ECART VOICES is a filmed series of intimate conversations with five visionary figures who have shaped Ecart International to become what it is today: Bruno Moinard, Didier Grumbach, Deidi von Schaewen, Jean-Pierre Tortil, and Elliott Barnes. Each has contributed to Ecart International's legacy in distinct ways, from creative direction and commercial development to graphic design and financial investment.

Through their memories, the series revives the dialogue between past and present, tracing Ecart International's history from its early beginning.

In October 1979, Bruno Moinard met Andrée Putman, the founder of Ecart International, at the brand's first showroom on rue Pavée. This encounter led him to redesign Ecart International's furniture, from Eileen Gray's Satellite Mirror, c. 1927, to Mariano Fortuny's iconic Projector, c.1903. During fifteen years, he meticulously studied the original pieces, taking measurements and drawing sketches, to develop their reissued versions.

Thirty years later, Bruno Moinard welcomed us into his office, sharing both the role he played in Ecart International's legacy and a collection of personal anecdotes.

Didier Grumbach welcomed us to the Domaine des Oseraies to revisit the early years of Ecart International.

The story began in 1970, when he first met Andrée Putman at the home of Louison Bobet. A few years later, he became one of Ecart International's associates.

At the time, Grumbach was co-manager and co-founder of Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, dividing his time between Paris and New York. His international experience in fashion and design, paired with Putman's visionary taste and reputation, helped Ecart International capture the attention of audiences accross the Atlantic. In the 1980s, the idea of producing industrial editions of iconic 20th-century designs was radically new in. The concept quickly gained international acclaim, with distribution networks expanding within just a few months.

Even today, some of Ecart International's most emblematic reissues remain in Didier Grumbach's home, a living archive of decades of memories.

Deidi von Schaewen welcomed us into her Paris studio, a place filled with history where Ecart International reissues from the 1980s sit alongside drawers overflowing with archival images.

Her collaboration with Ecart International began in the late 1970s, when Andrée Putman entrusted her with creating the brand’s visual identity. As both photographer and graphic designer, she conceived the first catalogue, photographing each piece and exploring the anagram ECART / TRACE, thereby translating Putman’s vision into an object that was both simple and iconic.

For nearly thirty years, Deidi von Schaewen played a key role in shaping and developing Ecart International's image. Her eye and artistic approach have left a lasting mark on the brand’s history.

Passionate about decorative arts and inspired by visionaries such as Jean-Michel Frank and Pierre Chareau, Jean-Pierre Tortil joined the company in 1992 as Director of Ecart International.

Over the years, he played a key role in shaping the brand's evolution with a clear vision: to preserve Ecart International's freshness and relevance while navigating the demands of a highly competitive industry. Under his leadership, Ecart International deepened its commitment to French craftsmanship, expanded its product offering, and ventured into new international markets—establishing the brand as a recognized reference in design.

Born in the United States, Elliott Barnes moved to France in 1987 to join the architectural team at Ecart, working alongside Andrée Putman and Bruno Moinard.

While contributing to architectural projects, Barnes also immersed himself in the distinctive atmosphere of Ecart International, surrounded by reissued pieces by pioneering designers. What drew him most to Ecart International was its unique vision of architecture and design—an approach rooted in the legacy of the great figures he had studied as an architecture student.

In this exclusive conversation, Elliott Barnes reflects on what Ecart International represents to him.