yves salomon and chapo création unpack their furniture collaboration at maison&objet

Yves Salomon and Chapo CrÉation at Maison&Objet 2024

Two historic French houses, Yves Salomon and Chapo Création, join designboom at Maison&Objet to unpack the creative exchange between artisans for their first collaborative collection. Initially unveiled during Milan Design Week 2024 and again on view at this year’s Paris Design Week, the modernist furniture pieces combine the two companies’ know-how with an emphasis on craftsmanship and timelessness. Inspired by the iconic designs of French furniture designer Pierre Chapo, the collection unveils a series of limited-edition creations, reimagined with intarsia of upcycled shearling scraps. During our talk at Maison&Objet’s 2024 Fall edition, Yves Salomon, third generation and president of the eponymous brand, Marcellin Boyer, Head of Merchandising and Retail Architecture at Yves Salomon, and Zoran Chapo, CEO of Chapo Création, discuss how fashion and interior design can work together to come up with sustainable solutions.

the conversation at Maison&Objet was moderated by designboom | image courtesy of Maison&Objet

reflecting on how the furniture collaboration started

Moderated by Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou, designboom’s Editor-in-Chief, the conversation at Maison&Objet unpacks the design process between Chapo Création and Yves Salomon’s collaboration. It all started a couple of years before the series launch, sparked by Yves Salomon’s idea to blend his passion for fashion with his love for furniture design. As a vintage furniture enthusiast, Salomon already owned several Pierre Chapo pieces at home when he first envisioned the collection. He and Marcellin Boyer decided to reach out to Zoran Chapo, Pierre Chapo’s grandson, after learning that he was reimagining his grandfather’s iconic designs. ‘It’s a funny story,’ Boyer recalls. ‘When Mr. Salomon told me he wanted to create a furniture collection, I said, I have an idea, because I had just bought some Chapo pieces for my own kitchen project. Mr. Salomon immediately responded, Wait, I know this designer very well—I have some of his pieces in my kitchen too!’ This shared admiration led the Yves Salomon team to reach out to Chapo Création, marking the start of their first collaborative project. 

During the talk, Zoran Chapo shares that the collaboration was both interesting and much-needed for him and Chapo Création. At the time, the company had been focused solely on reproducing Pierre Chapo’s original designs, and he felt the partnership brought a breath of fresh air. ‘In my daily life, it can sometimes get a little frustrating because, although we have close to 100 different pieces from Pierre Chapo, they’re always the same—we’re not designing new ones,’ he explains. ‘I was looking for a way to present our furniture from a different angle.’

the collection features three chair designs | image by Laora Queyras courtesy of Yves Salomon

Intarsia Adds a New Dimension to Classic Pierre Chapo Designs

The collection features ten pieces, each showcasing the blend of both brands’ expertise. It includes three iconic chairs by Pierre Chapo, reimagined in different colors, one armchair in a distinct hue, two lamps of varying sizes with the same pattern in different colors, three stools with patterns inspired by Chapo’s iconic coffee table, and a one-of-a-kind daybed. The daybed, considered the ‘masterpiece’ of the collaboration, holds special significance as it was the first piece ever designed by Pierre Chapo. Unlike the soft materials typically used by Yves Salomon, this collection required a shift to more solid and durable designs. ‘This was a huge challenge because, as a luxury brand, we’re used to creating light, shiny garments. This collaboration was the complete opposite—it had to be solid, durable, and strong,’ Yves Salomon shares.

The collection was brought to life using the intarsia technique, a classic technique in the fashion industry, particularly with fur and shearling. While typically used to create soft and delicate designs, this technique had to be adapted to achieve a strong and solid structure. Each shearling piece was meticulously cut and sewn by hand, resulting in a vibrant and durable pattern. ‘I have to say that Yves Salomon is very demure, but they are known to be the best in the world at this technique. So, I was really confident when they told me they wanted to use it for our collaboration,’ explains Zoran Chapo.

Zoran Chapo (left), Yves Salomon (right) | image courtesy of Maison&Objet

A New Life for Leftovers: Upcycled Materials Meet Iconic Designs

The collaborative collection is brought to life using upcycled materials, featuring discarded fabrics, shearling, and leather scraps that were otherwise considered unsuitable for other projects. ‘We have to understand that when we make a garment, it must be perfect. Whenever it doesn’t fit, although it’s very good quality, it becomes a leftover. The challenge is to use all these leftovers. It’s a continuation of creation that is embedded in our culture,’ Yves Salomon says. The team carefully selected and mixed vintage pieces based on their unique colors and textures, merging Chapo’s iconic woodwork with Yves Salomon’s mastery of the intarsia technique. The result is an entirely handcrafted, invisibly stitched puzzle, where each ‘furniture outfit’ is designed to fit every surface, shape, and curve with precision. 

Sustainability was central to the project, with both brands emphasizing its importance at every stage. ‘On the Chapo side, it was really important for Pierre Chapo to create furniture that lasts,’ Zoran Chapo mentions, noting that this collaboration highlights sustainability by giving older versions of furniture a new life through reinterpretation. Working largely with wood, Chapo Création is committed to respecting this noble material by minimizing waste and leftovers. The same philosophy applies to Yves Salomon. ‘We believe that promoting partnership is the first part of sustainability. The second part is using noble, natural materials. Of course, wood was the perfect match for shearling and leather. Sustainability also comes from using leftover materials. It’s a challenge not to use new materials, but we really want to continue in that direction,’ Yves Salomon adds.

the daybed is considered the ‘masterpiece’ of the collaboration | image by Laora Queyras courtesy of Yves Salomon

Looking to the future

While this is a limited edition collection, both companies are dedicated to ensuring its continued journey around the world, with a new presentation scheduled for the Magen H Gallery in New York in November 2024. Looking to the future, Zoran Chapo is eager to continue collaborating with ves Salomon, as well as explore new partnerships to showcase Pierre Chapo’s furniture from a fresh perspective. The team at Yves Salomon also shares this enthusiasm for working together in the future. ‘On our side, there is a natural bridge between fashion and furniture. Maybe it’s a new trend, as most luxury brands are developing their home lines, and Yves Salomon will, of course, do the same out of passion. It’s my passion and the passion of the team to pursue new developments,’ Salomon notes. ‘We feel that this bridge is very exciting. We will continue collaborating with Zoran on new projects, and perhaps with other collaborators as well. It’s definitely the beginning of a new story, and we’re very excited about it.’

Marcellin Boyer | image courtesy of Maison&Objet

the three stools are adorned with the same pattern in different colors | image by Laora Queyras courtesy of Yves Salomon

the collection includes an armchair in a distinct hue and pattern | image by Laora Queyras courtesy of Yves Salomon

the stool pattern is inspired by Pierre Chapo’s iconic coffee table | image by Laora Queyras courtesy of Yves Salomon

the three iconic chairs by Pierre Chapo are reimagined in different colors | image by Laora Queyras courtesy of Yves Salomon

the collection is brought to life using the intarsia technique | image by Laora Queyras courtesy of Yves Salomon

the furniture is made of wood, upcycled shearling, and leather scraps | image by Laora Queyras courtesy of Yves Salomon

the result is an entirely handcrafted, invisibly stitched puzzle | image by Laora Queyras courtesy of Yves Salomon

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project info: 

talk: Fashion and Home in search of sustainable solutions, when know-how unites for a good cause
speakers: Yves Salomon | @yves_salomon, Zoran Chapo | @pierre_chapo_creation, Marcellin Boyer | @marcellin_boyer
event: Maison&Objet | @maisonetobjet