Founded in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain, Longchamp is today a symbol of refinement and craftsmanship savoir-faire. Beginning as a manufacturer of leather-covered pipes, the company quickly expanded its product range to include handbags, travel accessories, ready-to-wear and footwear to become a fashion and lifestyle benchmark.
Under the creative direction of Sophie Delafontaine, the maison continues to reinvent French elegance with a fluid, natural and contemporary style, while always maintaining strong ties to traditional craftsmanship. Sustainability is a founding value of the brand, which is committed to producing with respect and responsibility, repairing and caring for each creation with the same attention given to great artistic artifacts. Today Longchamp is a family business now in its fourth generation and has more than 400 boutiques in 80 countries.
"Longchamp has an unwavering commitment to fostering creative talent, supporting art and preserving savoir-faire in all its forms," says Sophie Delafontaine. "We are thrilled to accompany Pierre on this project, which allows him to experiment with new techniques, expand his savoir-faire, and introduce his work to a wider audience. These projects are entirely Pierre's work, but we gave him a challenge: to make sure that, despite the combination of wood and leather, the pieces would appear as light and fluid as if they had been made of wood alone. We wanted to maintain the idea of movement, of a continuous, unbroken line, and clearly, he succeeded perfectly in this."
