Design at the Source
BY HÉLÈNE LAHALLE
Isabelle de Ponfilly and Joséphine Bursacchi, mother and daughter, are behind Source Édition, whose mission is to bring iconic pieces from the 1950s to the 1970s back to life—some of which are even archived in the reserves of the Mobilier national. A conversation
What were your respective backgrounds before creating Source Édition?
I. de P.: An expert in design and the furniture industry, I spent 26 years as Managing Director of Vitra France after an earlier career at Knoll. From this experience emerged a very concrete understanding of industrial and artisanal manufacturing processes, as well as a deep attachment to the very purpose of objects: their use, their context, and their heritage.
J. B.: After completing an MBA in the international art market, I worked in galleries in New York and Paris. In 2018, I founded Source Parisienne, a gallery dedicated to 20th-century designer furniture. It was then that I realized how much certain historic creations deserved not only to be preserved, but also rediscovered and reissued, in full respect of their designers' original intentions.
What is the mission of Source Édition?
J. B.: Founded in Milan in April 2025, Source Édition brings iconic pieces from the 1950s to the 1970s back to life—sometimes forgotten, or never previously produced, and in some cases archived in the reserves of the Mobilier national. We faithfully reissue them, working closely with the designers' families, and have them produced in exceptional European workshops.
I. de P.: Today, we work with five major designers: André Monpoix, Turenne Chevallereau, Claude Courtecuisse, Ben Swildens, and Giuseppe Rivadossi—two of whom historically collaborated with the Mobilier national. These reissues embody a fertile dialogue between heritage and creation: authentic, traceable, and durable pieces, now accessible to a wider audience without any compromise on quality or the original spirit.
What are your respective roles?
I. de P.: I oversee the commercial side, the technical domain (relationships with French and Italian manufacturers, development and quality control), as well as logistics. My role is to ensure that each piece retains the nobility of its design and the precision of its craftsmanship.
J. B.: I am responsible for artistic direction and communication: visual identity, storytelling around the pieces, and programming in Paris and internationally. My goal is to help people understand why these works matter and how they fit into contemporary uses. We move forward as a duo on all major strategic decisions.
What matters most to you?
I. de P.: The transmission of craftsmanship, as it ensures the longevity of an essential European cultural heritage. Our artisans perpetuate rare skills, in the service of design conceived for the common good. I love seeing these pieces, created more than half a century ago, finding a daily function once again in contemporary interiors.
J. B.: I often speak of living heritage: a piece of furniture is not a fixed object, but a memory in motion. To reissue is to reactivate a link between creation, craftsmanship, and use. Our clients become passers-on—they allow a fragment of our shared heritage to exist in the present. This transmission, from the designer to the Mobilier national, from the workshop to the enthusiast, is the very meaning of Source Édition's existence.
Read full article (PDF)
