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The Sé Collections Story

When Sé began in 2007, director and founder Pavlo Schtakleff had a goal – to reclaim the glamour and quality of 20th century furniture and to become a dynamic and innovative presence in the world of contemporary luxury design. Sé’s vision was to invite some of the world’s best design talent to produce collections, akin to an art gallery or a couture house, the ultimate object being to build a catalogue of highly-crafted and beautifully-finished objects, made of the finest, noble materials, by the best craftspeople in Europe. With timeless forms, a curvaceous aesthetic and a spirit of play, Sé pieces are now feted for their characterful, sculptural profiles, and their ability to captivate the senses.

Since its beginnings, this European design brand has stayed true to its founding ethos and to date, Sé has created four highly-acclaimed editions from French designer Damien Langlois-Meurinne, Spanish-born Jaime Hayon, Slovenia-based Nika Zupanc and the fourth collection from Switzerland-based Nigerian-American designer Ini Archibong.

All our pieces are the products of the most exacting collaborations. They are sensual, tactile and cerebral, inviting the gaze and the touch as well as engaging the mind. Headquartered in London and fabricated across Europe to the highest technical standards, Sé aims to make furniture that not only delights, but that will also become tomorrow’s heirlooms.

Explore all Sé's Collections

To more wholly materialise the Sé universe, Sé founded Gallery Sé in London where our most collectible editions can be found alongside collaborators; artists and artisanal brands who share our ethos of beauty, form and savoir-faire. Gallery Sé will open the doors to its beautiful new space on the Fulham Road in July, but in the meantime a selection of works are available to view in our studio space in Battersea.

Discover more about Gallery Sé

Sé's Production Practice

“When you bring together design and craft of the highest order as we have, beauty happens. It is the dialogue between designer and craftspeople which we nurture and encourage at Sé; creating the union between the two creative fields is the secret behind making something exceptional. Sé has always worked this way. ”

To bring our designers' work to fruition, we use an exclusive register of long-established manufacturers across Europe. Our research has uncovered the best and most exacting manufacturers and fabricators out there: often old family companies who rely upon crafts-based methods to achieve the finest standards. Using their undoubted expertise, our producers can test Sé ideas and designs on solid ground. Like them, we expect our work to last, and to be stylistically as well as materially durable. 

We are obviously delighted to help maintain these skills for future generations, but it’s important to mention that Sé doesn't take a museum approach. Sé simply believes that these materials and methods are the best way to achieve the quality for which we are renowned, and we work with our suppliers to achieve innovative ends by traditional means.

By using European manufacturers, we are also able to bring a high level of scrutiny to our processes. We experiment with perfect materials and finishes: indeed, a strong Sé principle is that every aspect of each piece is as good as the rest. Look beneath one of our tables or chairs, by any of our designers - normally invisible - and you'll see what we mean. Whether it's upholstery webbing or lacquering, the core of a Sé piece will always be as solid and finished as its surface. We always consider the whole piece in its entirety.

Sé has a fascination for materials, and we're constantly building our repertoire. With our first collection we revived the use of bronze; in our second we used French Walnut, a wood widely used in the days of Art Deco; in our third collection, polished brass and marble while in Collection IV, the use of oak and hand-blown crystal has created exquisite material dialogues.

Our colours are always being developed and each collection creates a singular palette: sometimes dark and metallic, other times airier pastels. In each case, material and colour are combined to the best effect, adhering to the discipline of each design while offering clients a choice.

It all adds up to an ethos of care, one that gets the best from our designers and makers, and which we like to think creates a sense of completeness and joy. Moreover, it means that we can pass true quality on to our clients – and ensures that our work will be as fresh in 100 years time as it is now.