Olivier Felix Isselin

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Olivier Felix Isselin ("OFI") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

OFI : I studied at the School of Architecture in Paris La Villette. However, I quickly realized that I didn't want to complete that program. After spending some time with an architect... I understood that this profession, as it is practiced, wouldn't suit me: creative freedom being restricted too quickly, too many administrative constraints... It should be noted that alongside my studies, I was also overseeing the artistic direction of major events in beautiful venues in Paris (Centre Pompidou, Conciergerie, Hôtel de Sully, ...). I had to make a choice... Subsequently, I notably managed several contemporary art galleries, curated exhibitions, created and oversaw the project management of various spaces... Finally, at a later stage, I decided to establish myself as an artist... In short, to put it briefly, my entire career has been that of a free-spirited individual, turning my passions into my work and vice versa. Design is the natural continuation of my life's journey.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

OFI : It quickly became evident to me. If life is filled with constraints, mine is the freedom I granted myself.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

OFI : I am a curious man, so I don't close any doors.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

OFI : For a designer, as well as an architect, education is, in my opinion, secondary. In fact, almost all the architects who have made an impact on me are not graduates of architecture schools. Tadao Ando is not an architecture graduate. The same goes for Mies Van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Oskar Niemeyer... The list goes on... It primarily depends on sensitivity, or more precisely, sensitivities... The essential thing is to maintain a childlike spirit, to always have a keen eye and to be able to draw inspiration from everything around us. Then comes the work. Finally, one should focus more on their production than on themselves.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

OFI : A good designer is someone who achieves success during their productive period. A great designer is someone whose creations become the markers of their era and/or endure throughout time.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

OFI : A design that pleases is a good design. A great design creates an object that appears obvious yet different, and while being a marker of an era, it retains its modernity.

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

OFI : For an entrepreneur, a good design is an added value to their product. For a buyer, pleasure should prevail.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

OFI : I am curious and therefore very open to the question. Any proposition can potentially interest me.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

OFI : Everything I have done so far is a part of me, but due to lack of time and resources, I haven't been able to create my own haven: a place that I would have completely imagined, where architecture, art, and design would blend together... All within a natural setting: My Villa Adriana.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

OFI : I try to be true to my choices.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

OFI : Undoubtedly, the architect who evokes the most emotion in me is Tadao Ando. The simplicity of the lines, the play of light, the use of raw concrete, his connection to nature... Everything moves me in Tadao Ando's constructions... Then, I have a strong attraction to the modernists who completely disrupted conventions: Mies Van der Rohe, whose motto was "Less is more," which is also one of my principles... There's also Le Corbusier and his Modulor, of course, as well as the designers of the Bauhaus, like Gerrit Rietveld. Finally, the creators of the post-war boom period, such as Eero Saarinen, Verner Panton, Eero Aarnio... They symbolize an era I didn't experience, so perhaps I idealize it: a positive era, open to the future, where everything seemed possible.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

OFI : The pantheon of my favorite designs is quite cliché, but these objects didn't become iconic by chance—they are brilliant! Verner Panton's Panton Chair Ray & Charles Eames' Lounge Chair The Gyrofocus fireplace created by Dominique Imbert Noguchi's coffee table Charlotte Perriand & Le Corbusier's LC4 chaise longue Eero Saarinen's Tulip table The Castiglioni brothers' Arco lamp And more recently, Pablo Reinoso's Spaghetti Benches. Finally, I'm not immune to the charm of a beautiful convertible or a fine Louis XV chest of drawers...

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

OFI : My greatest project... It's always the next one... As for considering one of my creations as brilliant... I am the least qualified to make such a judgment.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

OFI : In my opinion, a good designer is someone who can break free from trends and impose their own vision.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

OFI : Perhaps I would have liked to make documentaries or films. But maybe I'll come to that one day, who knows...

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

OFI : Design, for me, is primarily a relationship with space. A good design creates an object that appears obvious yet different and while being a marker of an era, retains its modernity.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

OFI : Undoubtedly, my parents, who, even though they were not always in sync with my life choices, never imposed theirs on me (maybe because they knew it was impossible!). I owe them the taste for effort and perhaps this independent character.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

OFI : My life journey.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

OFI : Being independent and living in an isolated area complicates things considerably: Living in Agay (French Riviera) brings me immense joy—the climate, the light, and the beauty of the place are very conducive to my creativity. However, I am a bit far from everything.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

OFI : I'm working on several projects simultaneously, both as an artist and a designer... I don't yet know which one will emerge first.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

OFI : My only wish is for the success of my creations.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

OFI : They expect me to stay true to myself.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

OFI : Beauty is the added value of an object, a place... Beauty makes us feel good.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

OFI : One project that comes to mind is perhaps one of my installations: "Bachanales." I created this piece in a magical location—an contemporary art space overlooking the sea. I was there because I was the curator of the ongoing exhibition, and in this space that I had initially decided not to occupy, given the low attendance (which is often the case for exhibitions in provincial areas), I realized this installation that I had a clear idea about for some time. The result, the location, the sea, the light... All of it brought me great joy. This artistic project could be adapted into a fountain and would fit perfectly in a city or within a vineyard estate. I hope to be able to realize this project.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

OFI : One thing we can be reasonably certain of is that, in the face of environmental disasters, design will be more responsible, both in the choice of materials used and in the manufacturing process. Objects will be more sustainable. Let's hope so, at least!

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

OFI : For the idea, I'm in the moment, in the instant. Then, every project requires a period of reflection. The idea matures. The finalization takes a few months. It all depends on the complexity of the project.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

OFI : I study what has already been proposed on the subject. Then, I establish a critical report. Finally, I bring my own technical and artistic solutions to the deficiencies I have observed.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

OFI : I don't dream my life, but I live my dreams.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

OFI : It would be desirable for design to define the trend and not the other way around!

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

OFI : Technology is often essential in the design process, but it should never take over: we must not lose sight of the fact that it is merely a tool and it should remain as such.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

OFI : Color, it's the first word I learned to say! In design, color expresses the sensitivity of the object.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

OFI : I would just like them not to have any questions, for it to seem obvious to them.

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

OFI : Pleasure and emotion.

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

OFI : Regardless of the field, if there's a team, there needs to be a project leader. As for me, in pure design, I find it a bit difficult to imagine co-design. I don't know, it would be worth trying... However, working with a team, as I have done in my artistic directions or event project management, is always very motivating.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

OFI : My close circle, those I love. They will recognize themselves. They are my first judges. Then I take their remarks into account, or not! In the end, it's me who decides, but having an initial evaluation of my creations is necessary for me.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

OFI : Perhaps "Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects" by Giorgio Vasari (16th century). The author discusses architecture, sculpture, and painting in the context of the Italian Renaissance, associating them with the lives of his genius artists who often excelled in multiple domains. Much more anecdotal but not without influence: "The Three Little Pigs," which, from a very young age, instilled in me the idea that every construction should be of quality and durable.

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

OFI : I believe that it is primarily my open-mindedness and curiosity that have allowed me to progress. My encounters, the cities where I have lived, frequenting art venues, my travels, architecture, and my love for nature, etc. ... I try to nourish myself with everything around me. I also associate it with my critical sense, whether positive or negative.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

OFI : There are so many. The first that come to mind are undoubtedly Diderot and Voltaire. Their ideas, their freedom, their optimism, their taste for progress, the emphasis on all-encompassing knowledge... These men have contributed so much to the development of thought... In a different vein, I would have loved to meet Andy Warhol in his Factory with the Velvet Underground... The vibrant sphere of creativity in the New York underground scene of that time has always fascinated me. Finally, because there are too many people to mention, I would end with my paternal grandfather, whom I did not know: he died in a car accident one year before my birth. But I would have certainly liked this man a lot.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

OFI : My goal is not to be famous. The goal is for my creations to be famous. The fame of the creator is just a tool that helps achieve that.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

OFI : What is your favorite color, place, food, season, object, and brand? •My favorite color: Black. •My favorite place: It's impossible for me to mention just one: I am a lover of Italy: Whether it's sipping a Spritz in front of the Colosseum in Rome, strolling through the gardens of Villa d'Este, enjoying a pizza overlooking the Bay of Naples with a view of Mount Vesuvius, bathing at Spiaggia dell'Olivetta in Portofino, discovering a village like Barga, getting lost in the streets of Venice, or taking a walk around Lake Como, I am in my favorite place. Furthermore, I have always had a deep connection to the places I have lived: in the city center of Dijon with the Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne and its mansions; in Paris, with its galleries, Île Saint Louis, Centre Pompidou, Sainte Chapelle, cafes, and clubs; in Langres; in Agay, the Esterel, and my rock overlooking the Mediterranean Sea... Once again, I am in my favorite place. •My favorite food: Mediterranean cuisine. •My favorite season: Summer. •My favorite object: My old Hasselblad 500. •My favorite brand: Caterham. The brand that resumed the production of the Lotus Seven, the work of Colin Chapman, which I must mention: "Less is more."

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

OFI : Every phase of creation is exciting. When I'm in the design phase, I'm filled with enthusiasm, and my days can be very long without me even realizing it.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

OFI : Nothing is ever guaranteed. The current period may be anxiety-inducing, but being naturally optimistic, I have confidence in the future.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

OFI : I may not always be understood, but I always strive to do my best...