Christophe Pillet

Christophe Pillet is a French designer who has won international acclaim for the range and quality of his work. Architecture, objects, furniture, art direction: his name is invariably associated with the finest brands and prestige projects.  As design director for Lacoste, he is responsible for innovative projects alongside the clothing range.  Elsewhere, he has transformed Lancel boutiques around the world, designed the new Hotel Sezz in St Tropez and the restaurant Guilo Guilo in Paris and has long-term collaborations with Driade, Cappellini and Emu. Collaborations with the likes of Catherine Malandrino and John Richmond show that he is a strong force in the world of fashion and indeed he has achieved recognition on a global scale (Europe, Japan, the US, Great Britain), showing that his work transcends borders. Pillet’s first ranges were produced in Italy; there were few places as magical as Milan for designers in the 1980s.  Having been awarded his diploma from the Domus Academy (master class), he became part of the Memphis Group (as an assistant to Martine Bedin and Michele De Lucchi), when they led the vanguard of a new approach to design. On his return to Paris, he was involved in the development of the Starck agency, setting up his own agency in 1993.  In that same year, he was nominated Designer of the Year at the Salon du Meuble de Paris, and his independent career was launched. Pillet’s influences are various: he has an art school background (he studied in Nice), but started his career in music, from which he has retained consciousness of rhythm and time, as well as a search for harmony. Displacement, travel, transit: Pillet has always been interested in movement.  The notion of the global local, of reflecting intimacy with a project and situation, whilst being aware of the global perspective, is crucial to innovation today. Thus Pillet’s architecture practice focuses on ‘modest’ projects, where practicalities and economics are prioritised.