Wrapturous

Eternally chic Christian Astuguevieille debuts a new capsule collection for Holly Hunt

Above Image: The artist at work in his studio. Photo courtesy of Holly Hunt.

By Maile Pingel

Christian Astuguevieille’s new capsule collection for Holly Hunt delivers all the tactile appeal of his signature rope- and cord-wrapped works, but with a new emphasis on subtle curves and gently rounded corners. “They’re softer pieces,” says Jo Annah Kornak, senior vice president and executive creative director of Holly Hunt. The seven-piece line comprises seating, tables, and case pieces.

Two images. Woven table and chairs on left and small chest of drawers with wound cord looking surface.

The Courba table with Himba chairs, and the Canet bedside table.

“Christian is an artist, but he’s also collaborative, so we shared ideas that set him off in a direction we felt would appeal to our designer clients,” Kornak continues, explaining that the Holly Hunt team, who has worked with Astuguevieille for more than two decades, sought smaller, simpler forms. The designs are still produced in France by trained carpenters and furniture makers (all of whom are overseen by Astuguevieille, now in his mid-seventies) but require a less complicated production process. The designer’s earliest pieces were constructed of chestnut branches, but over the years the polymath—he has worked in fashion, fragrance, sculpture, and jewelry—narrowed his materials palette to natural fiber cording and raffia. This collection narrows that focus exclusively to hemp rope.

“The designer’s earliest pieces were constructed of chestnut branches, but over the years the polymath—he has worked in fashion, fragrance, sculpture, and jewelry—narrowed his materials palette to natural fiber cording and raffia. This collection narrows that focus exclusively to hemp rope.”

Two images. Front and back view of a three drawer chest; arm chair with upholstered seat.

Two views of the gorgeous Cane commode, and the Calma lounge chair.

The designer, who keeps a studio in Paris but lives full-time in France’s Brittany region, has also experienced a shift in inspiration, moving from the “imaginary civilizations” he derived from African, Asian, and French cultures to a predominance of organic forms, “like the beauty of mangrove trees or seashells,” says Kornak. “Christian has also always been interested in pedagogy, from his early days working in education,” she adds, noting his use of brightly hued paints (red, blue, green, yellow) and the familiar shapes of children’s blocks, as seen in the Cali bench and Molki stool. “You get the sense that creation, for Christian, is a form of play.”

Three images: Large image with slim table and two small stools against a wall. Two smaller images are closeups of the table and the stool.

The Cali bench, a pair of classic Poney stools by Astuguevieille, and the Molki stool.

functional art, and we see them going into homes with fabulous collections.” (Holly Hunt has long paired Astuguevieille’s designs with works by Matisse and Motherwell, among others, in her own homes.) “We fell in love with Christian when we first met him many years ago—his whimsical nature and fun designs,” Kornak explains. “And we just felt he complemented our offerings, adding elegance, texture, and color.”

The capsule collection is currently available made-to-order through Kneedler Fauchère.

Wrapturous

By Maile Pingel

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