Tristan Auer: Cashmere in his Citroën DS

‘‘I am a tailor,’’ Parisian interior guru Tristan Auer likes to say, when quizzed by journalists about his design philosophy. He has created private residences for rock stars like Bryan Adams (back in 2003), and the interiors of iconic hotels in Paris like Les Bains and Hotel de Crillon. No surprise then, that when he added a new bespoke service last November for car interiors, he simply termed it ‘cartailoring’. Auer, 47, began with the Ferrari 308 GT4, giving it the leather and cashmere treatment, right down to the spare wheel cover. Everything had been customised to suit the driver. After all, this was the man who had effortlessly added motorcycles and astronaut helmets in luxury homes, to suit the passions of their owners based in London, Oman or Mustique.

Auer’s love for classic cars is no secret. When the landmark Hotel de Crillon was relaunched last year, he had included a wood-panelled men’s grooming room with a 1960s Aston Martin seat serving as a shoe shine chair. His next project, incidentally, is a Citroën DS that belongs to the same hotel. He believes that more than looking at a car’s interior while you are driving, you feel it. Thus, the mood board for the Citroën DS takes inspiration from Venezuelan artist, Carlos Cruz-Diez, the Dadès Gorges in Morocco, even the exquisite detail seen in the Hermes saddle bag. The pictures are already gathering fans on Instagram, and he says he plans to keep the original design of the “great French saloon car, but with soft leather, alcantara, velour, and a thick carpet” to make it more special. Cashmere will feature as well, the precious wool adding texture to the door pockets. For Auer, named designer of the year at Maison & Objet Paris in 2017, the client takes the final call. “My best moments are when they call years later, with feedback. I got a call from Bryan Adams recently, and he only had this to say, ‘I feel very well in my home!’” More from him:

How do you address the requirements of new age luxury travellers? Especially since you are working on another hotel in Paris with a glorious past, Le Scribe?

We are living in the 21st century and it is important to integrate our modern lifestyle. When designing, I imagine a new layer of contemporary history without removing the old one.

As a collector of classic cars, was the addition of your ‘cartailoring’ service last year inevitable?

Cartailoring to me is about creating bespoke interiors for both classic and modern cars. This craft disappeared in the early ’50s, when French and British car manufacturers Delage, Talbot-Lago, Alvis and others couldn’t deal with the mass market. They stopped existing. For me, it is a natural extension of what I do for private residences and I do it with pleasure. I have five car projects coming up. I own many classic cars myself, but am currently driving my Alvis Speed 20, a superb British grand tourer from 1930.

You find inspiration everywhere, sometimes even when your housekeeper has rearranged furniture.

I like the magic of the accidental… I open myself and my senses to ‘receive’ from everything.

As a product designer, do you factor the global interest in sustainable and recycled furniture?

I design to last forever, with timeless shapes and authentic solid materials. They never age badly but develop a patina like a good pair of shoes. Let’s consume less, but of better quality.

You have talked about being inspired by fashion icons.

Alber Elbaz and Dries van Noten are smart, educated and open, not only in fashion but in interior design as well.

From the Pentel pencils you use to the traditional raku method by Fabienne L’Hostis that you incorporate in your work, there is a strong respect for the Japanese aesthetic.

I am passionate about craftsmen and culture, and countries like Japan that defend and enhance both. To borrow what is considered a Winston Churchill quote, “the farther backward you can look, the farther forward you will see.”

You have expressed an interest in designing film sets. The directors on your wish list?

Peter Greenaway, Ridley Scott and Christopher Nolan.

What is the most important piece of furniture in a home you would design?

A sofa. I myself have the one I designed for Holly Hunt, called Edie. It is a nest, with a sculptural silhouette and very comfortable.

rosella.s@thehindu.co.in