FEAL - Xavier

It is under this pseudonym that the young graduate from the Ecole Boulle and the Arts Décoratifs in Paris, commissioned by the manufacturer Inox Industrie, would realize a range of furniture in stainless steel. This short production was commercialized from 1969 to 1974 and composed of seating, tables and coffee tables, lighting, shelving elements as well as decorative objects such as desk and chimney accessories and candlesticks.

Unbreakable, rot-proof and unchanging, stainless steel was Féal’s first choice of material. It was created in 1913 but did not appear in the French decorative arts until the early 1960’s.

Thus by incarnating the “Parisian chic” and a certain form of avant-garde, stainless steel was used by some of the most well-known designers of the time such as Joseph-André Motte, Michel Boyer and Maria Pergay. Many well-known companies like Uginox, Kappa and Inox Industrie allowed for the diffusion of stainless steel to the public. It is in fact the latter that manufactured Xavier Féal’s designs.

Féal’s traning as an interior architect opened the doors to some very important projects. International as well as in France, the projects included hotel planning, embassies and private apartments. The Xavier Féal collection, with its radical designs, was realized in small series and directed towards an enlightened clientele. In his designs the steel is folded into curves or projecting edges. He plays with light by using brushed or high polished finishes. Although his designs perfectly incarnate the style of the 1970’s, his creations conserve their modernity even today.

From 1975 Xavier Féal slowly abandoned the universe of furniture. He began, under his real name voluntarily undisclosed, a brilliant career in industrial design. He worked in various fields, one of which was precision engineering. Even though his production period in the decorative arts was short, he left a certain and lasting imprint on the domain in France.