Noe Duchofour-Laurens is now thirty-five. This is the most favorable milestone in the creative biography of the designer. Before that - work, work, work. After thirty-five - fame and orders from the horn of plenty. And between these two states is the golden mean: the designer creates his loudest things right now. The best can happen later, but the iconic ones, the ones by which style, handwriting, and manner of thinking are recognized, are right now. Having received in his time the profession of the metal sculptor, he began to deal with many areas of creativity at once - interior design, industrial design, exhibition design, showrooms, and even set design (for example, his portfolio includes work on a video clip for Sting).

After several very successful projects, including the interior of London's Sketch restaurant in Soho, seven years ago Noe opened his own design studio with the pretentious name Neonata - “New Birth”.

Having met in Milan, we primarily discuss the collection for the legendary brand. CECCOTTI COLLECTIONS, but we immediately come to global issues - style, design philosophy, aesthetics functions. “We live in an interesting time,” says Noe. - On the one hand, life becomes easier. And design as well. On the other hand, forms are becoming more archaic (archaic - in the sense of a return to nature, to smooth, non-repeating lines). Therefore my things for CECCOTTI so simple and weird. I needed to preserve the style and philosophy of this famous company - meticulous work with expensive wood, unusual shapes and lines, dating back to the art nouveau era ... Thanks to all these features, the brand is very recognizable and appreciated.

Do I think design is an international phenomenon? I think, yes. But not in the sense that everything is the same for everyone, no matter what happens in what country or culture. This can be compared with cooking. For example, Tuscan cuisine, either Japanese or French, has its own specificity everywhere. And it is not so much in the ingredients, but in different ways of mixing and processing. The same in furniture design. Look at items from the collection for CECCOTTI COLLECTIONS or for ZANOTTA - and you will feel cosmopolitanism, but still with an Italian face, with an Italian history, with an Italian temperament. From this not to leave, and I like it very much. I was born in the south of France, traveled a lot, worked in England, in Japan, in Milan, in Paris, and with experience I had some impressions; I was convinced that the things with which people surround themselves express their temperament. For example, in the north of Europe in nature, you and I will not see bright colors. There is gray, gray, blue - this is the main background. Therefore, there is no pink or red in the interior ... It would be strange to see in the interior of northern latitude a range of sunsets or seven lightsweets of the rainbow. work for different companies, in different countries and create things that will be loved and loved by a person in his home. For example, the bed on which you are taking pictures of me now. ”