Charlotte Perriand

For those who are unfamiliar with Charlotte Perriand, she was a designer - but no ordinary one. She was one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. She began her career at age 24, as an assistant to Le Corbusier. Within a short time, she became an integral part of the team, evidenced by her name being listed first on the patents for some of the company’s most important creations.

Yet still, during the time when Perriand was formulating her most influential strategies, she lived in the shadow of her male colleagues. However, what made Perriand stand out was not only her designs, but also her relentlessly progressive mind. She was particularly aware of the suffering in the world, and she knew that design could play a vital role in the discovery of solutions to make society more equitable.

Perriand’s minimalistic approach instills a timeless character in her creations: these are the “Useful Forms” that came from the movement she co-founded in 1949. Like Perriand’s furniture, her lamps are not immovable, but rotate and bend themselves, adjusting to our needs.