Colette Gueden 1905–1999

French designer Colette Gueden was best known for the work she produced during her 45 year tenure at Primavera, the design studio of Printemps department store chain. Born in Indochina in 1905, she studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Saint-Etienne, France and graduated in 1928. She began working as a designer for Primavera in 1927 progressing to a managerial role in 1934 and director in 1938. Aside from furniture, she also created whimsical jewelry, wallpapers, and ceramics. One of her most popular series featured female busts and faces in colorful glazes and elegant decoration. She experimented in new materials including horn, glass, metal, and mother of pearl. Gueden also designed ceramics for other workshops in France and she received special commissions to design furniture for the French President Vincent Auriol and large bas-reliefs for the La Marseillaise cruise ship in 1949.