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Portraits of the creative directors of furniture brands Audo Copenhagen, Tolix and Ligne Roset

While many of the world’s most renowned furniture brands boast a storied history, their continued relevance is predicated on their ability to adapt to the current market. Now under the influence of new leadership, Audo Copenhagen (formerly Menu), Tolix and Ligne Roset are doing just that. We caught up with those at the helm to learn more about the vision behind these legendary companies’ next chapter.

T37 chairs by Xavier Pauchard for Tolix
T37 chairs by Xavier Pauchard for Tolix

How did you get your start in design?

Joachim Kornbek Engell-Hansen

I had the privilege to work closely with my grandfather (the founder of Audo Copenhagen’s predecessor label, Menu) and my father, who had led the brand direction since he was 18. Since joining the company over 12 years ago, I have grown alongside the brand and taken over as creative lead.

Emmanuel Diemoz

My previous experience was in fashion. When I joined Balmain back in 2000, it was a heritage company but no longer trendy or edgy — and so over my 17 years there, everything had to be rebuilt. Tolix is a similar story: It has been around since 1927 but has been stagnant for the past 10 years.

Olivier Roset

Growing up in a family business, you’re always inside the beast. But officially, I joined Ligne Roset 15 years ago after first working in private equity.

Antoine Roset

I started off working for the watch company IWC. I moved to Ligne Roset 17 years ago, and Olivier and I became co-CEOs last March.

Plinth tables by Norm Architects for Audo Copenhagen
Plinth tables by Norm Architects for Audo Copenhagen
Plinth tables by Norm Architects for Audo Copenhagen

What does the next chapter of your brand look like?

JEH

We introduced Audo Copenhagen in 2023 as a merger between Denmark’s Menu and By Lassen. A renaming can sound like a big change, but it wound up being part of our natural evolution. Ten years ago, Menu was focused on kitchen accessories. Gradually, we transformed it into a minimalist lifestyle brand. At first, everything was white and black steel. Now, since I have taken on my current role, we are adding a lot of warmth to interiors. Audo Copenhagen’s aesthetic philosophy is soft minimalism.

ED

“With my co-owner Antoine Bejui, I have gone through the archives to better understand what our predecessor wanted to do with this brand. We plan to maintain production here in France because it’s important in terms of sustainability and quality. But we’d also like to partner with contemporary designers and transition away from the industrial look and feel to make Tolix a global lifestyle authority. We need to introduce new materials. Coming from fashion, we will incorporate fabrics, leather and maybe even wood.”

OR

We are introducing fewer collections now than we were in the ’80s — still being creative and supporting original ideas and products that define design culture, but without overproducing.

AR

It’s about scaling up by scaling down and making sure that sustainability is at the heart of production. Our 10-year goal is for carbon-neutral factories, and we’re investing R&D in green materials and re-using offcuts. In today’s generation, where everything has to be fast, it’s important to spend time getting things right.

Ploum sofa by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for furniture brand Ligne Roset
Ploum sofa by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Ligne Roset

What’s your favourite product?

JEH

It’s hard to choose, because we are proud to partner with so many contemporary talents, but Norm Architects are frequent collaborators who designed some of our very first pieces, as well as more recent favourites such as the Plinth collection.

ED

I’m sure everybody expects me to say the Marais A chair, but I actually prefer the T37 chair, which we recently reissued. It was created by Xavier Pauchard for the 1937 World Expo in Paris and remains a timeless, enduring example of steel design.

Facett armchair by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for furniture brand Ligne Roset
Facett armchair by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Ligne Roset
OR

Ploum. Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s careers were just taking off when they came to us with an idea for a contemporary English chesterfield.

AR

Facett, by the same designers. It was a product that challenged us, and it represents a symbiosis between manufacturer and designer.”

Roundtable: Reinventing Legacy Brands for the Modern Age

Top industry brass reveal how they’re taking furniture brands in exciting new directions.

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