ALEXIA LELEU
“A certain Jean Prouvé had a lot to thank Jules Leleu for.”
5 l Tapis Palladium réalisé sur mesure.
Ecole Boulle in the capital, getting to know and prepare a team capable of bringing her designs to life. Today, they produce pieces inspired by models from the past, “but often made in dimensions more in keeping with today’s lifestyle” and innovative pieces, such as the Mava armchair, which went straight to the Mobilier National’s collection! Recognition brings orders from decorators such as Pierre-Yves Rochon Peter Marino, Jean-Louis Deniot and Joseph Dirand. Across the pond where Leleu was a well-known name, the US welcomed her with open arms. “The States represents 65% of orders.” Like her great-grandfather, Alexia not only designs the furniture, but often supervises entire interior design projects and, for this, can count on the vast collection of fabrics, wallpapers and carpets created by her great-aunt Paule when she took over the business with her brothers. “We have also started working with Lelièvre...” Make no mistake, the Maison Leleu’s future is bright.
Initially, she naturally stuck to the brand’s DNA to make a name for herself and prove that, when it came to excellence, she was following in her ancestor’s footsteps. But rapidly, her desire to create her own pieces became an itch she had to scratch… An atypical career path for this graduate from Essec with a PHD in pharmacy, for whom nothing seemed to suggest that she was destined to follow in Jules’s footsteps. Until, one day, she came across the family archives. A hefty volume, remembering that Jules died in 1961 at the age of 78 and that his daughter Paule and his sons André and Jean (Alexia’s grandfather) took up the mantle until 1973, when the Maison Leleu closed its doors. In the archives, she found a wealth of creations that saw the light after the Art Deco period’s heyday, such as metal furniture... “A certain Jean Prouvé had a lot to thank Jules Leleu for” Alexia says with a chuckle. There was obviously a vast wealth of ideas to inspire her… After a first collection aptly named Transition, Alexia Leleu’s self-confidence grew and she took the risk to go further. In the meantime, she trained at the
www.maisonleleu.com
26
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs