Miami, December 2013. Cassina shares its passion with Louis Vuitton for Charlotte Perriand, one of the most pioneering architects from the 20th Century, with a comprehensive project which debuts with a special exhibition in Miami: an encounter which combines furnishings, fashion and photography to honour this magnificent contemporary legend.
Louis Vuitton has chosen Charlotte Perriand's non-conformist style as inspiration for the 2014 Spring /Summer and Fall Icon Collections. An intriguing female icon from the Modern Movement, Charlotte Perriand was passionate about travelling, photography, architecture and design. Her curiosity and intuition led her to create visionary designs with a refined minimalism which can be found in Louis Vuitton's collection today. This timeless elegance is particularly highlighted in Louis Vuitton's creative tools and window displays which have been enriched with authentic Cassina furniture.
Cassina celebrates this exceptional collaboration with a travelling exhibition of the architect's photography entitled: "Charlotte Perriand - A Modernist Pioneer, from Avant-garde Design to Photography". The exhibition will debut in the Cassina Miami showroom during Design Miami/Art Basel Miami Beach 2013 and will successively be on show at a selection of international Cassina flagship stores and authorised dealers in conjunction with the launch of the 2014 Spring/ Summer Icon Collection at Louis Vuitton boutiques around the world.
The photographic memories selected are an insight into Charlotte Perriand's passion for architecture, nature and humanity discovered during her travels. The photographs, placed as modules inside wooden displays in the form of the iconic Nuage bookshelf, can be divided into the following fundamental subjects: Les Objects Trouvés; Japan; The Mountains; Prefabricated Architecture. The atmosphere of the exhibit is further enriched with a selection of furniture designs by Charlotte Perriand and Cassina.
A limited edition (1000 pieces) of the evocative LC4 chaise-longue designed by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand will be officially presented at Design Miami/Art Basel Miami Beach 2013 in memory of the 110th anniversary of Charlotte Perriand's birth.
Considered as the ultimate 'relaxing machine' this object has always been special for Charlotte Perriand as it perfectly reflects her idea of functional furniture which caters to the natural human form to create maximum comfort. The inspiration for this LC4 version dates back to the then controversial - now renowned - photo of Charlotte Perriand relaxing on one of the first models of the chaise-longue with a self-supporting mattress attached directly to the frame.
The LC4 CP tribute edition has been developed using Louis Vuitton's expertise in saddlery craftsmanship: it has the same self-supporting mattress as the first model but in light pink natural saddle-leather and a contrasting dark brown saddle-leather for the foot and headrest, all supplied by Louis Vuitton tannery.
Characteristic details can be particularly recognised in the yellow stitching of the natural saddle leather and the elegant leather headrest straps which recall the workmanship of the Louis Vuitton signature handbags. Each basalt coloured base carries the dedication"Hommage de Cassina à Charlotte Perriand à l'occasion de la Collection Icones 2014 de Louis Vuitton" and is authenticated with the progressive limited edition production number, and the authors' signatures along with the Cassina I Maestri logo are engraved, as always, on the chrome structure. This distinctive design icon will be available at premium Cassina boutiques around the world: Cassina is the only authorised company to manufacture furniture designed by Charlotte Perriand.