The table has its finger on (haute) couture...

What if, instead of (or in addition to) a designer dress or suit, you were to offer your tableware haute couture? Fashion isn't just about wardrobe: some of the world's great names have been applying their know-how and creativity to tableware and home accessories for a long time.

A rich idea, which allows everyone to appropriate a part of the history of these prestigious brands. Since the table is one of the prerogatives of our culture, it's hardly surprising that the designers who promote the French art of living have taken an interest in it. For some, it's an incursion into a world other than their own. Others have, in some cases from the outset, built up a genuine offering, grouped together under a dedicated banner.

The recent Milan Furniture Fair was an opportunity for some of these houses, such as Hermès and Louis Vuitton, to unveil some of the treasures that will soon be joining their collections and adorning the walls of their homes.Living ina house that doesn't suit you is a bit like wearing someone else's clothes", wrote Christian Dior. So it's up to you to dress your table so that it looks as elegant as you do.

• Christian Dior and global aesthetics

Renowned the world over for his style and the elegance of his clothing creations, Christian Dior began in 1947 to imagine a range ofThese were brought together in a boutique, decorated in toile de Jouy by decorator Christian Bérard and named "Colifichets". From 1955 onwards, Jean-Pierre Frère was in charge of artistic direction. For almost forty years, he designed numerous decorative and tableware items. In the 1970s, with the development of a department dedicated to the art of living and entertaining, the range expanded (porcelain, goldsmiths' and silversmiths' wares, crystalware, etc.) and collaborations multiplied. Since 2017, Cordelia de Castellane, as Artistic Director of Dior Maison, has revisited the brand's emblematic codes, such as cannage, lily of the valley, bees, stripes... A Dior Maison boutique opens in July 2019.

• Hermès and the art of decor

Is there a link between the famous silk squares and Hermès tableware collections? Yes, in the decorative approach and palette of colors and combinations mastered to perfection by the company's craftsmen. The Hermès color chart includes nearly 78,000 shades, and the in-house illustrator applies the same delicate approach to tableware as he does to silk. In fact, since 1989, Hermès has had its own "formier" profession.

At Hermès, collections and materials follow one another, from porcelain and the "Pivoines" collection in 1984, to crystal in 1991, goldsmiths' and silversmiths' wares from from 1992, and the "Bone China" service from 1995, to "Soleil d'Hermès", his latest porcelain collection.

• Louis Vuitton and experimentation

In addition to leather goods, women's and men's ready-to-wear and other accessories, the illustrious trunk-maker is interested in a variety of universes. Since 2012, the brand has taken a step aside and given its vision of experimental furniture, with the "Objets nomades" collection.

Entrusted to famous designers (Fernando and Humberto Campana, Patricia Urquiola, Marcel Wanders), it brings together limited edition pieces, each more inventive than the last, in homage to the special commissions of Louis Vuitton's past.

On the tableware side, the designer also expresses himself, developing a range - still short - of cups, plates, coasters, tumblers... Taking up the Monogram motif on his models, the tableware also has fun with the "Vivienne" collection, the house mascot.

• Christian Lacroix Maison and Vista Alegre

Founded in 1987 by Christian Lacroix himself, Christian Lacroix is renowned for its baroque, eclectic and colorful universe. Since 2010, it has expanded under the creative direction of Sacha Walckhoff.

With Christian Lacroix Maison, the offer has evolved from fashion to the world of decoration: furniture, upholstery fabrics, wallpaper, in association with renowned editors and manufacturers such as Designers Guild or Tohaa Design.

For tableware, Christian Lacroix Maison relies on Vista Alegre, which creates numerous collections, such as "Herbariae", "Butterfly Parade", "Love Who You Want", or "Rêveries"...

• Ann Demeulemeester and Serax

Daniel Cedergren

An iconic figure in the world of fashion, Ann Demeulemeester founded her brand in 1985 with Patrick Robyn. Independent, beyond trends, the Belgian helped redefine the voice of fashion and played a major role among the creators of the Antwerp Six movement.

In 2013, Ann Demeulemeester left her label to experiment with new fields, such as sculpture, furniture, design and tableware. For the latter, she turned to Belgian publisher Serax, for whom she imagined glasses, cutlery and plates, with a minimalist, essential approach.