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Liaigre’s Upcrafted collection gives leftover materials a second life — to gorgeous effect.
SINCE THE MID-1980s, the name Liaigre has been synonymous with pared-back, modern elegance in the world of interior design. High-level French craftsmanship with organic materials such as marble, wood, bronze, and leather has always defined Liaigre’s furniture, setting trends and establishing the brand’s quiet yet powerful design language. But their newer, slightly more disruptive collection caught my eye: Upcrafted. In a limited-edition collection, Liaigre’s scraps are given new form exclusively from their waste. The result: the Vase, the Tray, and the Door Stopper.
The Vase is made of 400 leftover petal-like discs of leather, conjoined to create a textured orb. The edges of the petals take on different colors, delineating the way in which the whole is a summation of so many different parts. Similar upcycled leather is layered to create the Tray, punctuated at the ends by brushed-chrome or black-patina handles. Lastly, the Door Stopper takes form in a weighty lump of marble or onyx with bronze detailing mimicking that of a stopper wedged into the voluminous bottlelike shape of the marble.
Each piece, its own unique imprint of a material journey, varies slightly, resulting in a melange of form and function that highlights the tactile pleasure of pure materiality. This is design with a conscience, and half of all earnings from Upcrafted’s sales are donated to Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France, a French organization that dates back to the Middle Ages dedicated to the education of artisans and craftspeople via apprenticeships.
More than anything, I love the quietude of each piece within the Upcrafted collection. Minimal yet curious, each begs a closer look, a touch. The resourcefulness of their origins bears no limitations on their beauty. Rather, it gives meaning.
Sophie Mancini is an editor at Departures. Born and raised in New York City, she holds a degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University and has a background as a writer in brand and editorial.
Working between Paris and Berlin, Peter Langer focuses on narrative still-life photography, crafting incredible textures with collage and creative layering. He has published two books of his work and had art exhibitions in both the U.S. and Europe. His work has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue China, and Wallpaper.
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