After their successful launch on The Invisible Collection, Polcha’s dynamic founders share some thoughts on their creative process… A must-read before discovering their collection!
Charlotte, an accomplished shoe designer and Pauline, an artist specializing in frescos, gilding, glazing and trompe l’oeil, have been friends for fifteen years, during which they explored the world of fashion and the arts at large. Now, at the helm of Polcha, they source, up-cycle and revamp forgotten designs, by thinking outside the box.
Looking at their one-of-a-kind conversation pieces, we listed some questions to get the conversation started:
How and where do you source your designs?
We mix our universes: Pauline draws her inspiration from paintings and Art spanning from the Medieval up to the nineteenth century – she applies classical techniques. Charlotte is more inspired by Modern Art, and her various travels – she likes to play with graphic applications and volumes.
Can you tell us more about the folding chairs and their story?
During our childhood, these Aldo Jacober folding chairs were part of our everyday life. We wanted to own this memory by creating a precious and unique object.
Why did you chose the title Origin for this collection?
Origin is the birth of our collaboration: we go back to the roots. It stems from the idea of creating and having fun.
What type of “old” furniture do you look for? Any specific period/designer/style?
We particularly like pieces and furniture from the 60s, 70s and 80s as they mirror an overconsumption era. We want to reverse this process and go opposite by making each piece strong and unique.
What do you mean by “Rethinking” furniture?
For us, rethinking a piece of furniture means to energise the existing lines with a strong graphic intervention.
Can you tell us more about the painting techniques used to transform the pieces?
The beginning of a collection can come from a material, an atmosphere… We select each piece of furniture according to our desires for color, shapes, materials…
The first piece of a collection becomes the test piece, we spend a lot of time drawing and thinking on the different combinations. We work as if the piece were a painting.
At the start, we need to clean it and sand in order to prepare the support for the most beautiful effect. The preparation of the background is very long, as every detail counts. Sometimes, it takes several layers to get the perfect base. The painting of each element requires three to five successive layers of oil glaze. Between each passage drying time is needed. The coating is a very important part, as you need at least four layers to have the good finish and this coated feel, we like to play on the different glosses and the contrasts between matt and shiny.
Colour palettes and motifs: how do you choose them?
There is not necessarily a single starting point; it is more about an association of ideas, desires, images, materials and a lot of discussion and testing.
First, Charlotte draws some sketches like in fashion design, tapping into her very colorful and slightly crazy universe. Then Pauline is going to adapt and technically channel these wishes into painting. It is necessary to paint a trompe l’oeil by looking at it in a modern way, and to promote this know-how with a free interpretation of nature and realism.
Can you tell us more about your projects beside furnishings? Any residential/commercial project you’re working on and you can share with us?
We have a lot of specific orders, especially for a hotel which asked us to work on its furniture. We are also working on a second collection which will be ready in June and we are opening our workshop in the Marais, in Paris.
