Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/806973
THAT 64 A NEW BOOK ON THE LIFE AND WORK OF FRENCH DESIGNER FRANÇOIS CATROUX IS A SPIN THROUGH A GLAMOROUS, RARE-AIR WORLD. ARISTOCRATIC EDGE B Y R E B E C C A S H E R M A N F or almost 50 years, François Catroux has been the go-to decorator for a rarified inter- national set of super-rich aristo- crats, royals, and moguls. Since he first opened his Paris office in 1968, Guy and Marie-Hélène de Rothschild, Princess Marie Chantal of Greece, Russian billion- aire Roman Abramovich, and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg have all made pilgrimages to his atelier. Catroux, who turned 80 in December, shows no signs of slowing down, having just finished a $54 million penthouse for Hollywood titan David Geffen, a 305-foot yacht for Barry Diller, and a Riyadh palace for a young member of the Saudi royal family. A fascinating new book, François Catroux (Rizzoli, $65), explores the Algeria-born designer's remarkable body of work and his glamorous life. The first volume on Catroux — author and interior designer David Netto pursued him for two years until he relented — is much more than delicious photographs of luxury palazzos, yachts, and a private train; it's an in-depth look into Catroux's intimate and rarified orb. He has been married for 48 years to style icon Betty Catroux, lifelong muse and confidant of Yves Saint Laurent; their inner circle included Loulou de la Falaise and Pierre Bergé, along with a stream of European David Netto David Netto PASCAL HINOUS MARIANNE HAAS FRANÇOIS HALARD Catroux designed Chinese screens for a house in China. Magritte and Modigliani mix with furniture designed by Catroux.