Gaucho – Inspired by South American Craft Traditions

”I spent about a year in Argentina and its neighbouring countries, with longer stays in the Pampa, the vast grasslands in the middle of the country. That’s where I became fascinated by the culture of the gaucho, the South American cowboy. The colours of the grassland and the presence of material has stayed with me; Leather, wood, horn, things that were used every day and showed it,” says Müller.

The inspiration also draws on the region’s design and craft traditions.”Argentina felt familiar and foreign at the same time. That’s the presence I want for the chair: familiar enough to feel at home with, and foreign enough to make you wonder where it comes from.”

Gaucho was originally made for Byredo’s stores worldwide. An early prototype, made ten years ago, still stands in the studio.

”It was never meant to be a store chair. Rather the opposite: the chair should make the store feel like a home”, says Müller.”

In a premium retail store every moment becomes part of the brand experience, and sitting down is one of them. In German we have a word for the feeling we wanted: aufgehoben. It means being held, being in good hands”

Müller’s background spans cabinetmaking and architecture. Across projects of every scale, his interest centres on materials and how objects and spaces are used over time.

At the studio on Åsögatan in Stockholm, material samples sit alongside sketches and architectural models. Ductus also has a larger office in Switzerland, where many of its commissions are based. Working between the two countries has shaped the studio’s approach.

”There’s a kind of naive optimism in Stockholm that I’ve come to love. Nobody asks how many years you’ve been doing something before you’re allowed to try it. You just try.Coming from Switzerland, where experience counts for a lot, that was a relief. It made us braver.”

The Gaucho armchair is made from solid alder or walnut, with cowhide upholstery in Salt & Pepper or Champagne.