Luxury brand Longchamp has partnered with furniture designer Pierre Renart, to debut their first furniture collection at Milan Design Week, which will be held from April 7 to 13, 2025.
Although the design follows Mr. Renart’s previous Wave collections, where he twists and turns wood to create pure, magical art, this is his first time working with both wood and leather, and his first participation in the event.
This project continues Longchamp’s support for creative talent, seen in its work with the ANDAM Fashion Awards and artist collaborations. Mr. Renart, a designer from France, graduated from Ecole Boulle in Paris in 2011. His furniture designs have been acquired by museums and private collectors.
“Longchamp has a long-standing commitment to promoting creative talent, supporting the arts, and preserving savoir-faire in all its forms,” says Longchamp Creative Director Sophie Delafontaine. “We are delighted to be accompanying Renart in this project, which enables him to experiment with new techniques, to extend his savoir-faire, and to bring his work to the attention of a wider audience.”
Longchamp’s connection with Mr. Renart began in 2021 when he was commissioned to create furniture, including variations of his Wave coffee table, for the brand’s renovated boutiques. This collaboration expands on that with Mr. Renart designing two new pieces: the “Wave Leather Bench” and a set of eight “Ruban chairs,” to be displayed in Longchamp’s Milan flagship store during the event.
The pieces are made from American walnut and upholstered in cowhide leather, featuring Mr. Renart’s fluid design. He works with thin sheets of wood that can be bent into shape, creating pieces that appear seamless.
“My aim, when a piece is finished, is for it to be somehow definitive and timeless, for you not to want to add anything or take anything away. I try to do something original with wood, something that runs counter to its traditional, somewhat rigid image,” explains Mr. Renart.
Mr. Renart had wanted to work with leather for some time, but had not been able to do so until he presented his project to Longchamp. “Leather is a magnificent material to work with,” he says. “When I met Sophie Delafontaine, she took me through all the different types of leather and how Longchamp uses them. It’s exciting to be able to apply that expertise to my designs.”
The bench will be upholstered in a Mahogany shade, while the eight chairs will each have a different color, including Longchamp’s signature dark green and light green.
“These designs are all Renart’s work,” says Ms. Delafontaine, “but we challenged him on a single point: to ensure that even with the combination of wood and leather the pieces looked as light and fluid as if they had been executed in wood alone. We wanted him to keep the idea of movement, of the single, unbroken line and clearly, he has done exactly that.”
The collection will be displayed in Longchamp’s Milan flagship store from April 7 to May 13, with the chairs available for purchase.
