Text by Alyette Debray
Alexis de La Falaise
A multitalented designer and expert in working with wood, this artist collaborated with Tectona many times. We have him to thank for, among other things, the pyramidal bookcase Biblos, imagined in the early 2000s and which has since become a bestseller.
Life is a series of beautiful encounters. One example was the one between Tectona and the creator Alexis de La Falaise in the early 2000s, when Arnaud Brunel took over the outdoor furniture brand created in 1977. Alexis de La Falaise made a wonderful impression with his refined, gentle, discreet and modest character. “He had a natural elegance and a great sense of colour,” remembers Arnaud Brunel.
A sense of perfection
Alexis de La Falaise was born in London in 1948, and studied in England then the United States. He was an all-rounder, having worked as a cook, farmer and cabinetmaker before becoming a designer and interior designer. These varied experiences no doubt provided that extra spark for his creations. He had a keen sense of detail, whether applying finishing touches (marquetry, gilding) or choosing materials (walnut, sycamore, leather). “From the very first day I was given a toolbox, I’ve loved working with wood. When I was older, I taught myself by reading, and wherever I’ve lived, I’ve always had a workshop,” he confided to Le Figaro in the 1990s. He passed away in 2004.
His first furniture collection, exhibited at Cour Intérieure gallery in 1990, revealed the extent of his skills. Subsequently, Alexis de La Falaise worked with some of the greatest: creators like Kenzo and Diane von Fürstenberg, artists like Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, interior designers like Jacques Grange and David Mlinaric. “And also with Inès de La Fressange for whom he decorated several boutiques,” relates Arnaud Brunel.
A rich contribution
With Tectona, he started by giving a make-over to some of the brand’s classics, refining their lines to lend them a more elegant touch. This is how he revisited the iconic collection of teak furniture Goa, drawing inspiration from Arts & Crafts furniture that revitalised crafts like cabinetmaking. He then decorated the historic store in Rue du Bac, Paris, then imagined Biblos, a rotating bookcase in satin-varnished teak.
A timeless piece
Biblos has stood the test of time and has become an iconic Tectona piece. When drawing the lines, Alexis de La Falaise drew inspiration from the Temple of the Obelisks that he had discovered during a holiday in Lebanon. With its pyramidal form, Biblos can comfortably hold oversized artbooks as well as conventional books. As a literature buff, Alexis de La Falaise paid homage to the Great Library of Alexandria, which was a shining beacon of knowledge in Antiquity.
“My goal is to create modern things that can become old things, by looking beyond the fleeting nature of contemporary productions, to that which lasts, ages gracefully and passes down generations,” explained Alexis de la Falaise once. “I try to imagine furniture that will remain in families for at least a century.” These words are perfectly encapsulated in the Biblos bookcase, a piece that seems to defy the passage of time.
