PAD London, design as an expression oflifestyle
Founded in 2007 by Patrick PerrinFounded by a fourth-generation Parisian antique dealer, this fair has established itself as one of the major events for historical and contemporary design. Its ambition goes beyond simply showcasing exceptional furniture, as it offers a vision of...lifestyle in which an antique piece can engage in dialogue with a contemporary creation, where the beauty of an object is measured as much by its history as by its ability to transcend eras.
Unlike traditional antique fairs, the PAD (Pavilion of Art & Design) champions a cross-disciplinary approach to the decorative arts. 20th-century furniture sits alongside the latest design expressions, while artisanal craftsmanship is once again given a central role in the creation of exceptional interiors.
Each gallery thus constructs its own universe, offering visitors a succession of perspectives on creation, materials, and forms. This diversity is one of the fair's greatest strengths: allowing collectors to discover rare pieces, but also to understand what transforms a utilitarian object into a true work of art.
It was in this particularly demanding environment that Yves Salomon Éditions took its first steps in London.
Yves Salomon Editions, when matter becomes creation
Internationally renowned for its expertise in fur and its work with precious materials, Maison Yves Salomon also explores the world of decorative arts through Yves Salomon Éditions, an approach that brings artisanal excellence closer to collection design.
This activity naturally extends a culture of materials cultivated over several generations. The working of hides, the knowledge of textures, the mastery of volumes, and the constant search for a balance between aesthetics and technical skill find new expression here. Creation is no longer limited to clothing: it extends to furniture, decorative objects, and pieces designed in collaboration with designers.
Following its initial participation in PAD Paris in April 2026, the Maison continues its international expansion by joining the London edition. There, it presents a selection of unique pieces and limited-edition creations, affirming its commitment to establishing a lasting presence in the world of collectible design.
The value of this approach lies particularly in the dialogue it establishes between different eras. Alongside contemporary creations by designers such as Hoffmann, Pagano, Sornay, Michael Bargo, and Gaetano Borsani, the Maison champions an artistic heritage of which Carlo Bugatti embodies one of the most original expressions.
The comparison is particularly interesting because, more than a century apart, the same concerns run through the works: a taste for unusual materials, attention to detail, the sculptural dimension of the furniture, and a desire to push back the boundaries between craftsmanship and artistic creation.
Carlo Bugatti, the artistic genius behind a legendary name
The Bugatti name immediately evokes the world of exceptional automobiles, sculptural lines, technical prowess, and a certain idea of absolute luxury. Yet, long before Ettore Bugatti built his first automobiles, his father Carlo had already developed a revolutionary aesthetic language.
Born in Milan in 1856, Carlo Bugatti belonged to a generation of artists who witnessed the profound transformations of the decorative arts at the end of the 19th century. In an era still largely dominated by historical references, he imagined furniture that escaped conventions and rejected the usual classifications.
A decorator and architect by training, a draftsman, cabinetmaker, and creator of art objects, he developed a body of work that defies easy categorization within a single movement. While his work is rooted in the effervescence of Art Nouveau, it stands out for its personal aesthetic, nourished by oriental influences, architectural references, geometric motifs, and bold experimentation: his furniture is unlike any other.
The backs can become architectural compositions, the legs adopt unexpected shapes, the surfaces are covered with circular patterns, while the proportions sometimes seem to defy the traditional principles of cabinetmaking. The eye lingers on the details: mother-of-pearl inlays, metallic stringing, dark woods, painted parchment, decorative elements, and meticulously crafted graphic compositions.
But behind this profusion of ornamentation lies a profound reflection on structure and form. For Carlo Bugatti, decoration doesn't simply embellish the furniture: it contributes to its identity, sometimes even to its architecture. This radical approach allows him to transform a chair, a desk, or a cabinet into a sculptural object whose personality far transcends its primary function.
A creator who was a century ahead of his time
The year 1902 marked a decisive turning point in his career. Indeed, at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative Arts in Turin, Carlo Bugatti presented creations that impressed with their originality and won a Grand Prix.
His furniture, often described as Moorish by his contemporaries, testifies to a creative freedom that surprises visitors. Yet the artist asserts a profoundly personal style, refusing to reduce it to a mere cultural influence. This aesthetic independence largely explains the fascination his works continue to hold for design historians and collectors.
In 1904, he settled in Paris, where he continued his research on furniture, decorative objects and goldsmithing. A few years later, he retired to Pierrefonds, devoting more time to painting and his formal explorations.
His career illustrates a particularly modern conception of the artist: a creator capable of working in multiple disciplines without ever abandoning his signature style. Even today, his works astonish with their modernity. Certain geometric lines foreshadow the experiments of 20th-century design, while his combinations of materials and decorative explorations resonate with the most daring contemporary creations.
From Carlo to Ettore Bugatti, a shared passion for form
The story takes on an additional dimension when one considers Carlo Bugatti's family legacy. Indeed, his son hectorBorn in 1881, he would become one of the greatest names in automotive history by founding his own brand in Molsheim in 1909. His other son, Rembrandt, would choose animal sculpture and develop a remarkable body of work, notably through his bronzes representing animals.
Three personalities, three disciplines, but a single artistic culture deeply rooted in the family environment.
Thus, Carlo Bugatti did not simply pass on to his children a taste for beautiful things. He offered them a world in which creation, experimentation, and masterful craftsmanship played a vital role. This lineage is particularly interesting in Ettore's story: the first Bugatti automobiles are distinguished not only by their mechanical excellence, but also by an exceptional attention to proportions and the aesthetics of their components.
The famous horseshoe-shaped grille, whose silhouette is also reminiscent of Carlo's ovoid designs, contributes to this unique identity. The Musée d'Orsay also highlights the influence of the father's formal research on certain aesthetic directions of the son.
It would be an exaggeration to reduce Ettore's automotive genius to his father's legacy, so considerable was his technical contribution. But it is difficult to ignore the cultural continuity between his father's visionary furniture and the automobiles that became veritable mechanical sculptures. In both worlds, beauty is not merely superficial. It arises from the precision of the design, the intelligence of the proportions, and a demanding approach to manufacturing.
This family reading gives Carlo Bugatti's creations an additional resonance, particularly appealing to enthusiasts of prestigious automobiles as well as to lovers of decorative arts.
A heritage rediscovered by Yves Salomon Éditions
By focusing on the creations of Carlo Bugatti, Yves Salomon Éditions is contributing to the rediscovery of an artist whose renown is sometimes overshadowed by that of his descendants. The company notably dedicated a Parisian exhibition to his work entitled Carlo Bugatti, the visionary craftsman, organized in spring 2026 in its salons on rue de Castiglione.
This presentation brought together a selection of furniture and objects illustrating the diversity of his artistic language: seats with architectural silhouettes, furniture with sophisticated decorations, mirrors, pedestals, desks and decorative pieces.
This work of enhancement reveals another facet of Yves Salomon Éditions' positioning. Beyond contemporary creation, the company intends to situate its activity within a broader history of craftsmanship and exceptional furniture. This approach also finds a creative extension in its collaboration with Dimorestudio, some of whose research reinterprets the world of Bugatti through contemporary materials, textures and lines.
The association may seem unexpected, but it is based on a genuine affinity of sensibility. The richness of the surfaces, the contrast of materials, and the importance given to the decorative dimension all serve as bridges between the two eras. The aim is not to reproduce historical forms, but to understand how an ancient work can nourish contemporary creation without losing its identity.
In a sector where collectible design appeals to an international clientele increasingly attentive to the provenance of works, their uniqueness and the quality of their execution, this approach makes perfect sense.
PAD London 2026, a meeting between heritage and modernity
The presence of Yves Salomon Éditions at PAD London reflects an exciting evolution in the world of luxury. The boundaries between fashion, decoration, artistic creation, and craftsmanship are becoming more permeable, giving rise to offerings where the object tells a story as much as it expresses a style.
For collectors, the appeal of such an event lies precisely in these unexpected encounters. Discovering a contemporary designer, revisiting a forgotten figure in the decorative arts, or drawing connections between two seemingly disparate worlds can transform one's perspective on a work of art.
At Berkeley Square, visitors will have the opportunity to discover the vision of a French fashion house that brings together contemporary creation and artistic heritage.
And behind the name Carlo Bugatti lies a particularly captivating story, that of a man who invented his own aesthetic language before his son Ettore brought the family name into automotive legend.
While the father's creations are now part of the heritage of decorative arts, they retain that rare ability to surprise, to question, and to inspire new generations of designers. And perhaps that is where true art lies: in the capacity of a work to transcend time without losing any of its singularity.
Useful information:
PAD London 2026
From October 13 to 18, 2026, Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London.
Open to the public from October 15th to 18th.
Yves Salomon Editions: stand C14.
October 13th is reserved for collectors and October 14th for the VIP opening
