Three questions for…Bernardaud

Photo: The « Aux oiseaux » (For the birds) series, treated with embossed gold.© Lily Rose

Bernardaud will be taking part in Maison&Objet In The City. How does this event suit your needs? 

Our goal is to have Paris offer a powerful event to start this spring that will motivate specifiers, decorators and dealers to come see what’s happening. We have a very specific distribution network for our products. In addition to our own shops in France as well as in New York, Tokyo, Dubai and Seoul, we’re developing a network of approved dealers, whom we dialogue with over a long period before establishing a business relationship. Maison&Objet In The City, with one-on-one meetings in our showroom, fits these goals perfectly.  

What are the main challenges you’re facing at this point in time?

In the midst of a recovery period, the main challenge is producing enough to meet demand, because we’re now in across-the-board revival mode. Since the beginning of the year, we’ve hired over a hundred people in Limoges, which brings our total staffing up to 450 employees. They all need to be trained to our high standards. Our product offer is constantly expanding. In addition to tableware, we’re now designing decorative accessories. We’ve recently launched collaborations with major luxury brands to make boxes and containers. One example we’ve developed for Guerlain is the porcelain case for the Orchidée Impériale Black cream, which required significant research and development. 

What is the luxury market looking for today?

It varies depending on the country, with some wanting collections with references to various historical French styles, and others wanting more contemporary designs. In this area, we’re collaborating with a number of artists, such as what we’ve done recently with Jeff Koons. Also, sustainable development and CSR concerns are currently very important. Our Guerlain initiative, which offers rechargeable packaging that you can keep on display in your bathroom, is an example of this movement. Our porcelain, made from clay and water, is perfectly sustainable and can be handed down through the generations. In March, we’ll be showing a set of furniture designed by the Campana brothers, produced in a limited edition of 8 sets, as well as metallic pieces from California artist Gisela Colon. We’ve also been asked by Fresh Architectures to create the façade of the Dolce&Gabbana building on avenue Montaigne, with 90 000 porcelain spikes that are each 20 cm long, and the result is quite impressive…