CHARLOTTE PERRIAND CURATED BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO
“The extension of the art of dwelling is the art of living – living in harmony with man’s deepest drives and with his adopted or fabricated environment.”
— Charlotte Perriand, L’Art de Vivre, 1981
For Milan Design Week, SAINT LAURENT and Anthony Vaccarello present a collaboration with the late visionary designer Charlotte Perriand. On view from April 8 – April 13 at Padiglione Visconti in Milan, the exhibition pays tribute to Perriand’s legacy.
The installation features four remarkable pieces originally conceived by Perriand between 1943 and 1967 – many of which existed only as sketches or prototypes. Now meticulously reproduced, the selection of designs offer some insight into Perriand’s radical, humanist approach to form, function, andmaterial.
Each limited-edition piece is available made-to-order, ensuring exclusivity and craftsmanship at the highest level.
The Furniture
The collection includes furniture originally created for Perriand’s private residences in Rio de Janeiro and Vietnam, as well as for the Japanese Ambassador’s diplomatic residence in Paris.
La Bibliothèque Rio de Janeiro (1962):
Designed for her husband Jacques Martin, this large-scale bookcase was originally created for their home in Brazil. Crafted from solid Brazilian rosewood, it features sliding doors made from woven cane – a traditional local technique – merging form and function. Meant to display both art and literature, it exemplifies Perriand’s belief in the lived-in beauty of space.
La Table Mille-Feuilles (1963):
Named after the layered French pastry, this three-legged table is composed of ten concentric layers of cherrywood and rosewood. The contrast between warm and dark tones creates a rich visual rhythm. Though Perriand kept a model of the design on her desk, its complex construction was never realised – until now. Each table is unique, shaped by the natural grain and movement of the wood during moulding.
La Banquette de la Résidence de l’Ambassadeur du Japon à Paris (1967):
In collaboration with architect Junzō Sakakura, Perriand was commissioned to design interiors and furnishings for the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in Paris. For the main salon, she created a seven-metre-long sofa. Its elongated wooden arms give the piece a sense of balance and elegance – it appears as if it is almost floating.
Le Fauteuil Visiteur Indochine (1943):
While serving as Director of Crafts and Applied Arts in Vietnam, Perriand designed several personal pieces for her home with Jacques Martin, including this guest armchair. Though the original was lost, the chair has been recreated from her drawings – featuring a rosewood base, chrome tubing, and a traditional Thai cushion. A union of modernist and vernacular design.
HONOURING HERITAGE
This collaboration is a reflection of SAINT LAURENT’s ongoing commitment to design heritage and cultural legacy. Yves Saint Laurent himself was a lifelong admirer of Perriand’s work, collecting her furniture throughout his life. Pierre Bergé, the house’s co-founder, was instrumental in promoting global retrospectives of her work – ensuring her influence would resonate beyond her time.
To accompany the exhibition, the SAINT LAURENT Editions kiosk on Piazza San Babila will offer a special volume of Perriand’s photography, along with a catalogue documenting the furniture collection. In Paris, curated selections of her photography will be on display at two SAINT LAURENT locations: SAINT LAURENT BABYLONE (April 9 – May 4) and SAINT LAURENT RIVE DROITE (April 8 – May 7).
With SAINT LAURENT | CHARLOTTE PERRIAND, Anthony Vaccarello continues to expand the house’s cultural and artistic dialogue – bridging fashion and design with reverence and modernity. This project is not merely an homage but a renewed discovery of Perriand’s bold and generous vision, reframed through the lens of SAINT LAURENT’s enduring aesthetic.
Words by Isabelle Webster
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