[caption id="attachment_1730" align="alignnone" width="560" caption="Rendering of Ligne Roset Boutique in Austin, TX."][/caption]
On April 17, 2009 Ligne Roset will open up its first worldwide boutique in Austin, TX. A week before the opening we got in touch with Atoine Roset, Executive Vice President of Roset USA, to hear about the new space and why Texas?
WHITEWALL: What made you decide to open up a boutique in Austin?
ANTOINE ROSET: We were looking for a place where people will respond to high quality home furnishings and décor and sleek design. We have showrooms in Dallas and Houston – and thought Austin was a good spot for the global launch of Ligne Roset Boutique. Austin is one of the coolest and trendiest cities in the US—lifestyle, music, population, weather…everything is great!
WW: The boutique in Austin will be a "concept store." Tell me more about what that means and how that store will differ from your other showrooms? Is it unique or is there a Ligne Roset example that exists in another city?
AR: The store in Austin is under the name Ligne Roset Boutique and not Ligne Roset. With this concept store, we are focusing on our accessories, lighting, and tabletop collection. It is more “cash and carry” orientated than our full-line stores however, consumers will find most of our best sellers at Ligne Roset Boutique, i.e. Togo, Facett, and Contours. The layout and the style of Ligne Roset Boutique is dynamic, fresh, creative, and will be the first boutique concept store worldwide. We hope that more Ligne Roset Boutique stores will open.
WW: You said the store will be an "incubator for design and culture.” What do you mean by that?
AR: You will find the most creative pieces of our collection at the Ligne Roset Boutique and designs by very famous names in the design community i.e. Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Pierre Paulin, Inga Sempe, and very talented young designers. When the name Pierre Paulin is mentioned, we spontaneously think about the Tongue, Ribbon, or Mushroom chairs, and the Bouroullec brothers represent the best of design of today—in just a couple of years many of their pieces are already part of the MoMA collection!
WW: You've said previously that "art and design have alway shared the same synergies." The new space will be like a gallery. What made you decide to go with that layout?
AR: Indeed art and design share similar parallels, to a point where some design pieces are considered art. We were not specifically looking to construct the Ligne Roset Boutique as a gallery but, in this case, it was more opportunism that the boutique turn out like an art gallery.
WW: You work with both established designers and young, emerging designers. Why is it important for Ligne Roset to work with both?
AR: Young designers are the DNA of Ligne Roset; we have always worked with young designers and will continue to do so. Working with young designers gives us a chance to see products in a different way. Established designers understand the market very well and bring their personal vision of design to the brand—it’s like a signature.
WW: What are some of the iconic pieces that will be for sale in Austin?
AR: Togo! Designed by Michel Ducaroy in 1973 and still one of the best sellers, but also Facett by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Pumpkin by Pierre Paulin, Moel by Inga Sempe, Nomade Express by Didier Gomez, and Sala by Pascal Mourgue.
[caption id="attachment_1734" align="alignnone" width="560" caption="Low-Back Moel by Inga Sempe."][/caption]
