I love Moustache

Playful French brand, Moustache, created a sensation with its first collection in 2009. The brand was founded by Stéphane Arriubergé and Massimiliano Iorio to nurture honest and innovative furniture, lighting and decorative objects by the cream of Europe’s most creative and non-conformist designers: Inga Sempé, Matali Crasset, BIG-GAME and François Azambourg. The collection was shot by surrealist fashion photographers, Tania et Vincent, within the rooms of the 18th Century Les Arts Decoratifs building in Paris.

BIG-GAME’s ‘Moose’ from 2005, Inga Sempé’s ‘Vaporetto’ table lamp from the first collection in 2009 and Azambourg’s new ‘Quadrille’ dining chair.

Since this incredible debut Moustache has been keeping a fairly low profile with a modest number of additions to the range and the odd collaborative installation as was the case in Milan in 2012 with Corian™ where Ionna Vautrin designed some exquisite lights and accessories with the material.  

The wait for more Moustache is now over as the brand has released around a dozen new products and shot a new catalogue in a completely different style. The services of Azambourg have again been sought and he is joined by Dutch designer, Bertjan Pot and French designers, Ionna Vautrin and Constance Guisset. The results are as you would expect from this creative group: colourful, funny and unique. BIG-GAME have added a bench version of their popular ‘Bold’ chair, while a new wall light ‘Moto’ by Jean Baptiste Fastrez adds a bizarre sci-fi / Daft Punk style to the brands eccentric offering. The complete flip-side to Fastez’ super cool helmet light is Constance Guisset’s cute ice cream cone inspired lights, ‘Chantilly’.

 

‘Chantilly’ is a new range of recycled polypropylene and oak lamps by Constance Guisset. They come in two sizes and four colours: lemon yellow, pale grey, pale blue or ‘Surprise’. Also available as a pendant light.

François Azambourg's ‘Tres Jolie’ chair along with 'Tiger' rug by Dylan Martorell, glass vases, 'Parade', by Jean-Baptiste Fastrez, ‘The Cave’ light by Benjamin Graindorge and the stool 'Box' by BIG-GAME. All from the Moustache collection. The fabric room divider 'Clouds' is by the Bouroullec brothers, Ronan & Erwan, for Kvadrat.

Azambourg’s new lounge and dining chairs ‘ Gavotte’ and ‘Quadrille’ are characteristically accomplished designs that follow on from his earlier work for Moustache - the three legged ‘Petite gigue’ chair.

But it is his plywood reinforced resin chair ‘Tres Jolie’ that is a total surprise. The chair’s form is created by a fine skeleton made of zig-zag bits of plywood that reinforces the resin that is cast around it. The geometric plywood shapes are visible through the resin like fruit pieces in a jelly.

Coming from another aesthetic entirely are Bertjan Pot’s abstracted clothes hangers and hang-it-alls. The designs have ˆNightmare before Christmas’ style names like ‘frik frak’ and ‘ooga booga’ with a slightly scary animal-like appearance to boot.

The blue vessel on the left is a ceramic table light called ‘The Cave’ by Benjamin Graindorge. The ‘O’ vase on the right by Ionna Vautrin is also ceramic. Both from the 2012 collection.

The kitchen features several of Inga Sempé’s ‘Vaporetto’ lamps - one hanging and two table versions. The clock also by Sempé and is called ‘Guichet’. The ‘Plan’ platter on the bench is actually a shallow vase from the 2012 collection and is by Sebastien Cordoléani.

Bertjan Pot’s new wall hung coat rack ‘ooga booga’. It comes in natural ash or in white, yellow or black lacquer. 

What is so exceptional about Moustache is their willingness to take risks and to avoid pursuing any form of a house style. Each collection is fresh, eclectic and full of surprises.  They could have so easily shot in another exquisite old Parisian building but instead the catalogue shoot involves a clean white contemporary space (the Moustache showroom and apartment of the founders, designed by Inga Sempé). For more visit www.moustache.fr