- Encounter
By L'Atelier des Matières

Renowned french couturier, designer, and inventor, Olivier Lapidus has developed “Lounge Bar,” an exclusive furniture collection that combines comfort and elegance for CAA, in collaboration with Dacryl and L’Atelier des Matières.
Can you tell us about the origins of your collaboration with CAA and L’Atelier des Matières?
More often than not, encounters are essential in my field—the world of design and craftsmanship, with a touch of innovation whenever possible. When I met the ‘dream team’ at L’Atelier des Matières, we instantly connected due to our shared professional DNA and common values: promoting craftsmanship through innovation, specifically the fusion of recycling and fashion textiles into furniture and decor.”
With CAA, it’s also a story of connection, particularly with its founder, Jean-Pierre Louche, whom I have known for over twenty years. Beyond our shared passion for high-quality materials and techniques, we also share a deep appreciation for enterprise, teamwork, and the ambition to work in France—leveraging our country’s immense heritage of craftsmanship while blending contemporary artistry, innovation, and sustainable manufacturing. This approach aligns perfectly with the philosophy of Dacryl, whose leaders have embraced this crucial equation of quality, innovation, and environmental responsibility from the outset.

How do these projects reinforce your creative and sustainable approach?
A well-defined framework is a creator’s ally, and this new paradigm of combining ‘creativity’ with ‘sustainability’ has become a true source of inspiration for me. Far from being a constraint, it is a driving force.

WHAT TECHNICAL CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED WORKING WITH SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLED MATERIALS?
The technical challenges of our presentation at Hôtel Le Meurice are also advantages that align with industrial aspirations: how to create high-quality products within a semi-industrial cycle while maintaining an exclusive feel? In my development process, having varying quantities of materials allows me to present ‘limited editions’ within the luxury hospitality sector. This was precisely the goal of our ‘installation’ at Le Meurice—introducing material variations between suites, floors, and strategic areas of the hotel, while maintaining a structural thread that ensures overall coherence. This approach perfectly illustrates how sustainability and luxury can coexist harmoniously.
WHAT ARE YOUR UPCOMING PROJECTS?
The immediate next step, following our recent ‘pop-up bar’ presentation, is the international commercialization of the CAA by Olivier Lapidus collection.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE EVOLUTION OF THE LUXURY AND DESIGN
MARKET IN RESPONSE TO CONSUMERS’ GROWING EXPECTATIONS FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND
ETHICS?
L’écologie n’est plus une contrainte pour le créateur ; elle est devenue un point de départ, un véritable moteur de réflexion. Elle n’est pas seulement une exigence extérieure, mais une confidente au service de l’inspiration. Aujourd’hui, le luxe et le design doivent s’adapter à une clientèle en quête de sens, de responsabilité, et de qualité. L’innovation durable n’est pas une tendance passagère : c’est l’avenir, et elle redéfinit les codes de la création contemporaine.