Biography of Andree Putman

Biography of Andree Putman

Andree Putman, one of the world best known contemporary designers was born in Paris, 1925. Every career that Ms. Putman has attempted she has excelled in. Therefore, many would say her style is eclectic ranging from interiors to perfume. Throughout all of her projects she has “worked with the idea of making beautiful things accessible to everyone”. Ms. Putman is a one of a kind designer who has reached beyond the borders of interior design itself.

Ms. Putman began her career as a musician where she was instructed by a well known French composer, Francis Poulenc. In the 1960’s Ms. Putman worked as a journalist, writing columns for L’Oeil (eye) and Les Cahiers de Elle. Finally in 1978 her career as an interior designer/architect had developed due to publicity from designing just a few residencies for friends.

Mafia, the first French style and marketing consulting company was also formed by Ms. Putman. Towards the end of the 60’s, Ms. Putman worked in the design & style department of the French stores Prisunic, working with Denise Fayolle and Mame Arnodine. Mafia persuaded famous young artists to help with designing a collection of home accessories and outstanding lithographs. This was one of the many ways that Ms. Putman achieved her idea of making beautiful things such as, contemporary art available to the general public at a minimal cost.

Didier Grumbach, the President of the Confederation de la Haute Couture in Paris joined with Ms. Putman “Creatures et Industriels” or “Creators meet the Public” in 1972. She applied the same concept here by focusing on the interaction between modern art, fashion and mass production. This concept helped to create new opportunities for new fashion designers like Issey Miyake, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Thierry Mugler etc.

In 1978 Putman started her own company, Ecart, where she reproduced furniture from the early 20th century by some of the most famous designers such as Rovert Mallet-Stevens, Pierre Charieau, Mario Fortuny, Jean-Michel Frank and Eileen Gray. Ironically, by doing so she helped these once unrecognized designers finally gain recognition.

Many of Ms. Putmans most accomplished works include The Morgan’s Hotel in New York, the Centre d’Art Plastique Contemporain in Bordeaux, the Concorde for Air France and Pershing Hall Hotel in Paris. Her work stretches from Japan to New York making stops in between. She has received numerous awards for her achievements including “the Design Achievement Award by the American Society of Interior Designers in 1991 and, the Grand Prix National de la Creation Industrielle by the French Minister of Culture in 1995.”

Some of the more recent designs by Putman stretch