Salon 94 Design to present BACKSTAGE, an exhibition showcasing new works from Rick Owens Furniture, produced by his partner Michèle Lamy.
BACKSTAGE features furniture crafted from rare earth materials such as porphyry and bois de marais (swamp wood), alongside classic elements like plywood, white marble, and moose antlers, building the expanding lexicon of the studio’s materials. Lamy’s inimitable ability to recycle natural materials and scavenge rarities is central to the furniture’s design, hunting around the world whether it’s the local butcher shop for bones, European swamps for wood or stone from the Vatican.
Drawing inspiration from Owens’ favorite shapes in nature, the works of Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncu?i, and the skateparks of California, the pieces reflect Owens’ signature dark, minimalist aesthetic. This distinct style emerged when the American designer began creating bespoke furniture for his bunker-style loft in Los Angeles. Since the line’s inception in 2005, Michèle Lamy has worked closely with artisans throughout the construction process of Rick Owens Furniture.
The show will also introduce the Tech Glade: an evolution of the original modular Glade structure, developed in collaboration with Travis Scott for the backstage area of his recent sold-out CIRCUS MAXIMUS world tour. Personally overseen by Michèle Lamy, in partnership with the Rick Owens Furniture atelier and Xtine Dallas, this expanded 10-piece modular design includes a large-screen TV space, a recording studio, a cocoon-like sofa beneath a brooding canopy, and practical features like phone-charging stations.
This exhibition, upon invitation from Salon 94 Design’s founder Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, continues the gallery’s decade-long collaboration with Rick Owens Furniture, from their first show together at the flagship space on 94th Street to their new headquarters at 3 E 89th Street. It runs alongside concurrent shows from Takuro Kuwata and Miles Greenberg at Salon 94.
Rick Owens Furniture | BACKSTAGE, January 9th-February 15th, 2025 Salon 94 Design, New York
About Rick Owens Furniture
Rick Owens (b. 1961, Porterville, California) is a designer renowned for his avant-garde fashion and furniture creations. Owens’ unique vision – which fuses archaism, modernism and brutalist beauty with classical luxury – has affirmed cult status. In 2005, he expanded his creative repertoire by introducing his furniture collection. His inspiration is broad-ranging, drawing from 20th-century icons including Le Corbusier and Donald Judd, and characterized by the use of raw, elemental materials like plywood, marble, and moose antlers.
Owens’ approach to furniture design is deeply personal, as he describes it:
“Making furniture is my version of couture. It’s timeconsuming, artisanal work made in limited quantities in rare materials, customized for my favorite client, my better half, the Hun”
– referring to his wife and creative partner, Michèle Lamy.
Michèle Lamy (b. 1944, Jura, France) is an artist, entrepreneur, and creative force who defies simple categorization. With a background in philosophy and law, Lamy brings a unique perspective to her creative endeavors. As the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Art and Furniture at Owenscorp, she plays a crucial role in the execution and curation of their furniture projects. Lamy works closely with artisans in the construction process, bringing her sensitivity and artistic vision to each piece. Her approach to furniture-making is deeply rooted in craftsmanship and expression. In 2014, Lamy created ‘LAMYLAND,’ an umbrella term for her independent projects, which often involve architectural installations functioning as communal gathering spaces for performances (some her own) and social engagement. Her collaborative spirit and ability to bring together diverse creative talents have been instrumental in shaping the aesthetic of their furniture designs.
Together, Owens and Lamy form an unrivaled creative partnership; their collaborative process is a delicate balance of Owens’ design vision and Lamy’s hands-on approach with craftsmen.
As Owens notes,
“She’s the one directly working on the construction with her craftsman, and artisanal workers; it’s about coaxing something special and lovingly out of a sensitive creative spirit.”
In 2007, Owens showed his first furniture collection at Jousse Entreprise, Paris and was awarded the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award. Salon 94 hosted the first exhibition of Rick Owens Furniture in New York, titled “Pavane for a Dead Princess”, in 2010, which saw the gallery transformed into a contemporary sleeping quarter based on their own Parisian home and inspired by French composer Maurice Ravel’s composition for solo piano, written in 1899. The exhibition showcased their mastery of materials such as Spanish alabaster and sheared mink. Rick Owens’ designs have since been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art (LA MOCA), Los Angeles, CA, Musée d’Art Moderne and the Centre Pompidou, Paris, FR.
