Mexican modernism in Paris: Luteca opens first European showroom

Making its debut in Paris’ 2nd arrondissement is Luteca’s first European showroom

Interior view of the Luteca showroom with palm trees and modernist Mexican furniture
Inside the Luteca Paris showroom, the Dorcia Daybed in White Boucle and Matte Black steel by Jorge Arturo Ibarra, Woven Credenza by Michael van Beuren, Butaque Chair and CP3 by Clara Porset (on the yellow platform)
(Image credit: Tom de Peyret)

Luteca opens its first European showroom, in Paris’ 2nd arrondissement, designed by French architect Aure Delaroière. Founded in New York in 2015 by Sebastien and Amanda Reant, Luteca specialises in contemporary Mexican design, with a portfolio including reissues of 20th century modernist furniture from leading Latin American design masters, as well as new designs inspired by the cultural and aesthetic legacy of Mexico and Latin America. This is the third showroom for the brand, with a fourth space in LA set to join the Mexico City and New York showrooms later in 2022.

Located at the entrance of Galerie Vivienne, a 19th-century covered passage, the new showroom’s design nods to Luteca’s Mexican modernist roots, with materials such as terracotta and stone complementing the architecture of the space, and indoor trees that speak to the cultural heritage of Mexico.

Luteca in Paris

A corner of the showroom with a palm tree and lounge chair with woven leather seat

‘Montana’ wall hanging by Caralarga, hand-braided raw cotton with sansevieria fibre in naturally dyed yellow; ‘Eugenio’ dining chair by Luteca Studio in walnut and ‘Metaphores’ fabric; ‘Alacrán’ chaise by Michael van Beuren (circa 1941) in walnut and vegan cactus leather; ‘Aspa’ coffee table by Pedro Ramírez Vàzquez 

(Image credit: Tom de Peyret)

‘The showroom has a lovely energy when you come in – it feels intimate, yet spacious and I like how Aure created that with the many arches that pull you through into each part of the showroom,’ says Amanda Reant, who met the architect in 2018, while she was living in Mexico City. ‘She knows the culture, architecture and types of materials used in Mexico, and we wanted to create a space with a lot of emotion that was very welcoming – much like the lifestyle and hospitality in Latin America. It needed to feel modern, but unpretentious; architectural, but warm at the same time.’

Arched doorway in the showroom

‘Equipal’ chair by By Pedro Ramírez Vázquez 

(Image credit: Tom de Peyret)

Among the brand’s highlights on display as the showroom debuts are new side and dining tables by Luteca’s design director, Jorge Arturo Ibarra, and works from Caralarga, an all-female company from Mexico using repurposed cotton from the fashion industry to create large-scale wall-hangings.

Reissues on display include the iconic ‘Butaque’ chair by Cuban-born designer Clara Porset – who trained at the Beaux-Arts in Paris in the 1930s – presented in a new walnut and rattan version. This is the first time the chair is officially available in the city.

Desk and chair with woven tapestry on the wall below

‘Montana’ wall hanging by Caralarga, hand braided raw cotton with sansevieria fibre in naturally dyed yellow; ‘Eugenio’ dining chair by Luteca Studio in walnut and ‘Metaphores’ fabric

(Image credit: Tom de Peyret)

Interior view of the showroom with palm trees and modernist furniture

‘August’ credenza by Jorge Arturo Ibarra in Black Oil with black hide doors and blackened bronze legs and handles; ‘Dorcia’ daybed in White Boucle and Matte Black steel by Jorge Arturo Ibarra; ‘San Miguelito’ armchair by Michael van Beuren in teak; ‘Aspa’ and ‘Nanagona’ coffee tables by Pedro Ramírez Vàzquez; repurposed raw cotton wall hanging by Caralarga

(Image credit: Tom de Peyret)

INFORMATION

luteca.com

ADDRESS

7 rue de la Banque
75002 Paris 

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Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.

With contributions from