Collar in the words of the designer - Arthur Gentil

Bio:

Arthur established his practice in 2023 after extensive experience working within creative firms and leading design teams along the development of products and furniture for some of the largest companies in the industry. His diverse range of creative skills and broad knowledge of technical and manufacturing processes have enabled him to integrate high responsibility projects while fully engaging with the entire design and production process.

Raised across France, Germany and Italy, his vision exploits a blend of cultural influences that perpetually emerge in his works. His holistic approach explores concepts of balance, contrast and juxtaposition of opposites that unite with a high sensibility for aesthetics. Strongly influenced by rational ideologies, Arthur is devoted to the development of unique objects that remain intuitive in their form and function. In his pragmatic perspective, he believes that every product bares a story, yet the best designs are the ones that speak for themselves.

Embracing the benefits of profound dialogue with its clients, the studio is committed to provide distinctive designs tailored to each company. It does so by constantly seeking common ground between its own approach and the identity of a client.

Arthur's practice employs a vast range of creative skills and a strategic network of collaborators to offer a full spectrum of services. With product and furniture at its core, the firm provides complementary support to help design brands position themselves coherently and communicate accordingly. This additional amenity caters various digital and visual design assets embedded in the process of art direction.

Industrial design lies at the core of the studio. For nearly a decade, Arthur has mastered this discipline working amongst renowned creative firms in Milan. The studio is engaged in developing meaningful user-oriented products with thorough consideration for social, environmental, and economical factors.

What was the inspiration behind Collar?

Collar emerges from a sartorial approach, treating the chair like a naked body and dressing it with upholstery while still leaving some parts uncovered.

Following this idea, I wanted to work with different materials and use them to create layers, making the chair interesting and welcoming. Decisively, the chair was supposed to have a classic shape, so I needed to make it interesting somehow, using different means.

This layering effect gives an impactful touch to a classic form, remaining highly versatile and suitable to a wide variety of environments.

It also allows for a multitude of configurations and makes the chair adaptable to its users and spaces.

What are the key features of Collar?

Collar is characterised by its continuous pillow-like cushion that wraps around the outside of the chair and folds inside over the backrest. The dialogue between the rigid plywood and the soft fabric create an inviting sense of comfort that is repeated throughout the range.

What was your design process with this product? Was it in any way different than usually?

My process often starts from the inside-out, rethinking objects and materials down to their core and reflecting on new ways to assemble them.

I like to play with the basic elements and materials.

For the Collar range, this principle is portrayed visually through the interaction of the different layers.

What drives you while designing furniture?

Whether it's expressed through form, material, construction or assembly, my goal is to design impactful and intuitive objects. I always seek to find an element of surprise: something that makes a product unique and distinguishable while remaining simple and unobtrusive. In case of Collar that is obviously the layering effect and the contrast of various materials.

How was working with .mdd for you?

With .mdd I felt a strong coalescence and a mutual interest in making good design. It's a great opportunity to collaborate with enthusiastic people and talented craftsmen that share a common passion and vision of design; one that is honest, straight-forward and unpretentious.