Renowned as a visionary and one of the great French 20th-century designers, Pierre Paulin was revered for his modernist vision and chic style. His forward-looking furniture was embodied by simplicity, durability and functionality that had been inspired by the work of Charles and Ray Eames, Scandinavian furniture and the Japanese aesthetic.
Somewhere between the organic and naturalistic, the flowing lines, surreal forms and use of rich colours and fabrics fostered a new space-age style that made him a firm favourite with the rich and famous, including two French presidents who commissioned him to decorate areas of the Élysée Palace in Paris.
"At Artifort, I started using new foam and rubber from Italy and a light metallic frame, combined with "stretch" material. Those new, rounder, more comfortable shapes were such a success that they're still being copied today. I have always considered design to be a mix of invention and industrial innovation." - Pierre Paulin