The American homeware brand Georges Briard has a rich heritage. Founder Georges Briard (1917-2005) was a Polish artist and designer, born Jakub (later Jascha) Brojdo, who emigrated to Chicago in 1937 and studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. After Army service during the Second World War, he started the company that became known for its decorative glassware, gold-plated dishware, home décor and textiles in the first decades of the postwar era.
Milan-based CRSL is a design studio, founded in 2008, that focuses on brand identity, web design and creative communication. In 2021, the Georges Briard company approached CRSL’s design team to help relaunch the brand and create new product collections. CRSL creative director Enrico Caputo sought a look and feel that would appeal to a new generation of design enthusiasts while engaging vintage collectors. Caputo says: ‘We wanted yellow to identify the brand, to reflect its warm and positive approach.’ They chose Tintoretto Ceylon Curry for its ‘natural tactile features’ and a colour that represented ‘the brand’s humour, creativity and elegance’.
A central element is the signature of Georges Briard. Caputo notes that Briard ‘left a strong personal mark on his design: a handmade signature that was reproduced, usually in gold, on every object the brand produced.’ The tone of voice comes from the founder himself, with ribbons that proclaim, ‘not a common place’, and a piece of advice from the man himself: ‘Furnish your home so that things are “discovered” by your guests. You may have a very dull house if one can see everything with the sweep of the eyes when one enters the room.
Paper: Tintoretto Ceylon Curry
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