The Beginnings and Training

Elisabeth Garouste, born in 1946, and Mattia Bonetti, born in 1952, are two iconic figures in French design and decoration. Their individual paths were marked by rigorous training and diverse experiences. Elisabeth Garouste, wife of painter Gérard Garouste, studied interior architecture at the École Camondo in Paris. Before meeting Bonetti, she mainly focused on creating theater sets.

Mattia Bonetti, on the other hand, was born in Switzerland to an Italian father and a Swiss-French mother. At the age of 14, he entered the École d'art appliqué à l'industrie in Lugano, directed by former Bauhaus students. After completing his training at 18, he moved first to Rome and then to Paris, where he devoted himself to creating textile patterns and photography.

Collaboration and the Emergence of a Style

Their collaboration began in 1980 with the decoration of the club Le Privilège, located within the famous nightclub Le Palace in Paris. This first collaboration, initiated by Gérard Garouste, allowed the duo to make a name for themselves. They created a theatrical and magical universe with mural paintings, plaster masks, draped columns, and upholstered seats, inspired by Emilio Terry. The success of this project encouraged them to continue their collaboration.

Monumental Projects and Recognition

Garouste and Bonetti then embarked on a series of monumental projects. Notable among their works are the decoration of the Boisgeloup Castle for Bernard Picasso and the Haute Couture salons of Christian Lacroix. Their distinctive style, described as "New Barbarians," opposed functionalism and standardization, favoring primitivism and the elegance of the past. Their work for Pierre Staudenmeyer's Neotu gallery in Paris further solidified their reputation.

Retrospective and Separation

In 1991, the Grand-Hornu Images association dedicated a major retrospective exhibition to them, titled "Elizabeth Garouste & Mattia Bonetti/1981-2001." This exhibition traced twenty years of collaboration and marked a turning point in their careers. In 2002, after more than two decades of joint success, the duo decided to part ways, each pursuing their own path in the design world.

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