[Ad] The story behind the French brand Ligne Roset and the iconic Togo sofa

We probably all recognise the familiar form of the Togo sofa – the curved embrace of the seat and the puppy-like folds of the fabric like a Sher Pai dog. The retro form is as iconic as the Wishbone chair or the Wassily chair, creating a statement in any room it finds itself in. I think it’s a design that says something about its owner, showing that you know something about design and don’t care for traditional rules that would set a sofa formally on legs.

Indeed, a Togo is one of those pieces you strive for and aspire to – maybe something you would pin to your Pinterest board and dream of owning one day. Surprisingly it’s not as expensive as you might think.

Designed by Michel Ducaroy in 1973 for French brand Ligne Roset, the comfortable classic is as popular now as it ever was, and not just because the Seventies have made a come back. It’s a chair that has a character entirely of its own, inviting you to sit, recline, put your feet up and rest awhile. Ducaroy was inspired by a rolled up tube of toothpaste and translated that into an ergonomic design made from multiple density foam and quilted covers. The Togo is so sought after, the lead time is currently a year.

The Togo sofa is the design that Ligne Roset has become most known for. But the fifth generation, family owned brand is so much more than one classic. I recently headed to the Ligne Roset factory just outside Lyon to get an inside look behind the brand.

[Ad – I was hosted on a press trip with Ligne Roset. Images of the factory: Cate St Hill, all other images Mathieu Bonnevie]

Ligne Roset can trace its history back to 1860 when Antoine Roset first founded an umbrella cane factory. Adapting to changing trends, the company began making chair bases in 1920, before producing its first leather upholstered seats in 1936.

The brand really hit the ground running when it created its first designer collaborations in the Seventies, going on to open the first Ligne Roset store in 1973. Today, it is clear they function on a vast scale – the brand has five factories situated in a 100km radius of one another near Lyon. Almost all of their production still remains in France, bar some of the accessories which are made in Portugal, Lithuania or Poland, and rugs from India.

During our tour, we visited the 45,000 sq m cabinetry department in St Jean le Vieux and the 64,000 sq m upholstery department and HQ in Briord. There is another cabinetry factory and two more upholstery factories.

The cabinetry department in St Jean le Vieux is responsible for creating veneers, manufacturing drawers, and assembling shelving units and cabinets. Almost all of Ligne Roset’s veneers come from France and any off-cuts are used to heat the factory in the winter. Across this vast factory space, there are 100 employees, with a 50/50 split between men and women. From here they dispatch up to 200 pieces of furniture a day.

Ligne Roset is perhaps most renowned for its upholstery. In the UK, upholstery makes up 75% of sales, with 90% of those sales being for the Togo design. At their HQ in Briord, they have five factories on one site, as well as a prototype room where they develop new designs.

Everything is made to order. This is where they will check the fabric, stitch together any quilting using state–of–the–art flat bed sewing machines and form the foam bases for the seats. Ligne Roset liken the making process to that of car manufacturing – each of the parts are made in isolated ‘Îlots’, before being brought together for assembly.

The fireside Togo, for example, is made of 20 pieces of foam. Ligne Roset use water-based glues and ultra violet light to guide the sewing of the lines on the fabric. Any foam off-cuts are recycled, either to be reused in other pieces of furniture or reconstituted into thin panels.

Currently 20% of the foam content is recycled, and Ligne Roset admit that it’s something they can improve on. Indeed, co-chief executive officer Olivier Roset says they are actively pushing their suppliers to develop greener foam products.

Positively, there is a recycling programme in France where distributors are required to take back old sofas for free. For example, if you have had your Togo sofa for over 15 years, it can be returned to Ligne Roset to be reconditioned or for the foam to be replaced.

Each Togo sofa or chair is then reupholstered in 100% recycled PET fabric (made of recycled plastic bottles) from Kvadrat. You can find out more here: https://www.lignerosetre.com. On the site you can also find an e-shop where you can buy upcycled Togo’s at reduced prices – usually up to 40% less than a brand new Togo. Unfortunately, since Brexit, this is no longer possible in the UK… but lucky for the rest of Europe!

I hope you enjoyed that behind the scenes look at the making of the Togo sofa. It was so interesting to get to know the French brand better and find out more about their story. I always think it makes you appreciate a product more if you know where it’s come from and how it’s made. Now when I see a Togo chair or sofa, I’ll know the expertise and history that has gone into its iconic form and making.