Fanny Serouart
Designer
May-June 2025
- Craft & Design
- New York
“I plan to design new objets-à-porter that embody the spirit of the East Coast, blending object design with fashion accessories and drawing inspiration from local materials and culture.”
I am Fanny Serouart, a product designer specializing in Colors, Materials, and Finishes (CMF design). My career integrates several areas of interest that have shaped my professional journey : industrial design, a love for well-crafted and carefully drawn objects, artisanal craftsmanship and manufacturing processes. After studying at École Boulle and ENSCI, I have collaborated with various industries, including automotive, electronics, and luxury goods, while cultivating a materials-focused approach to design and production.
In 2022, I launched LÉCLISSE, a brand where unique savoir-faire and leatherwork converge. Each piece is designed to stand out as an objet-à-porter, blending my expertise in CMF with distinctive manufacturing techniques and lesser-known craftsmanship. LÉCLISSE is inspired by a range of fields including object design, architecture, and the decorative arts, with a focus on transitioning from object design to fashion accessories.
The Villa Albertine residency offers a unique opportunity to deepen my exploration of the cultural and artisanal heritage of the U.S. East Coast. Having spent time in New York in 2010, the city has always inspired me, and I am eager to discover local craftsmanship and draw inspiration from its cultural context. My goal is to foster collaborations between French and American artisans, manufacturers, and material suppliers to imagine a new collection of objets-à-porter that embodies the spirit of the East Coast, blending object design with fashion accessories.
Fanny Serouart grew up between Northern France and Brittany, absorbing the cultural and identity contrasts of these two regions where industrial landscapes meet the sea. Influenced by a family culture of craftsmanship, she pursued design studies in Paris at Boulle School and ENSCI-Les Ateliers. She developed expertise in Colors, Materials, and Finishes (CMF) in the automotive industry while also training in leather craftsmanship. It is at the intersection of these encounters and experiences that Léclisse comes to life.
In addition to this personal project, Fanny Serouart works as a product design consultant and specializes in CMF design for various industries such as automotive, electronics, cosmetics, and luxury. Her two activities enrich each other and converge towards a shared taste for objects, materials, craftsmanship, and manufacturing processes, forming the foundation of her design methodology and research.
My project will explore the cultural heritage and craftsmanship of the U.S. East Coast, building on my experience as a product and CMF designer. LÉCLISSE was founded on the idea of merging product design with leather craftsmanship and unique materials, know-how, and regional characteristics. During the residency, I plan to design new objets-à-porter to add to the existing LÉCLISSE collection, drawing inspiration from the territory’s materials, culture, and creative influences. After working with Parisian bistro chair caning in my early designs, I am eager to explore what New York and the broader Northeast have to offer.
Additionally, my CMF expertise in material sourcing and manufacturing techniques will guide this project. I intend to establish connections with local professionals, including makers and material suppliers, to collaborate on the research and development of this new collection. I will delve into the region’s industrial and cultural history, focusing particularly on leatherwork and unique regional characteristics.
This project also aims to build long-term connections between artisans in France and the U.S., with the support of my partners, ADC (Au Delà Du Cuir). Through this residency, I hope to foster meaningful cross-disciplinary collaborations that embody the spirit of the East Coast.
New York holds a special place in my heart, as I spent six months in Brooklyn in 2010 during my design studies and have returned several times since. The city is an unparalleled hub where design, fashion, art, and industry converge, making it the ideal environment for my creative process, which thrives on blending disciplines. New York and the East Coast stand out for their rich industrial heritage and vibrant creative scenes. From the craftsmanship of the Shaker movement to the influence of streetwear and industrial architecture, the city offers a dynamic playground for imagining new pieces for my objets-à-porter collection. Additional sources of inspiration include the Noguchi Museum, Dia Beacon’s monumental sculptures, and the East Coast region’s historic automotive culture, all of which provide fresh perspectives for accessories that merge design and craftsmanship with cultural and regional narratives.
During my residency, I plan to explore the unique materials and craftsmanship of New York and the broader East Coast. This will allow me to deepen my CMF design research while developing a collection that reflects the industrial and cultural heritage of the region. Over the years, I’ve built connections with American suppliers specializing in leather, sustainable materials, and automotive craftsmanship, and this residency presents a unique opportunity to strengthen those collaborations.
On a fun and unexpected note, one of my LÉCLISSE bags caught the attention of the costume design team for Netflix’s Emily in Paris and was featured in December 2022. This exposure introduced my work to an American audience, and my residency in New York offers the perfect opportunity to build on that momentum, engage with U.S. design culture, and create lasting collaborations.
In partnership with
ADC, Au-Delà du Cuir
For over 10 years, ADC* has been supporting entrepreneurs in the fields of footwear brands, leather goods, and innovative solutions around leather and soft materials. As experts in accessory-related know-how, the incubator serves as a gateway to the French and international entrepreneurial ecosystem. It is also a genuine accelerator for small businesses in the French leather industry.
WantedDesign
About WantedDesign:
Founded in 2011 in New York City by French New Yorkers Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat, WantedDesign has evolved into a dynamic connector and amplifier for global design, fostering creative synergy and serving as a pivotal crossroad for the international design community. Following an important transformation for these past years, the multi-generational, women-led company now includes Colombian partner Daniela Giraldo Hinestroza and will continue to build on its foundation of community, education, and curation. Through its diverse array of programs- including residencies, workshops, immersion trips, and a membership program- WantedDesign connects designers at every stage of their career with key players of the industry across the Americas and Europe. Claire and Odile, based in New York, have also taken on the role of Brand Directors for ICFF since 2023. Daniela continues to lead from her hometown of Medellín, Colombia.
WantedDesign’s legacy includes the successful WANTED (previously known as the WantedDesign Manhattan), acquired by Emerald Expositions in 2019 to become a section within the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. Co-founders, Odile and Claire, stepped into their role as brand directors of ICFF in 2023 and will continue to do lead the show in 2024. WantedDesign will continue to support the WANTED section at ICFF to spotlight outstanding emerging design.
About WantedDesign’s Residency Program:
Presented in partnership with Industry City, the WantedDesign Residency program in New York offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity for international creatives to immerse themselves in the city’s vibrant design scene. With the support of international cultural organizations, this tailored immersion allows residents to explore, research, network and gain a deeper understanding of the US market and of its opportunities.
Bettencourt Schueller Foundation
Bettencourt Schueller Foundation strives to embody the will of a family, driven by the spirit of enterprise and awareness of its social role, to reveal talents and help them thrive, in three fields that contribute concretely to the common good: life sciences, the arts and solidarity. Both a family foundation and recognized as a public utility since its creation in 1987, the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation intends to give wings to talent to contribute to the success and influence of France.