Emmanuel Lelièvre wants to weave new stories. The fourth-generation Managing Director of his family’s textile company, he has spearheaded such creative collaborations as a limited-edition, velvet sneaker with shoemaker Caulaincourt, and a bold, playful furniture collection with fashion designer José Lévy. So when Lelièvre met Timothée Cagniard, the torchbearer of his family’s 80-year legacy of pioneering sound technology, and founder of audio company La Boîte Concept, it was a true meeting of the minds. “We shared the same passion for preserving know-how handed down from generation to generation,” says Cagniard, “as well as a sensitivity to beauty, decoration, and design excellence.” The result of the mix? The Lelièvre LX Platine: A special edition high-fidelity speaker and turntable sheathed in Lelièvre fabric. A hit when launched at Maison et Object this year, it may have also launched a new category of decorative arts. Might one call it Hi-Fibre?

How did this collaboration come about?  

It comes from the desire to do something a bit different. Timothée is someone who comes from a fun environment working in sound, in the music industry. I was also amazed when I discovered the products—the quality of the product itself impressed me, and the fact that it was made in the southwest of France.

It’s lovely too that you both have a family lineage in your work.

Yes, it’s important. It’s a family business. And it’s a business where the manufacturing is very important. Manufacturing and design, not just one or the other. We understand each other, and we understand that the most difficult part is to transform the design into the product itself.