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Thanks to Jon Thorson for opening the doors of the USM showroom in SoHo, New York !
Jon runs USM North America, yes, that Swiss modular furniture you've seen everywhere: in the coolest creative studios, but also at your dentist, your lawyer, your bank, and probably at your parents' place. He's the guy who took an 1880s Swiss family business and made it sexy again for an entire generation of New York creatives. And his own story is wild: a kid from Nashville who came to New York to become a furniture designer, never quite became "the designer"… and ended up a CEO instead.
In this episode, Jon tells us how a Swiss factory became a global design icon almost by accident, how you actually get a piece of furniture into the world's most beautiful rooms, and why "everybody's a designer" when the product is a system. We also get into the stuff nobody talks about: a brutal 50% tariff on steel, the art of collaboration, AI and robotics, and why New York is still five years ahead of the rest of the world.
A masterclass on patience, taste, and building something that lasts. Let's go.
Timeline
01:26: Meeting Jon Thorson in USM’s SoHo showroom and discovering his role
03:18: Understanding USM: its modular system and place within the creative world
04:39: USM’s Swiss origins: from metalworking to the accidental creation of the Haller
system
09:45: From Nashville to New York: fine arts, illustration and the dream of becoming a designer
13:08: Learning at BDDW: from fetching coffee to managing the showroom
17:00: Lessons from 15 years in high-end furniture: listening, observing and progressing
18:34: When everyone becomes a designer: constraints, modularity and timelessness
24:00: Joining USM and adapting a Swiss brand to the American market
30:00: Influencing tastemakers: architects, young creatives and furniture as a symbol of success
37:44: Unexpected uses, secondhand furniture and durability compared with custom millwork
41:47: USM’s North American business and collaborations with Ojas, Armando Cabral, Symbol and Leica
57:29: Artificial intelligence, the Swiss method and changing ways of working
1:06:24: Life after the pandemic: remote work, returning to the office and international management
1:15:16: Growth, tariffs, marketing, the showroom tour and New York’s creative power
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Nb: TheBoldWay ou The Bold Way, anciennement connu sous le nom de Entreprendre dans la mode ou EDLM , est un podcast produit et réalisé par Adrien Garcia.
Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.
France