Why the Togo Sofa Still Defines Cool 50 Years Later

By Eiki YoshimuraOctober 02, 2025

In the shifting landscape of design, where trends come and go like waves, only a few pieces manage to feel as fresh decades after their debut as at the moment they first appeared. The Togo Sofa, designed by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset in 1973, is one of those pieces. Half a century on, it continues to define what it means to be cool in furniture design, by combining radical innovation, comfort, flexibility, and an unmistakable aesthetic rooted in the spirit of the time it was made yet capable of adapting to each new generation.

Origins: A Mid-Century Moment of Rebellion

To understand Togo, it helps to go back to France in the early 1970s. Furniture design, especially in Europe, was dominated by structured forms, rigid legs and bases, and formal seating arrangements. Michel Ducaroy with design in his blood and with major practical and artistic influences (including work with Ligne Roset since the 1950s), wanted something different.

The inspiration for Togo came from something utterly everyday: a tube of toothpaste, squeezed in the middle, folding back on itself like a stove-pipe, closed at both ends. That casual moment sparked a sketch, and from there evolved what would become Togo’s signature look: crumpled, quilted foam; a ground-hugging silhouette; no visible base.

When the piece premiered at the Salon des Arts Ménagers in Paris in 1973, it wasn’t universally loved. People were shocked it had “no base”, some assumed Ligne Roset had forgotten to add one. But despite early skepticism, it won the René-Gabriel prize for “high quality at a fair price.”

Thus was born a design that was mid-century not just in date, but in spirit: questioning hierarchies, rejecting unnecessary ornament and structure, embracing comfort and individuality.

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What Makes Togo Timelessly Cool

Slouch Meets Structure

One of the key features that keeps Togo relevant is precisely this tension between structure (engineering, construction, craftsmanship) and slouch (relaxed form, softness, casual use). The triple-density foam core, the quilting, the absence of a rigid base, the way the sofa seems to sink toward the floor. These all contribute to a “grounded yet plush” feel. Things that invite you to lounge, relax, cuddle in. It’s comfort that’s undeniable.

Flexibility & Modularity

The Togo series isn’t just one fixed sofa; it’s a system. Different modules and sizes allow people to configure it to their space and lifestyle. Whether in a loft, apartment, family home, or somewhere more unconventional, Togo adapts. It can be playful or serious, large or compact. And it’s relatively light for its size, making manoeuvring possible without professional movers. That kind of flexibility is part of why it continues to appeal especially in today’s world where people move more often and interiors evolve faster.

Aesthetic Boldness & Visual Identity

Look at it: the wrinkles, the low line, the absence of traditional legs, the sense that it sinks into the floor. These are bold visual statements. Where so much furniture aims to hide or minimize its construction, the Togo highlights what it is. That makes it memorable. In addition, its look aligns well with other mid-century modern principles: clean lines (in this case, curved), honest materials and functionality. But it adds softness and warmth.

Cultural and Social Resonance

Togo rose during a period of social change, an era when formal stiffness in interiors was falling out of favour, and design was meant to reflect freer lifestyles. The ’70s, with their experimentation, nonconformism, loosening of norms in art, fashion, society and Togo was part of that. It became a symbol for enjoyment, informality, taking pleasure in comfort without guilt. So even today, it isn’t just the form but what it represents that resonates.

In recent years, especially during lockdowns and greater emphasis on homes as havens, Togo has re-emerged in social media, in interiors magazines and online influencers’ feeds, as a statement of personal style that prioritizes well-being. It’s a sofa you see in photos of lifestyle influencers, design features, home tours. And people respond to it because it says something: this is a space for living, for relaxing, for being yourself.

How It’s Stayed Relevant (Half a Century On)

Craftsmanship & Quality

Though many things in furniture production have moved towards mass production and cost-cutting, Ligne Roset has preserved a strong commitment to craftsmanship with the Togo. Each piece, especially in top fabric or leather, can involve many hours of hand work. The foam construction, upholstery, quilting, the finishing—all these contribute to a product that lasts both physically and stylistically.

Variations, Fabrics, & Limited Editions

To remain current, Togo has evolved. New fabric options, new colours, limited editions for special occasions (for example, designs by Raf Simons for Kvadrat, etc.) have been introduced. These help keep the design from feeling stuck in the past. When people see it done in fresh fabrics, unexpected prints, or updated palettes, it becomes re-relevant.

Social Media & Modern Lifestyle

As noted, platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, where interior images are shared widely, help resurface design classics. Togo’s visual distinctiveness makes it very “Instagrammable.” It shows up in modern homes, staged photo shoots, and in moments of domestic comfort. There’s also something about the shift toward more relaxed, informal living spaces: where people want to kick back, where formality is less important than comfort. Togo fits that mood perfectly.

Mid-Century Roots, Modern Impact

When we say “Mid-Century” in design, we often mean the 1940s–1960s (or early ’70s) aesthetic that emphasized simplicity, functionality, organic forms, minimal ornament. Togo sits right on that boundary: designed in 1973, influenced by the late mid-century spirit, but pushing forward: rejecting strict formality and integrating a new kind of softness and informality. It’s mid-century with a twist.

Michel Ducaroy, educated in classical arts but working in an era of new materials (foam, upholstery techniques, wadding, etc.), was able to bring together tradition and innovation. The result: something that is truly of its time and ahead of its time.

Conclusion: What the Togo Teaches Us About Cool

At its core, the Togo Sofa still defines cool because it shows that good design is never just about being new or trendy. It’s about daring to be different, about comfort, about craftsmanship, about responding to social mood, and about staying adaptable without losing identity.

Togo is cool not because it’s vintage, but because it was built to transcend its era, and it has. It continues to teach designers and users that comfort matters, that visual form matters, but that the two need not be in tension. It reminds us that style is also attitude, and sometimes that attitude is one of slouching back, letting go of formalities, settling in.

If you want interiors that feel alive, welcoming, personal, and at once relaxed and design-savvy; then having something like the Togo is more than a furniture choice. It’s a cultural statement. Fifty years later, and it still speaks.