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November 22, 2015

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Home » Sunday » Home and Design

Creative director with artisan work to celebrate

Source: Shanghai Daily | November 22, 2015, Sunday | Print Edition

WHO is he?

Jean-Pierre Tortil is global creative director of the House of Tai Ping, the world’s leading luxury carpet manufacturer. A designer, interior architect and scenographer, Jean-Pierre Tortil joined Tai Ping in 2011 as managing and creative director for artisan brand, La Manufacture Cogolin, before becoming global creative director. In this current role he is responsible for collection development across all of Tai Ping’s artisan brands, which include Tai Ping, Edward Fields, Vicara and La Manufacture Cogolin.

He began his career working in galleries specializing in mid-20th century decorative arts, before turning his attention to contemporary furniture while working for the highly respected interior designer, Michel Boyer. In 1992, his career took a significant turn when he took the helm of Ecart International and licensing for Andree Putman.

Building on the business knowledge and design experience gained during his tenure at Ecart, Tortil began designing furniture for Christophe Delcourt in Paris and Firma Casa in Sao Paolo, as well as rugs for Tai Ping. He also did interiors for private residences, offices, hotels and restaurants in London, Finland, Israel, Italy, Brazil and France.

Tortil has been integral to La Manufacture Cogolin’s revival, including developing its new identity, reinvigorating the archives and designing its flagship showroom on rue des Saints-Peres in Paris. He lives in Paris and is based at Tai Ping’s Parisian flagship in Hotel de Livry.

Name some of your works, and one you are most proud of.

There are a lot of works I am proud of — furniture, interiors, stage sets — all of them are related to people, vision, emotion and collaborations so they are very personal. However, one of the works I am most proud of today is Manufacture Cogolin. It was an amazing and unique hand-weaving workshop founded in 1924 in the south of France near Saint-Tropez. Today Cogolin is one of the artisan brands within House of Tai Ping, and my challenge was to rebuild the workshop and revamp the brand. It has been one of the most exciting realizations of my career so far.

Are you currently involved with any project?

I am 100 percent devoted to House of Tai Ping, a company I have known for about 15 years. I have always admired its unparalleled know-how and incredible expertise that makes the company so unique. At present I am working on new guest-designer lines for the Tai Ping and Cogolin brands, and next year we will be releasing the Tai Ping 2016 collection, the Tai Ping Editions One collection, and some other big surprises. We are also preparing the celebrations for House of Tai Ping’s 60th anniversary in 2016.

Describe your design style.

It is always difficult to define one’s own style. I would describe it as uncluttered, comfortable, authentic and sensual. I am always interested in quality and details. My career has taken many twists and turns, with many inspirations and influences along the way. My experiences in different fields, from decorative arts, furniture design, interiors, scenography and with Tai Ping are at the root of how I design.

Where are you most creative?

Morning is very inspiring for me. However inspiration mainly happens when I am on my own listening to music or visiting art, design and fashion exhibitions. Factories and workshops are also a very strong source of inspiration for me.

What does your home mean to you?

For me, my home means, relaxation, comfort, privacy, refueling. A place where I can read, listen to music (very important to me), disconnect, escape and dream.

Where would you like to go most in Shanghai?

I really love Shanghai. I find the city beautiful and vibrant. It never stops. When I have some spare time, I love to visit art galleries, museums and walk through different districts such as Suzhou Creek, the French concession, the Bund. I am a very curious person who enjoys discovering new areas, new places and new people.

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