Océane Delain
January 18th, 2022 Written by: Bernhardt Design
Bernhardt Design celebrates the launch of French designer Océane Delain’s Gallery Collection, a multi-purpose line of poufs, ottomans and benches. The familiar pouf is usually a functional and innocuous object in open spaces. Delain decided to make the ubiquitous into a unique and expressive statement piece by empowering designers to create signature looks, ranging from classic to pop-art. Gallery was introduced in July 2020.
Gallery’s most striking feature is its three distinct sections: a lower band, a defining welt cord, an upper body and the top of the seat. Preserving clean and simple lines enabled Delain to highlight contrasting colors and mix intricate textile patterns on each of the three sections. Delain states, “I was inspired to change the mood of the piece by taking advantage of various color palettes. Playing with bold colors and materials gives Gallery a carefree vibe and distinctive personality. In more restrained fabrics and tonal contrasts, the design can look very elegant.”
Jerry Helling, Creative Director and President of Bernhardt Design, worked with Delain on her acclaimed Mellow sofa and had been searching for a new opportunity to collaborate. “Océane is intuitively innovative, and I was curious where her vision and artistic edge would take us. I was confident her eye for proportion and detail would emerge, where a simple ottoman would materialize into a memorable design. She makes a striking statement with Gallery by bringing the ever-present pouf alive.”
Gallery is available in four sizes of round ottomans. Additionally, it comes as a single unit or in two and three-seat capsule-shaped benches. Available with mobile casters for effortless moving or nylon non-marring glides for stationary use. Vertical seams are saddle-stitched, and the top seat panel is top-stitched. Upholstery options are available in any fabric or leather from Bernhardt Textiles or the customer’s own material (COM).
ABOUT OCÉANE DELAIN
Océane Delain lives and works in Paris. She graduated from Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle (ENSCI) in 2014, and since her studies, she has focused on how people live with and interact with objects. She wants to create a strong relationship between humans and objects and is deeply convinced that when the user is involved in the life of the object, they develop a personal story and an intimate experience with it. In the end, they will keep it longer and will value it more. Currently, she shares her time between TechShop in Paris, a firm specializing in digital fabrication, and various other clients as a freelance designer. She has had the opportunity to work with IKEA, LVMH, L’Oréal, Ymer&Malta, Courrèges, and Rochebobois.
Delain’s work has been exhibited at the Arts Décoratifs Museum and the Perrotin Gallery in Paris. Her work has been presented internationally at the Noguchi Museum, ICFF, Wanted Design in New York, Neocon in Chicago, and during the Salone del Mobile in Milan.
Her awards include a 1st place in the Adream competition for her Aura standing Lamp in 2010, a 1st Place in the Lunetiers du Jura Competition for her paper glasses, and several awards for her Mellow Sofa with Bernhardt Design including the Red Dot Design Award and the Good Design Award. Mellow was also named “Best Seating of the Year” and “Best in the Show” by Interior Design. The sofa also received the “Innovation Award,” presented by Contract Magazine.
ABOUT BERNHARDT DESIGN
Bernhardt Design was founded in 1980 by the 130-year-old Bernhardt Furniture Company and continues to be a leader and innovator in furniture design and production. During the past 20 years, President Jerry Helling has assembled an extraordinary creative team that has positioned Bernhardt Design as one of the leading international design companies with a roster of talent that includes: Ross Lovegrove (London), Arik Levy (Paris), Jaime Hayon (Valencia), Luca Nichetto (Venice), Yves Béhar (San Francisco), Patrick Jouin (Paris), Fabien Baron (New York), Monica Förster (Stockholm), CuldeSac (Valencia), Mario Bellini (Milan), Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance (Lisbon), Raleigh Denim (Raleigh), Farg & Blanche (Stockholm), Charles Pollock (New York), Claudia and Harry Washington (San Salvador), Anabela Chan (London), Océane Delain (Paris), Joe Gebbia (San Francisco), Tift Merritt (Raleigh), and Terry Crews (Los Angeles).
Setting a precedent for leadership within the corporate community, Bernhardt Design founded and annually sponsors an interdisciplinary course with the world-renowned Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, challenging students to create world-class designs for mass production. The company also sponsors the ICFF Studio, a scholarship program that provides emerging design talent exposure to manufacturers, retailers, and media from around the world.
American Design Honors, an annual award to recognize the most noteworthy American designers, was established by Bernhardt Design in 2010. Internationally, Bernhardt Design supports young designers through their sponsorship of the annual Contempo program conceived to advance the design profession in El Salvador, and America Made Me, a program to promote new brands and young American design talent abroad.