FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, NEW YORK – Visionary interiors and home furnishings designer Christiane Lemieux announced today the North American launch of her namesake brand Lemieux et Cie with long-time retail partner Anthropologie. The brand’s first US collection, Artisanal Modernism, rolls out immediately with launch partner Anthropologie, and is available to purchase at stores and online at Anthropologie.com.
Honoring the tradition of the craftsperson, the Lemieux et Cie collection celebrates the detailed work that goes into each piece, taking cues from storied European designers and time-honored forms to create a line that is both sculptural yet functional – a calling card of sorts for Lemieux, who considers herself to be a “layered minimalist” as well as a design historian.
With her boundless knowledge base that was born out of a lifelong fascination with design and a formidable career that includes heading several turning-point home furnishing brands, Lemieux has tapped into the constant inspiration she finds in museums, archives, famed interiors, auction houses and more. The result is a collection that speaks fluent “design icon” married with real-life interpretations of what works best in today’s modern home.
With Artisanal Modernism Lemieux said she was particularly influenced by the European 20th century artists’ ateliers from the likes of Jean Arp and Brancusi, along with 19th and 18th century touchstone historical classics such as the Thonet and Windsor chairs.
The collection is not one to tout “perfection” as its main attraction and instead features raw materials, sun-bleached accents, dry finishes, neutrals and antique metals, with purposely distressed leather and hand-applied finishes. “For me, it’s always about ‘the 360’ of design,” says Lemieux, “and that’s the look, the feel, even the smell, really, the overall tactile experience, including the way it ages and how something holds up as you live with it.”
Lemieux’s manufacturing partners across six categories are featured in the collection, including Precedent for furniture, Momeni for rugs, Global Views for accessories and lighting, Peking Handicraft for bedding, York Wallcoverings for wallpaper and PTM Images for wall art; for 2021, Visual Comfort & Co.’s Generation lighting also will be added to the mix.
Anthropologie offers nearly 70 pieces from the Artisanal Modernism collection at anthropologie.com and select styles in 11 stores, including their Financial District location in New York City. Prices at Anthropologie range from $49 to $3,998. To commemorate the launch, To commemorate the launch, Anthropologie, Lemieux and her partners will proudly support the Black Artists + Designers Guild with financial contributions. Lemieux will also continue to support Every Mother Counts with a portion of sales as well.
“This partnership with Anthropologie stems from a 10-year relationship with the brand, as they were early collaborators at my first company, DwellStudio,” says Lemieux, “I have put a countless amount of hours and heart into this collection by teaming up with the most brilliant creators and am thrilled to continue this incredible relationship years later by making Lemieux et Cie available at Anthropologie stores.”
“As a longtime brand friend and true design authority, we are proud to introduce Christiane Lemieux’s newest venture. Lemieux et Cie brings a welcome approachability to elevated design and adds another
layer of sophistication to Anthropologie’s extensive range of décor and furniture,” says Hillary Super, Global President, Anthropologie Group.
Along with Anthropologie, other select retailers will carry the collection in brick-and-mortar stores across the United States and Canada, a specific business strategy that Lemieux feels is particularly vital today, given the economic impact of COVID on the American economy and her desire to boost the retail landscape. Comprised of 150+ pieces, overall collection prices range from $29.99 – $7,000.
Lemieux adds that while any designer will say a collection is very much colored by the way we live now, the “now” part of the equation has impacted her design direction in a very specific tone. “Yes of course I want things to be beautiful and durable; I have two children so that’s key. And yes, I’m turned off by one-note design and opt for the personal, character and soul over totally styled rooms.
With our new relationships with our homes during this pandemic, it has become more important than ever that we feel ‘whole’ in our homes. They are our everything now and as they sustain us, it’s crucial that our homes feel authentic to each of us, not just well appointed. That’s what I call ‘thoughtful living’ and to me, that is very beautiful.”
About Lemieux et Cie
Started at London’s famed retailer The House of Fraser in 2011 and inspired by the European 20th century, artist’s ateliers from the likes of Jean Arp and Brancusi, and small batch production, Lemieux et Cie celebrates the notion that a community of artisans make these products possible. Whether seen in the evidence of the hand or the imperfection of the materials, the brand is about the collaboration and celebration between the design inspiration and the craftsperson behind each piece.
About Christiane Lemieux
Christiane Lemieux is a designer, entrepreneur, investor and author. Lemieux introduced her European lifestyle brand LEMIEUX et CIE into the United States in August 2020, coinciding with the recent launch of her first business book “Frictionless: Why the Future of Everything Will Be Fast, Fluid, and Made Just for You” (Harper Collins Business), which published on June 23rd, 2020. Prior to starting her newest ventures, Lemieux was the Founder of THE INSIDE and the former CEO of her direct-to-consumer (D2C) home furnishings brand.
She was the Co-Founder of Cloth & Company and the Founder of DwellStudio, which was purchase by Wayfair, the world’s largest online home furnishings retailer, in 2013. Lemieux served as the Executive Creative Director of Wayfair until 2016. Lemieux is a frequent contributor to Architectural Digest, Apartment Therapy, Editor At Large and other design outlets. Lemieux authored her first book, “Undecorated” (Random House/Clarkson Potter) to critical acclaim in 2011; her second best selling book (still #1 in Interior Decoration & Ornament on Amazon) “The Finer Things” also was published by RH/CP in 2016. Looking ahead, Lemieux’s third book and fourth books are slated for publication in 2020 and 2021, “Provenance” and “The Everything Home,” respectively.
Recently, Lemieux entered the television space as co-host and judge on “Ellen’s Design Challenge” – a furniture design competition show on HGTV. Lemieux was highlighted as one of Fortune’s 2012 “Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs” and is a graduate of Parsons School of Design and Queen’s University in Canada. Lemieux sits on the board of “Every Mother Counts,” (EMC) the non-governmental organization (NGO) started by Christy Turlington Burns to fight maternal mortality and support women, babies and health care providers.
About Anthropologie
Founded in 1992, Anthropologie is an omnichannel lifestyle brand that celebrates fashion, art, culture, design and discovery. Led by Hillary Super, global president of Anthropologie Group, Anthropologie currently operates more than 230 stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe, as well as a popular catalog and website. The company is part of URBN’s portfolio of global consumer brands comprised of Anthropologie, BHLDN, Free People, Nuuly, Terrain, Urban Outfitters, and the Food & Beverage division.