For this 2nd edition of the Ecole Camondo-Intramuros competition, the partners Adagio, Serge Ferrari and Lafuma Mobilier have respectively selected the winners Thomas Delagarde, Léna Micheli and Clémentine Doumenc. While waiting to discover the careers of these three young creators in the spring issue of Intramuros, the editorial staff takes stock of each “duo”. For this last part, the point with Lafuma Mobilier, which participated for the second time in the competition.
Based on the architectures of Peter Zumthor, Clémentine Doulenc’s final dissertation project focused on on the creation of a lexicon of the atmosphere . In this work, the young woman analyzes “the means of creating an atmosphere in space”, by always starting from drawing, which occupies a place as important as writing. “ I analyzed the places through drawing , which allowed me to bring a more sensitive approach ” .
This lexicon of the atmosphere seduced Lafuma Mobilier which retains its candidacy as part of the École Camondo-Intramuros competition. Clémentine Doumenc thus adapts her study project to the brand’s DNA: her first research brings out 4 lexical words: outdoor, modularity, relationship to the body, minimalism. She then translates these words into a sketch of a piece of furniture. This is the second research that seduces the company: in 2021, it proposed to the winner Thomas Carlier a research around their production chains to point out avenues to explore to develop the manufacturing process around new materials, or new solutions.
A brand committed to sustainable development
This applied research translates internal reflection on the meaning given to production. Very committed, this French manufacturer joined in 2020 the 1500 labeled Living Heritage Company for its expertise in the work of metal tubing and stretched canvas. A recognition in the logical continuation of a production on two local sites (Anneyron and Lallemand) labeled in 2014 Origine France. Because the company maintains as much as possible a regional sourcing (68% of the raw materials come from France and 98% from Europe), which meets the requirement in terms of quality of materials.
Lafuma Mobilier committed to sustainable development
Alongside this search for reduced environmental impact, Lafuma Mobilier relies on the quality of the materials (resistance to UV, bad weather, abrasion, etc.) to commit to sustainability. An approach inscribed in the DNA of the founders, as explained by Arnaud Du Mesnil, Managing Director: responsibility has been seen as a commitment of the brand for 60 years, and is supported by the strong will of the employees, which makes it a cement for the company: “We aim to be a brand useful, we have made ourselves the spokespersons for this responsibility that the Lafuma “grandfathers” and “great-grandfathers” had in their genes”. Remember that this company, originally a family, dates from 1930.
A beautiful story, thought from the start on an eco-design principle: let’s remember that Lafuma Mobilier was created by three brothers who used the principle of the metal frame of backpacks to imagine metal and textile furniture. As Arnaud Du Mesnil reminds us, “as early as the 1950s, they thought about separating textiles from metal, which can generate second lives. Sixty years later, CSR issues are still based on these exceptional fundamentals for the company, but consumer expectations have evolved. Particularly in terms of well-being, comfort and longevity: Lafuma Mobilier provides an after-sales repair service that includes nearly 200 references in the parts and fabrics available. Remaining timeless in its collections also implies this importance of constantly “thinking about oneself in order to reinvent oneself”. Because as Arnaud Du Mesnil reminds us (talk of 9/9/2021 Paris Design Week) , the production of furniture is also the subject of other issues: collection, upcycling, (to ensure that it is valued, recycled), even on -cycling.
