Déconstruction

Description

Visionary textile engineer Jean Lauer brought international renown to La Manufacture Cogolin in the 1930s by making his expertise available to the era’s leading modernist artists.

A revolution was underway, spearheaded by architect Robert Mallet-Stevens under the banner of the Union des Artistes Modernes, an affiliation that embodied his rigorous aesthetic and his passion for the fusion of craftsmanship and industry.

Embracing this turning point in the decorative arts, La Manufacture Cogolin, in a visionary move, developed partnerships with the most prestigious artists and decorators of the time. Among its commissions was the supply of rugs for the SS Normandie ocean liner for its launch in 1935, a project that included collaborations with artists such as Alavoine, whose design “Engrenage” for one of the Normandie’s salons features among re-editions in our Carnets d’archives vol. 2 collection.

Today, hand-knotted in Nepal, the geometric patterns of Les Modernistes collection, culled from our archives, pay tribute to La Manufacture Cogolin’s place in the canon of 20th century.