Inga Sempé brings new lustre to porcelain "Made in France

The new Bombance line is an invitation to the pleasure of eating and sharing a meal around a convivial object that brings people together: the cocotte. And who better to rework this iconic object than Inga Sempé, with her love of brasserie cooking far removed from haute gastronomy? By giving the famous designer carte blanche, Revol reaffirms its attachment to its culinary culture, making the cocotte a centerpiece of tableware.

A French designer born in Paris, Inga Sempé graduated from ENSCI (École nationale supérieure de création industrielle, Paris) in 1993. She trained with Marc Newson and Andrée Putman, then became a resident at the Villa Médicis (Académie de France) in Rome, from 2000 to 2001. The designer has been working freelance since 2000, starting her career with Italian publishers Cappellini and Edra. These were followed by other French, Japanese, Italian and Scandinavian companies such as HAY, Ligne Roset, Wästberg, Magis, Alessi, Luceplan, Mutina, Røros Tweed, Moustache, Svenskt Tenn, Gärsnäs… She still lives and works in Paris.

The lip around the body

With Revol, the designer has created an object that is both original and functional. The originality of the design comes from the lip that runs around the body, giving the BOMBANCE casserole its reassuring roundness. This lip emerges from the body to create one-piece handles. These handles are recessed for a reassuring grip, which is essential when you need to pick up a hot cocotte. When it’s cold, you can slip your finger in; when it’s hot, you can be sure of a secure grip with a potholder: feel the hollow of the handle as a reference point.

The porcelain lid has a number of practical features. The central handle is integrated into a cavity called a “pool” by the designer. As a result, it does not protrude from the domed lid, protected in its hollow from mechanical shocks. The lid can be turned over on the table without weakening it. The handle is long enough to grip and feel, even with a potholder. The pool can also be filled with ice cubes or water to optimize cooking by promoting condensation in the casserole. The spikes on the inside of the lid distribute the droplets produced by evaporation, which fall back onto the preparation and prevent it from drying out. Inga Sempé also used these spikes to write Revol, giving character to the upside-down lid.

Chez Inga Sempé, Photographie © Nikolaj Møller pour Reform

"At Revol they understand our work as designers"

Inga Sempé talks about her discovery of Revol, a factory that combines industry and craftsmanship with a magnificent material, porcelain, which she wanted to showcase in all its purity:

“A designer spends his time adapting to different techniques, worlds and industrial cultures, and that’s what’s great about it! We make mistakes, we learn, we spend our time trying to understand, while being very focused on the technique. That’s the basis of the job, if you want to see your project through to the end. Everyone knows Revol, which is very well known and established in the professional world! What I also appreciated was the friendliness of the teams. They’re people who care about their company, who listen. At Revol, they understand what we do as designers, what we bring to the table, and we can talk to the teams. It’s an everyday brand, with a commitment to quality in manufacturing.”

Four years of collaboration

With Revol, Inga Sempé has discovered a rich material, porcelain, and a factory that pushes the technicality of each object far to preserve the apparent simplicity of the design. It took four years to co-develop the BOMBANCE collection with Revol.