This exuberant phase in Italian design, which paved the way for the present Italian supremacy, makes a strong contrast with the post-war years in French furniture. French designers, so influential in the twenties, were for the most part living on their past glories, with the Union des Artistes Modernes struggling bravely, but without inspir-ation, to bring to the French public an awareness of new technical and stylistic developments, inspired directly by American work. The regular 'Formes Utiles' exhibit.s of the U. A.M. through the fifties demonstrate the barrenness of this group of de-signers. several of whom had been such stylish exponents of Modernism before the war. The materials are poor, the designs derivative and France's furniture industry was not well adapted to geries production. When, in 1955, the U.A.M. celebrated its quart.ercentury with the publication of a survey of its achievements, the contemporary innovations incl much use of rattan, or basket work, and the fashionable contrasts Of thin struc-ture and mass. 'I'he prominent designers, among them René Herbst (president Of the group). Louis
Sognot, Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouvé and Marcel Gascoin were exploring post-war trends without managing to imbue their work with the sense of conviction which had given such a sparkle to their pre-war designs.
The French furniture industry was still for the most part oriented towards the cult of the in. dividual ébéniste, tile concept of series-production furniture going against the instincts of the French bourgeois mentality. The post-war years were uneasy transitional ones for a craft which was to all practical purposes extinct, and within which, despite attempts at innovation, there was no fundamental development. Novelties included most notably the extensive use of hide, often almost, completely covering furniture and making a feature of saddle stitched seams. The name of Jacques
Adnet is strongly associated with this fashion. Dupré Laffon was one Of the more prominent amongst the post-war furniture designers in the traditional spirit, whilst Jean Roybre earned a reputation for the restrained dignity Of his furniture and decorative schemes.