La Couleur de nos Rêves
When two creative powerhouses join forces, the result is rarely predictable. At this year’s Milan Design Week, a new chapter in textile storytelling was unveiled as visionary artist Jean-Charles de Castelbajac collaborated with the storied French interior design house Pierre Frey. The result, La Couleur de nos Rêves, is a collection that transforms the language of interiors into something wholly unexpected.
Pierre Frey, founded in 1935, stands as a guardian of France’s decorative arts heritage. Known for its refined fabrics, archival prints, and generations of textile mastery, the house has continually evolved while remaining deeply rooted in tradition. Its acquisitions of Braquenié, Le Manach, Fadini Borghi, and Boussac have only deepened its archive and extended its creative reach.
Game of Love installation at the Milan Furniture Fair, featuring Les Chemin des Étoiles wallpaper, and Jean-Charles de Castalbajac's x Pierre Frey Furniture.
Castelbajac’s world could not be more different — or more complementary. A true iconoclast, his creative journey began with a rebellious gesture in 1968: slicing up his boarding school blanket to make a coat, and transforming mop cloths into fashion. These early experiments in repurposing materials prefigured the concept of upcycling long before it entered common parlance. By the 1970s, he was dressing pop stars, collaborating with United Colors of Benetton, and even designing vestments for Pope John Paul II.
This partnership represents a dialogue between time-honoured craftsmanship and bold artistic experimentation. While earlier collaborations between designers and textile houses have often resulted in printed fabrics, La Couleur de nos Rêves pushes the boundaries of form. Three-dimensional rugs, richly embroidered textiles, and structured jacquards bring Castelbajac’s iconic silhouettes to life in tactile, immersive ways.
Jean-Charles de Castalbajac's x Pierre Frey Furniture featuring Les Chemin des Étoiles design. Photo by Pillipe Garcia.
A significant shift in palette also defines this new body of work. Castelbajac, long associated with the primary colours of red, blue, and yellow, turns here toward softness — delicate pinks, chalky pastels, and pure monochrome. A reimagined toile de Jouy becomes a canvas for dreamlike scenes. In another piece, his playful anagram LOVE/VOLE is embroidered with luminous threads, reflecting his enduring affection for visual poetry and wordplay.
Birds Traffic design by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac
This project also saw the artist working ambidextrously, a revelation that led him to the découpé, cutting freely with his right hand and allowing instinct and form to guide him. These cut-outs were then entrusted to the hands of Pierre Frey’s artisans, who translated them into layered embroideries. Every stitch adds depth and nuance, giving the original gestures renewed dimension.
One rug in the collection takes a dramatic turn: colour is stripped away entirely, the composition rendered in shades of white and ivory. Here, texture tells the story — looped yarns, raised reliefs, and subtle shadows elevate the design into the realm of textile sculpture.
Game of Love design by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, and Pierre Frey Furniture. Photo by Phillipe Garcia.
“This collection is about going beyond our dreams and transforming them,” says Castelbajac. “We share a common desire to make a change, to push boundaries.” Patrick Frey echoes the sentiment: “We create without asking ourselves whether it will please — things that don’t yet exist, things that are exceptional.”
The result is a collection that expands the boundaries of design. Here, cloth becomes conceptual, expressive, and profoundly alive.
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Further Information:
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Image Credits:
Lead: Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. Photo by Phillipe Garcia
All other images as credited in photo captions.