Marcel Gascoin

Growing up in the port town of Le Havre in the early 1900’s, Marcel Gascoin was fascinated with the precise, sensible design of boat interiors. He would go on to study interior design and cabinet making, where he developed a passion for designing sophisticated yet practical furniture. A partnership with designer Jean Prouvé  who played a major role in the development of systems for mass production in the postwar Modernist period soon followed. 

After World War II, French consumers were hungry for practical and well-built furniture. This led Gascoin to design one of the first furniture sets, which were easy to match and fit well into postwar homes. These sets proved so popular that, in 1949, he founded ARHEC to manufacture and distribute his designs which embraced the ethos of modernism: a focus on functionality and a dedication to build quality.

From the stylish yet compact C-Chair to the sturdy and elegant Trefle Stool, Gascoin’s pieces are modernist works of art, designed to be both practical and durable. Today, more than 70 years after the design of these iconic pieces, they remain as elegant and durable as they were when they were first conceived. Although Gascon passed away in 1986, the popularity and style of his timeless designs endure.