--- title: "The Enabler" url: "https://www.stylepark.com/en/news/ligne-roset-interview-michel-roset-patrick-jouin-karen-stylepark-magazine" language: "en" type: "article" description: "Interview with entrepreneur Michel Roset and designer Patrick Jouin: A conversation about trust, intuition, and the fragility of good ideas. Read more:" published: "2026-05-19T00:00:00+02:00" modified: "2026-05-27T14:48:18+02:00" image: "https://www.stylepark.com/assets/transformations/articles/_1410xAUTO_fit_center-center_90_none/TS_QF_LigneRoset_IVRoset_Jouin_2026-05-19-100935_eqle.jpg" --- ![](https://www.stylepark.com/assets/transformations/articles/_1410xAUTO_crop_center-center_82_none/TS_QF_LigneRoset_IVRoset_Jouin.jpg) Patrick Jouin, Michel Roset (from left to right) Photo: Martin Lo Wilder # Featured The Enabler Michel Roset embodies a corporate culture based on intuition and long-term collaboration. As the driving force behind Ligne Roset, he has always championed young creatives – including Patrick Jouin. A conversation about trust, intuition and the fragility of good ideas. 5/19/2026 **Robert Volhard:** Michel, I’m sure you receive a lot of requests from designers looking to collaborate? **Michel Roset:** We receive a great many requests – several hundred a year, and up to 80 a quarter. Our collection is intended to evolve continuously: furniture, rugs, lighting, accessories. We therefore select our projects with great care. Quality does not come from quantity. **Patrick, can you still remember your first collaboration with** [**Ligne Roset**](https://www.stylepark.com/en/manufacturer/ligne-roset)**?** [**Patrick Jouin**](https://www.stylepark.com/en/designer/patrick-jouin)**:** Yes, that was a long time ago. Back then, I was given a so-called carte blanche by VIA (Valorisation de l’Innovation dans l’Ameublement). Unfortunately, that programme no longer exists today. VIA was a real springboard. The entire French furniture industry had created this platform to connect young designers with the industry. For many, it would otherwise have been impossible to finance a prototype. Through VIA, we were able to experiment, test ideas and work with industry partners at a very early stage. It was a golden era and, to my knowledge, unique worldwide. **Michel Roset:** And that’s how we met. Patrick presented his first sofa project in 1998. **Patrick Jouin:** It wasn’t a success. The project was too complex, the price too high. But the idea behind it was exciting: combining a real sofa and a real bed in a single piece of furniture. And through VIA, you discovered many designers back then. **Michel Roset:** That’s true. But it was never just about designs or products. Communication played an important role, but it isn’t enough on its own. What matters is whether a product is still relevant five or ten years down the line. Success doesn't come from short-term visibility. **Michel, you’re regarded as someone who recognises creative potential very early on. How do you determine that?** **Michel Roset:** There’s no formula for it. For me, it’s about human connection: trust, psychology, the personal relationship. It’s not just the portfolio that matters, but whether you can envisage a long-term collaboration. ![](https://www.stylepark.com/assets/transformations/articles/_690xAUTO_crop_center-center_82_none/b_DSCF5012LoMartinWilder.jpg) New prototype: the ‘Karen’ chair by Patrick Jouin for Ligne Roset Photo: Martin Lo Wilder **We’re sitting here on the new “Karen” chair for Ligne Roset. What makes it stand out?** **Patrick Jouin:** “Karen” is designed for both residential and contract use. That’s why there are two versions: with wooden legs for residential use and with steel legs for contract use. Of course, the wooden version can also be used in contract settings. **I can confirm that; the chair is very comfortable, almost cosy.** **Patrick Jouin:** At the moment, it’s still a prototype. We’ll make it a bit wider and the foam slightly firmer – basically, the finishing touches. **Patrick, what makes working with Michel Roset special for you?** **Patrick Jouin:** It’s about culture and trust. Objectively speaking, the world doesn’t need another chair or another sofa. But there is a human need for invention. At the beginning, an idea is fragile – a sketch, almost nothing. And sometimes you see it in the other person’s eyes: there’s something there. That moment justifies carrying on. **Michel, what must design achieve today to be relevant and commercially successful?** **Michel Roset:** The greatest challenges today lie less in design itself than in industrial reality: skilled workers, craftsmanship, supply chains. Without qualified people, projects are massively delayed. That is a central issue of our time. ![](https://www.stylepark.com/assets/transformations/articles/_930xAUTO_crop_center-center_82_none/b_DSCF5134LoMartinWilder.jpg) Patrick Jouin, Robert Volhard, Michel Roset (f.l.t.r.) Photo: Martin Lo Wilder **What advice would you give your younger self?** **Patrick Jouin:** Trust your own intuition. I learnt that from Philippe Starck. Your first instinct is often the right one, you have to learn to trust it. **Michel Roset:** For me, the key is to develop a business responsibly and with a long-term perspective – together with my family and staff. Loyalty and continuity are our real strengths. **What does your future collaboration look like?** **Michel Roset:** Patrick is free to come and go as he pleases. If he knocks, we’ll open the door. **Patrick Jouin:** Our collaboration is never planned. It arises from conversations, ideas and shared moments – just as it always has. - [Ligne Roset @ Stylepark](https://www.stylepark.com/en/manufacturer/ligne-roset) - [Manufacturer's website](https://www.ligne-roset.com/de/) ![](https://www.stylepark.com/assets/transformations/articles/_690xAUTO_crop_center-center_82_none/b_DSCF5037LoMartinWilder.jpg) ‘Karen’ chair by Patrick Jouin for Ligne Roset Photo: Martin Lo Wilder ![](https://www.stylepark.com/assets/transformations/articles/_690xAUTO_crop_center-center_82_none/b_DSCF5033LoMartinWilder.jpg) Photo: Martin Lo Wilder