Just like fashion, the French style in furniture design has a reputation for impeccable aesthetic and it usually provides inspiration for interior designs all over the world. In the Philippines, Filipinos are developing a growing penchant for French furniture, be they contemporary or vintage in design. Blims Lifestyle Group (BLG) marked the company’s venture into the luxury market by recently taking premium French furniture brand Gautier under its wing at a new store in Shangri-La at the Fort, Bonifacio Global City, assuring the market of authentic French furniture through carefully selected pieces in the new showroom.
Gautier is known for its chic and functional design that brings forth a brand philosophy that dates back to its founding in 1960 by Patrice Gautier and his wife Annick. The careful attention to detail is what made the brand popular globally, with the company now boasting of over 100 outlets in France and across the globe. About 95 percent of the furniture is manufactured in Gautier’s French factories while the rest is made in neighboring European countries.
According to Katrina Samantha Lim, general manager of Gautier, Filipino shoppers will get nothing less than authentic French-made furniture when they visit Gautier in Manila, especially since the market is saturated with China-made designs and faux European furniture brands. “Our team has been to France and other European cities on six different trips to immerse ourselves and try to appreciate the beauty, experience the mood and feeling and to truly understand the design philosophy of Gautier,” she shares. “Our most unique and memorable experience was when we attended sessions where Gautier hired an artist-philosopher to teach us how certain music, wine, and light create the mood and the environment to complement Gautier’s core philosophy of ‘joy of living’,” she adds.
Aside from authenticity, Gautier is a brand that not only delivers quality designs but also is adamant in its genuine civic commitment to environment-friendly practices and has implemented eco-design measures to minimize its carbon footprint. From its use of raw materials, manufacturing, packaging as well as shipping, Gautier assures that consumers can enjoy their furniture without feeling guilty about its impact to the environment. “Consumers today support a brand that not only sells excellent products but has a heart that cares,” says Frederick Lim, president of the Blims lifestyle group. Gautier is the first French furniture brand to obtain triple ISO certification in quality, security and environment.
Gautier is located at the 2nd floor of Shangri-La at the Fort, 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
