GWENAEL NICOLAS LOUIS VUITTON OBJETS NOMADES

"A project like this is the opportunity to discover a mysterious world".

Born in 1966, French Gwenaël Nicolas has a master's degree in industrial design at the Royal College of Art in London. In 1998 he founded Curiosity - his current studio in Tokyo which deals with architecture, product and interior design.

Gwenaël Nicolas - who has also designed two boutiques and a Maison for Louis Vuitton in Japan - was the first foreigner to be awarded of the prestigious Japanese Kukan prize for interior design.

The designer has collaborated with Louis Vuitton in the creation of two objects of the Objets Nomades collection: the Ernest Bed and Miller Lamp.

1# Ernest Bed

Inspired by the Keepall bag of Louis Vuitton, Gwenaël Nicolas’ Ernest Bed unrolls to become a luxurious cot: a leather-edged canvas mattress and attached Nomade-leather pillow are supported by a sturdy oak structure. Inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s African travels, the Ernest Bed is a new vision of ruggedly beautiful and portable comfort for modern-day adventurers.

2# Miller Lamp

A companion to the Ernest Bed – Miller is Ernest Hemingway’s middle name – the Miller Lamp is small enough to pack into any bag and strong enough to accompany even the most intrepid voyages. Its discreetly elegant looks – inspired by details of Louis Vuitton maroquinerie – are matched by its ease of use: simply stretch the Miller Lamp’s caramel grained-leather case to reveal a shade of folded fabric that softens the light of the rechargeable LED hidden within.

Why did you agree to create an Objet Nomade for Louis Vuitton?

I loved the idea that the designer could propose the object he wanted to design; it becomes very personal and a serious commitment. A project like this is an opportunity to discover a mysterious world, to go behind the curtain and see how products are actually created and developed.

What were the inspirations for your objects?

I always start a project like this one with a scene, like in a movie, with the actor, the lighting and the composition. I was thinking about a great voyager and I thought about Ernest Hemingway, and I imagined a scene during one of his journeys to Africa. It is late evening and, with his mind and eyes full of the images and discoveries of the day, he wants to rest in a bed floating over the rough floor of his tent, with a light he can pull from his bag to read a favourite book or write a new essay. That is why the bed is called Ernest and the lamp Miller: Ernest Miller Hemingway.

What does Louis Vuitton mean to you?

Louis Vuitton has always asked me to create unique spaces that imagine and reveal a dif ferent facet of the brand, while being avant-garde and surprising. The House has a very dif ferent way of working with designers. The team constantly asks for reinterpretations of the brand, demanding fresh eyes and dif ferent perspectives to challenge the brand’s identity and stretch it towards the future. Yet it always remains strongly rooted in tradition and savoir-faire, and respects the people who design and make the products.