Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset

MICHEL DUCAROY (Lyon, 1925–2009) for Ligne Roset.
“Togo” Sofa, 1973.
Upholstered in a neutral shade.
In very good overall condition. Shows signs of use and wear consistent with its age, with a light patina and marks typical of its age, with no significant issues visible to the naked eye. Stable frame. The condition can be clearly seen in the images.
Measurements: 76 x 120 x 115 cm.
Few pieces of contemporary furniture have achieved the status of a design icon like Michel Ducaroy’s Togo. Created in 1973 for Ligne Roset, this sofa revolutionized the traditional concept of seating by eliminating any visible rigid frame and replacing it with an innovative core of multi-density foams that offers exceptional comfort. Its characteristic low silhouette, its generous padded folds—which evoke the skin of a Shar-Pei dog—and its casual look gave rise to a radically new design, making it one of the most recognizable and admired models of the 20th century.
Unveiled that same year at the Salon des Arts Ménagers in Paris, the Togo was awarded the René Gabriel Prize, an honor recognizing “innovative and democratic furniture,” and has enjoyed commercial and critical success since its launch—a success that remains relevant more than five decades later. Its design, conceived as a true “sofa-mattress,” responds to a new way of inhabiting domestic spaces, prioritizing comfort, flexibility, and informality without sacrificing a powerful aesthetic identity.
Michel Ducaroy, a graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, joined Ligne Roset in 1954, where he headed the design department for decades. Fascinated by the possibilities offered by new materials that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s—such as polyurethane foam, wadding, and thermoformed plastics—he developed an innovative formal language that gave rise to some of the most iconic pieces of contemporary French design. Among them, the Togo series stands as his masterpiece and one of the greatest successes in Ligne Roset’s history.