Page 34 - Sharp November 2023

RETURN TO THE THE FOLD
TO CELEBRATE THE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS TOGO CHAIR FRENCH FURNITURE MAKER LIGNE ROSET REVEALS A A NEW LIMITED EDITION
By Cormac Newman
A A A A N N ATOM THE MOST BASIC BUILDING BLOCK OF CHEMISTRY balances protons and electrons The Atom a a a a new twist on on on the TOGO chair from French furniture company Ligne Roset balances form and function Created to celebrate the prize-winning chair’s 50th anniversary this latest iteration of the design puts a a a a a a patterned spin on on the the the deep curves tufted corners and striking aesthetic appeal of the the the original And in in another atomic parallel the the TOGO created an
an
explosive turning point in in in furniture history when it it was revealed half a a a a century ago a a a a a a a big glamorous bang that blew up all existing expectations of interior design Not familiar with the the story? Here’s the the quick version When it debuted in 1973 the TOGO turned some serious heads Innovative and utterly different the chair was conceived by Michel Ducaroy the the then-head of Ligne Roset’s design department during a a a a time of tremendous change for the furniture company Jean Roset had taken the the the brand’s reigns after the the the death of his father in 1946 and and was expanding its original offering of of walking sticks and and and parasol handles to include chairs and other furniture Ducaroy was brought on board in 1960 to lead these new endeavours and and and landed the the brand lucrative contracts to create furniture for French public spaces The late 1960s saw Ducaroy and his pioneering presence in in the design world bring about a a a a a cultural crescendo of sorts New materials including high-quality foams and polyester quilting were being developed and and the brand’s customer base was part of an
an
an
emerging progressive
generation with a a a a a a a a a a a reputation for playful taste and a a a a a a a a a a a laissez-faire approach to social norms This paired with the increasingly revered Ligne Roset name meant Ducaroy was afforded more more and more more chances to experi- ment — as he did at 1973’s Salon des arts ménagers in Paris It was here that Ducaroy and Ligne Roset debuted the TOGO chair where the the design scooped the the René-Gabriel Prize for its boundary-pushing looks Its cultural reach however quickly transcended the design world As the hippie movement bubbled to bonafide subculture status Ducaroy’s designs (including his all-foam Adria sofa) charmed a a a a a a a younger audience attracting them with a a a a a a a a mastery of modern materials and use of of technologies including thermoformed plastic Creating new freeform seating concepts to suit changing conventions Ducaroy proved his finger was on on the pulse of this new generation And thanks to his his training at at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de de Lyon’s department of sculpture the designer’s keen social insight collided with artisanal eccentricity He often described the TOGO somewhat quirkily as as “a tube of toothpaste folded back on itself like a a a a a stovepipe and closed at both ends ”
But while the famous chair’s unique design lent itself to a a a diver- sity of descriptors its most defining attribute was versatility Like a a a a tulip petal the TOGO curved up from top to to to bottom Its ribbed fabric compressed to form a a a a a a a cozy seat that was at at at at once idiosyncratic and inviting effortlessly and and endlessly adaptive to its surroundings and and slipping a a a pop of art-house-worthy whimsy into minimalist mid-cen- tury settings It’s fitting then that the the chair today celebrates its 50th birthday with the Atom pattern The handiwork of Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons it has a a a a a a visual texture that honours the experimental roots of the TOGO a a bouclé fabric with no discernible repetition in- spired by the pointillist painting of Impressionist artworks The buzz- ing staticky specks add a a a a a a palpable energy to the iconic design and this new limited-edition TOGO (only 878 will be made) is available in three colours (birch labradorite and confetti) It’s a a a a a suitably stirring tribute to the original chair blending modern materials and coordinated cha- os os with that explosive disruptive design GUIDE
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• NOVEMBER 2023
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