At 18 rue Jacob, Ecart reopens its Parisian gallery under the direction of Pierre Yovanovitch, who acquired the house in 2024.
For his first exhibition, the decorator unveils the re-edition of ten pieces by Paul László, a little-known figure of Californian modernism, in a deliberate dialogue with Andrée Putman's original vision.
Ecart's return to the Parisian scene reflects a desire to rediscover its voice without compromising it. Founded in 1978 by Andrée Putman, the brand established a still-vibrant definition of modern heritage: not nostalgia, but the archaeology of modernity, the conviction that, beyond the grand narratives of design, there exist creators whose rigor deserved to be brought back into the contemporary sphere. Eileen Gray, Pierre Chareau, Jean-Michel Frank, Mariano Fortuny, Félix Aublet: these names of today owe much to Ecart's patience. Taken over in 2024 by Pierre Yovanovitch, the company is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary by expanding its catalog, without breaking its initial promise. The designer readily evokes the "Trace" left by its founder—an anagram of the name Ecart, which speaks volumes about the importance of maintaining a sense of lineage. To reopen his gallery at 18 rue Jacob, a stone's throw from Saint-Germain, he chose a designer whose work precisely represents the discreet elegance he seeks to highlight: Paul László.
Born in Hungary in 1900, trained in Stuttgart under Fritz August Breuhaus before opening his own firm in Vienna in 1925, László belonged to that modernist diaspora forced into exile by the rise of Nazism. In 1936, he settled in Beverly Hills, at 362 Rodeo Drive, and built a phenomenal career there within a decade. Nearly 35 major projects, residences commissioned by the political and Hollywood elite – to such an extent that the Time MagazineIn 1952, he was nicknamed "Rich Man's Architect." The label might be reductive: it says nothing of the true refinement of his style, nor of the precision with which he designed, in each of his Californian villas, the furniture that perfectly complemented it. Crenshaw Movie Theatre, Beverly Hills Hotel, Saks Fifth Avenue store: László was also the author of iconic commercial projects, and a sought-after collaborator for manufacturers such as Herman Miller, Glenn of California Furniture, and Brown-Saltman. He died in Santa Monica in 1993 at the age of 93, belonging to that central generation of the 20th century.e century whose history remains to be told.
The reissue undertaken by Ecart, conducted in close collaboration with the designer's descendants and drawing on archives held at the University of California, Santa Barbara, brings together ten iconic pieces. The armchair ArcadiaAccompanied by its bench and ottoman, it combines ash and rattan in that warm way that defines the West Coast signature. The sideboard AvondaleThe cabinet, whose cubic marquetry facade follows a curved line, and the lamp of the same name reveal the Hungarian designer's sense of material balance. These are complemented by the coffee tables. Brentwood et Palisadesthe chairs Rodeo et Carmelina, the console Wilshire – so many objects with generous proportions and clean lines that bear the mark of their Californian origin. Every dimension was taken from period pieces, every detail crafted according to the highest standards of French know-how.
By returning to a creator whose modernity has always been discreet, Pierre Yovanovitch confirms the singular nature of Ecart: not a publishing house among others, but a workshop of contemporary historicity, where the past continues to produce the present.
Ecart Gallery
18, rue Jacob, Paris 6e
