Modern Craft: Frank Chou On Being The Latest Designer To Join Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades Collection

Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades collection stands at the intersection of art, design, and fashion, setting a new precedent for design in a modern era. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton, photographer Brad Dickson

Throughout the Miami Design District, you can feel Louis Vuitton’s creative presence at every corner, from the unveiling of the new Louis Vuitton Miami Design District men’s store to the women’s store becoming home to an extensive curation of the Objets Nomades collection. In fact, Vuitton also revealed five brand-new Objets Nomades from esteemed artists, including the Campana Brothers, Marcel Wanders studio, Raw Edges, Studio Louis Vuitton, and the debut of Chinese designer Frank Chou this past Miami Art Week. Ahead, Haute Living gives an inside look into the wondrous work of Chou—as he designed the first-ever outdoor furniture pieces to be included in the Objets Nomades collection—ultimately proving Louis Vuitton’s unwavering dedication to modern craft. 

Known for creating sophisticated experimental designs that fuse the traditional and contemporary, the Chinese and international Frank Chou has become an industry leader in the design community. Chou grew up in Beijing and founded his studio in 2012. Since the launch of the Frank Chou Design Studio, Chou has gone on to win several esteemed awards, including the SaloneSatellite Design Award during Milan Design Week, and was chosen for the Rising Talent Awards at Maison&Objet in Paris. Chou has led the industry with his belief in the importance of responsible design: “Designers have a duty to lead, teach, and fight for what is right — and a better future.”

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Chou joined Louis Vuitton’s impressive -constellation of designers for the Objets Nomades collection with his Signature Armchair and Sofa — which can be found on the airy rooftop of the Louis Vuitton women’s store in the Miami Design District. Chou’s Signature Armchair and Sofa’s graceful and flowing arches mimic the layering of the terraced fields in Yunnan, China, and the naturally sculpted forms of Antelope Valley, Arizona. A fluid design meant for any space, Chou’s piece is Objet Nomades’ first-ever indoor-outdoor hybrid design. The outdoor model is upholstered in Louis Vuitton’s legendary waterproof canvas and Brio — a specially conceived, vibrant fabric by renowned Italian brand Paola Lenti. And, the indoor version features dynamic floating structures covered with luxe Louis Vuitton leather and three-dimensional Dots fabric, also by Lenti. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Haute Living: What attracted you to the idea of designing an Objet Nomade for Louis Vuitton?

Frank Chou: What attracts me is the perfect balance between taste and life, history and dream, [and the] craft and modernity in Objets Nomades. In fact, this is also a very important value [to remember] when we design. As a designer from China, we definitely have a different cultural background, and we seek to think about our identity further in this project. However, the true spirit, which I think we all have in common, regardless of regional culture and background, is that we have an outstanding attitude toward life.

HL: What were the inspirations for your Objet?

FC: One of the first inspirations is that we were thinking about China’s influence on our daily life, including our society, environment, culture, history, and nature. Therefore, at that time, [the] terraced fields in China attracted me and stuck in my mind. [But], of course, terraced fields do not only exist in China. We could see many other countries and regions with similar landforms; but after all, it began from here. This starting point gave rise to more natural sensations of different regions, and the nature of these regions’ nature drew clues in my mind. Beneath these clues, we found the threads of time. And this idea of time exists in many states.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

HL: Could you describe your Objet in a sentence?

FC: A sculpture that enables a conversation with time.

From introducing Frank Chou as a new Objet Nomades designer to new store openings and concepts, Louis Vuitton continues to catapult design into a new realm of possibility — without forgetting the DNA of the brand. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton, photographer Brad Dickson

“What attracts me is the perfect balance between taste and life, history and dream, craft and modernity in Objets Nomades.” — Frank Chou