Goodbye Andrée Putman

ph: Pierre et Gilles

Once again, the design world lost a giant.  International interior designer Andrée Putman was laid to rest last week.  She was known for her advant garde furnishings (at the time) and dramatic minimalist interiors.  Andrée described her work as, "the perfect balance between discipline and revolt."  She required order in an environment; objects, space, color, light, and the people that occupy it should be the main attraction.

Morgans Hotel

Probably best known for her work at The Morgans Hotel, she practically invented the boutique hotel concept.  Andrée has designed skyscrapers ~ one in Hong Kong is called The Putnam, stores for the fashionable, and the homes of the wealthy world wide.  Often times, her small object designs, of which there are many, where inspired by the interiors she created.  Her elegantly tailored personal style often mimicked her interiors.  A signature of Andrée's was the black and white checkerboard pattern. 

Andrée was a champion of the high/low, modern/antique mix.  She believed good design should be accessible.  Andrée never formally studied design, but her interiors were critically acclaimed.  Another example of "good taste cannot be taught."

Intuition and unfortunate circumstances forced her to reinvent herself when she was 53.  Her firm Eclat was born and she set out to bring attention to designers of the 1930's, whose work was woefully under appreciated.  Modernist furniture designers and architects like Eileen Gray, Gaudí, and Jean-Michel Frank.  

via Design and More

as above

Remember the Concorde?  Andrée put her stamp all over it.  It's a shame it has been taken out of the fleet before I got my chance to experience it.  It must have been a wild ride.

The Concorde

While Andrée's daughter, Olivia, will continue to oversee The Putman Studio, as she has been doing for years now, I am sure Andrée will be watching from above.

Au Revoir  Madame Putman.