Here’s how Atelier Oi’s Aurel Aebi lets his imagination take flight with Louis Vuitton.
Louis Vuitton built his legacy on the art of travel, crafting trunks that carried dreams across continents. Over a century later, his spirit of adventure has found a kindred match in Atelier Oï in 2008 as the first collaborators of Objets Nomades. Together, they’ve reimagined the very essence of design with pieces like a packable stool and a lamp with swaying light. True to its name, Objet Nomades are anything but static creations.
Aurel Aebi, Armand Louis, and Patrick Reymond founded Atelier Oï in 1991 drawing inspiration from La Neu-veville’s picturesque lakes and forests, where contrasts abound. Much like how elegance meets utility in Louis Vuitton, Atelier Oï’s work thrives on tension — soft meets hard, movement meets stillness, and every piece tells a story of discovery.
For Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades, Atelier Oï crafted designs that embody the spirit of mobility. True to their unique philosophy, they start not with a sketch but with the material itself, letting its essence guide them, and shaping it into something alive. We caught up with Aebi at the recent Savoir Rever event in Casa de Memoria and learn about how, 13 collaborations in, they remain brimming with inspiration.
YSTYLE: The leather quetzals in the stairwell are a vision, they epitomize the key themes of lightness and movement for this collection. Why did you choose this theme?
AUREL AEBI: When we talk about Objets Nomades, the objects themselves are designed to travel. The first pieces we created were a foldable stool and a hammock. The stool transforms from two dimensions to three — you can carry it with you and unfold it to sit anywhere during your journey.
The hammock, meanwhile, is inspired by the way people used to travel and rest. Imagine being near a lake, hanging your hammock, and watching the stars. It invites you to pause and enjoy the moment.
Today, travel often feels like just moving from one place to another. For example, I fly from Zurich to Hong Kong, but I see nothing in between. We wanted to counter that by designing objects that encourage you to slow down and take breaks.
At Atelier Oï, we don’t just create products — we design moments. Whether it’s sitting in a hammock, relaxing in a swing boat, or using a Spider Lamp to create light and shadow, these objects transport you to another world.
What was the most challenging piece to create for this collection?
The most challenging piece was the belt chair. It’s a chair made entirely of leather, inspired by a belt. The idea was to generate comfort without a cushion. Instead, we folded the leather in a specific way and applied tension to it, leveraging its qualities as a skin. When you sit on it — and you really must try it — it feels comfortable without any foam.
Today, we focus on sustainability. We avoid materials like foam and glue, proving that leather alone can create exceptional comfort. Leather is both durable and soft, making it ideal for this purpose. The structure has a metal frame that holds everything together, and then leather belts are layered one by one to form the seat.
You consistently come up with the most interesting ideas. How did you and the team come up with this piece?
At Atelier Oï, we work in a transdisciplinary way — moving between product design, interior design, scenography and architecture. This allows us to draw inspiration from many sources.
For this piece, we attended Louis Vuitton’s fashion shows and were inspired by their iconic belts, which are one of their best-selling products. These belts also appear in their trunks and are practical tools for securing items during travel. We thought, why not reinterpret this typology and use it in a new, creative way?
They say three’s a crowd. What’s the dynamic like between you and the other founders?
(Laughs) It’s the opposite! The three of us — Aurel, Armand and myself — studied architecture together in Lausanne and started collaborating during competitions. What makes our dynamic work is that with three people, there’s always a balance.
If two of us disagree, the third person acts as a neutral party, offering a new perspective. We don’t vote to settle arguments; instead, we convince each other. It’s like balancing ideas on a scale — adding weight here or there until we find the right solution.
Which of the three are you?
I’m the third person (laughs). One is steeped in the craftsmanship of boats, another in the poetry of philosophy, and I’m the third bridging the two, forming a perfect harmony.
Our approach is collaborative, not ego-driven. After 33 years, we’ve had plenty of discussions but no real fights. We focus our energy on the project, not on individual opinions.
This is your fifth time in the Philippines. What would you recommend for a Philippine home?
The leather hammock. We were inspired by farfalle pasta when designing pieces with leather. Just like farfalle, the structure allows airflow while offering comfort — almost like a cushion without foam. It’s perfect for this weather. Leather might not be the first choice for outdoor pieces because of the humidity, but don’t be afraid of letting it develop a patina over time because that tells a story. We still have the first prototype in the office, and I must say, it’s still very well-used!
Were you inspired by the Louis Vuitton trunks for this collection?
Absolutely. One of our first designs, the foldable stool, was inspired by trunks. Inside a trunk, you often find wood or reinforced materials for structure. For the stool, we used a composite material with thin layers of aluminum and polypropylene, covered in leather.
Over time, we’ve drawn more inspiration from trunks — not just their leather coverings but also their individual parts, like belts, which influenced the belt chair.
You’re one of Louis Vuitton’s earliest collaborators. What have you learned from each other?
We often say we learn from Louis Vuitton, but we also unlearn from them.
When we first worked with them in 2008, they invited us to their family house in Asnières. It felt like home, with a fire burning and family photos everywhere. We saw the origins of the monogram in a kitchen tile and learned how this simple pattern inspired the iconic design.
Seeing their craftsmanship firsthand — how they layer, hammer, and stitch leather — was eye-opening. At Atelier Oï, we also work with our hands, and this shared commitment to craft has deepened our partnership. Over 32 years, we’ve built a material library, collaborating with producers and craftsmen to ensure every detail is perfect, even the unseen parts of a product.
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In the Philippines, Louis Vuitton is in Greenbelt 3, The Shoppes at Solaire, and The Mall at Nustar.