Meet Helene : Wonder Woman / Sales Manager
At Hayche we love sharing the inspiration behind each of our products, but we also think its important that our clients and readers get to know each member of our team and what inspires them. So we pulled some fun questions together and asked each of our Team Members a list of questions. Some are very surprising!
Meet Helene Vaillant, Helene has been our Sales Manager for over a year now, and she is as passionate about contemporary design, as she is for vintage furniture pieces and accessories.
Hayche: Helene, tell us what your favorite Hayche product is:
Helene: My favourite products are the yellow Ptolemy Mann Loom stool and the WW CS3 chair. I think they are both attention grabbers - and being in charge of Sales for Hayche that makes me happy.
Hayche: If they were to make a toy action figure of you, what would it be and what accessory would you carry around with you?
Helene: I would definitely be Wonder Woman, and carry a leather bag. The leather bag would contain all my favourite furniture and decorative pieces, as well as paintings that can be used to decorate a beautiful space/room instantly.
Hayche: To what degree have you actually controlled the course your design life has taken?
Helene: I have been lucky enough to always do what I love and live in different countries, which gave me a great sense of open-mindedness. I was fortunate to open my own shops, that were full of my favourite things - from vintage furniture from the 1900's to 1970's and accessories. I am inspired by both people and furniture, and I like to know the stories behind furniture creations, as I like to learn from others. Today I still have the chance to work for a company that creates products that I find beautiful and think Hayche's products are colourful, original and sustainable.
Hayche: What is something you know you do differently than most people?Helene: I have always had a good eye and great taste for things! I am also very passionate for my work and hold that great entrepreneurial spark.
Hayche: What product or event inspired you to be a designer/work in the design industry?
Helene: The fact that I lived in Japan as a child inspired me to work in the design industry. I love the purity, serenity and beauty of Japanese furniture and gardens.
Hayche: If you could become the designer of any existing item, what would you choose?
Helene: I love vintage mixed with modern products - especially the industrial period. I like to incorporate pieces from different eras. I have some antiques at home, but I mix them with something more modern in my interiors; I like this collision of old and new. One of my favorite pieces has to be, Joe Colombo's Eda armchair in brown leather. There is something iconic in this portrait of Joe Colombo sitting on his armchair Elda, always immaculately dressed with his inseparable pipe in his mouth. His furniture was futuristic, and I could spend hours dreaming of that time sitting comfortably in that chair.
Image credit : https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/seating/chairs/joe-colombo-elda-chair/id-f_4262293/
Hayche: If you could go back in time and speak to your adolescent self, what advice would you give them about the design world?
Helene: Keep all objects / furniture as they always come back in fashion.
I would certainly have invested earlier in my favorite pieces. A friend told me once: 'If you see a single piece that you like, buy it, otherwise you will spend your life thinking about it.'