At the last session of scènes d’intérieur, the new Kenzo Maison label (LVMH group) presented a complete collection of contemporary furniture and lighting. The line includes chairs, beds, tables, bookshelves, lighting, rugs, etc. The Kenzo design studio has brought the fashion brand’s trademark style into the world of decoration, with prints from the fashion collections, as well as emblematic forms such as the Pagodon bag, interpreted here as a curious footstool. “The home, which is a highly important space for the Kenzo brand, has at last gotten a new line, which will be the mainstay of the label and allow Kenzo to definitively establish the umbrella brand of Kenzo Maison and its different products,” declares James Greenfield, Kenzo’s adjunct managing director.
After licensing with Yves Delorme for household linens and toweling, with Lelièvre for upholstery fabrics and decorative accessories, as well as Arc International for tableware, Kenzo has looked to the know-how of Italian manufacturer Club House Italia, which has been producing lines for Fendi Casa for the past ten years. By bringing together the extremes of Japanese-style minimalism with flowery exoticism, the mark of ultra-chic exoticism has met with resounding success with this worldwide sneak-preview.
Mini Couture outfits Mini Coopers
The object of every visitor’s gaze was neither a piece of furniture nor a decorative accessory, but a very sexy car with black lace clothing. Didier Texier, the founder of Mini-Couture, presented a Mini equipped with an adhesive kit that transforms the car into a fashion icon. “We didn’t invent anything. The technique of total covering for a vehicle has been around for a long time, notably for advertising needs. But with the phenomenon of ‘stickermania’, we wanted to offer more fashion-trendy possibilities for personalizing automobiles,” explains the furniture distributor, who thought “people would take me for an eccentric.” His bold idea has appealed to bigger fish than himself. The giant 3M provided the cutting-edge technology of ultra-resistant film, and the BMW group’s car brand Mini backed this fashion “tune up” which offers prints such as Liberty, Scottish tartan, arabesque patterns, cushioned trompe-l’oeil or fake wood. The adventure is just beginning.
Louis Design: interview of Christelle Le Déan (Art Director / Designer) - MEUBLE PARIS, January 2008
Christelle LeDéan has created a brand with a strong French stylistic identity by shaking up traditional codes with inventive play on forms and colors.
For six generations, the familial business Brun de Vian Tiran has been passionate about noble fibers from rare exotic species such as yaks, llamas, first-shear young alpacas, albino camels, the highly rare Turkmenistan camel, or the Siberian yanghir, as well as the mythical merino from ancient Arles. In its workshops in Provence, the wool manufacturer, founded in 1808 in the Sorgue valley, still manufactures blankets, wool comforters, throws, shawls, and scarves. “In a niche market which has been shrinking for years, the high-end is our refuge. We have chosen to exercise all of our expertise and to become a reference as far as quality is concerned,” explains Jean-Pierre Brun, the head of marketing and exports, who cultivates the genetics of excellence. For the former oenologist, who has returned to the family’s territory, there was no sense in letting things be touch-and-go. “We didn’t need to invent our ancestors. Our history is a longstanding one. By keeping our factory on site, we have constructed a chain of value which creates a sense of trust in our clientele, who purchase a blanket as a piece of equipment that lasts an average of 40 years.” In celebration of its bicentennial, the brand has created a blanket that brings together the most beautiful wools from three continents, and continues to create striking summer blankets made from rare cashmeres weighing less than 500 grams. “In luxury products, the trend is toward the ultra-light.”
16&12’s ceramic furniture
To the question, “Can you sit on a ceramic bench?”, Céline Dayes and Romuald Marie proved that it was possible to answer in the affirmative, by combining poetry and functionality. Chosen as one of the Tremplins at the Meuble Paris show after having been spotted at the Saint-Etienne Biennial, the creative duo 16&12’s ceramic furniture surprised visitors to Meuble Paris. “We love to subvert codes and scale in furniture,” acknowledges Céline Dayes, a graduate of the Ensci-Les Ateliers. It was at the design agency Cent Degrés that the designer, graphic artist and illustrator met Romuald Marie, an engineer trained at the Compiègne UTC. “We wanted to get our hands on some material and really work with it.” The European ceramics center EKWC in Bois Le Duc in the Netherlands was sold on their ideas. Invited for a residency, the couple benefited from the center’s technical assistance in order to create their ceramic furniture. Today, the independent designers are living in the green landscape of the Lot and have their own kiln. They collaborate with luxury brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Serge Lutens, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Kenzo. “We would like to create links between the world of luxury and ceramics, but also move away from unique pieces and produce our creations serially.”
Neology: interview of Christophe Pillet (Designer / Art Director) - MEUBLE PARIS, January 2008
Christophe Pillet speaks out in praise of the “French Touch” and the quality of French know-how.
To come up with a resolutely cutting-edge ready-to-flower book, the Interflora network asked Lisa White, a trend-spotter and editor in chief of the magazine Provider, to come up with a style book aimed at florists who are part of the network. “In times of uncertainty, people look to nature for reassurance. We are living in a paradoxical era that is no longer the 20th century, but not yet the 21st.” The book “Hybrid Harmonies” thus underscores the desire for a fusion of styles in a new age where “we are learning to formulate the alchemy of our lives, between the chic and the ethical, between luxury and low-cost, between nostalgia and futurism, between scientific innovation and emotion.” Hybrid colors such as artificial mauves, electric blues with synthetic tones, intense greens, vibrant yellows and strange greys give rise to striking floral compositions imagined by the highly inventive florists in the Interflora floral art group. The days of the same old round bouquet are over. Their creations play on unexpected associations between surprising colors and textures, which radically renew the art of the bouquet. The use of garlic flowers, fern stems, artichokes or begonias helps discover species that are hardly ever used, even if they are not necessarily rare. “These suggestions open up new possibilities without completely breaking people’s habits. This first work is a tool that will stimulate a creative dynamic,” stresses Pascale Denain, the head of promotion for a network of some 5,300 florists in France. Next season: “sustainable” bouquets, using recycled elements or with a double-use.
AG*R edits furniture by Chantal Thomass
One year ago the lingerie designer Chantal Thomass stopped by the AG*R Créateur d’Univers stand. She was looking for furniture for her country house and was attracted by the reproductions of furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries, which for the past twenty years have been the specialty of this familial business reputed for the quality of its woodworking know-how. A year later, the brand has a huge success on its hands with a line of furniture signed by the icon of femininity. Decoration as coquettish as her lingerie, for a neo-boudoir where all the designer’s codes can be found. A Corset pouf, a cushioned Boudoir Sofa, black and fuchsia, velvet and satin ribbons, precious and quirky style. “I chose a style and a challenge by entering the world of fashion designers with a more modern and eccentric line,” admits Guillaume Albisetti, the brand’s art director. The business has long remained behind the scenes, manufacturing furniture for brands such as Yves Delorme or for prestigious developments in luxury hotels. AG*R Créateur d’Univers continues to furnish palace hotels such as the Royal Monceau and the Georges V. But the time has come for it to step out into the spotlight with “a strong identity and original artistic offerings.” Ten new models for the Chantal Thomass collection are currently being developed. A sales site will be operational in early April. The brand is looking for a showroom on Paris’s left bank and developing its presence in Moscow, where “the battle is raging.” All while preparing new collaborations with artists. “We never imagined we would have such striking success. It’s pretty violent, but we are keeping level-headed,” ponders Guillaume Albisetti.
Grange: interview of Drazen Babic (Managing Director) - MEUBLE PARIS, January 2008
Drazen Babic sees a high concentration of buyers at the two furniture and decoration shows (MEUBLE PARIS et MAISON&OBJET), and stresses the difficulty of responding to all the different markets.
Ora Ito and chef Hisayuki Takeuchi reinvent the bento
It is in the setting of the new restaurant at the Rendez-vous Toyota on the Champs-Elysées that one can discover a new way of consuming Japanese bentos, the traditional box meals. Chef Hisayuki Takeuchi fused two dimensions of Japanese gastronomy, kaseki, or the emperor’s cuisine, and the more working-class bento. The virtuoso of Japanese nouvelle cuisine and sushi wanted to create food in which would be a mix of beautiful, tasty and healthy, for the greater pleasure of the palate. In order to present the subtle combinations of tastes inspired by the paintings of Renoir or the gardens at Giverny, the chef created with the designer Ora Ito compartmental dishes with soft geometrical lines “looking for harmony in dissymmetry and a complexity hidden behind the simplicity of their forms.” The result, in the contents as well as the receptacle, echo the values of the automobile brand: quality, innovation, design. And it is a true delight to be surrounded by the white and red Corian décor designed by the French designer.
Groupe Cauval Industries (Simmons, Steiner, Valmont…): interview of Robert Marchal (Managing Director of Valmont) - MEUBLE PARIS, January 2008
Robert Marchal thinks in France, the furniture and bedding market is benefiting from positive runoff from the flourishing decoration trend.
Bontempi Casa: interview of Giovanni Baleani (Sales Manager) - MEUBLE PARIS, January 2008
Giovanni Baleani appreciates the gathering (MAISON&OBJET et MEUBLE PARIS) for giving a unified image of the market and encourages the development of technological materials.
33 rue Véron. 75018 Paris. France. Tel. +33 (0)9 50 99 33 30
In the heart of Montmartre, designer Natasha Farina has opened her first store. In this very girly boudoir, the delicate fantasia of decorative accessories, gourmet delights from Mademoiselle Rose, unique pieces such as the First Step dresser and the Pretty Miss console, as well as a selection of brands from designers such as Rosa l’Inde, Lupin Lapin, Nathalie Choux…etc.
Bolier & Company
58 rue Pierre Demours. 75017 Paris. France. Tel. +33 (0)1 40 53 03 70
After London, the American group Decca Furniture has opened its second European showroom to architects, decorators and private individuals. Come enjoy the elegant creations in classic contemporary style by Michael Vanderbyl and John Black. A “materiotheque” including some 350 samples of wood essences allows for custom-made personalization.
16 rue Saint-Placide. 75006 Paris. France. Tel. +33 (0)1 45 48 89 21
Candles discovered throughout Europe, along with lanterns, oil lamps, candle-holders, organic fuel fireplaces… with an emphasis on contemporary style and quality.
149 rue de Lonchamp. 75016 Paris. France. Tel. +33 (0)1 42 94 88 35
The store devoted to the world of children and young adults has settled in on two floors. Exposed wood beams, white walls, and a concrete floor show off the selection of fine Italian brands (Flos, Magis, Foscarini…etc). Andrea di Vita rounds out the offer with new finds such as XO, Fontana Arte, Baleri Italie, Padova…etc.
The architects Véronique Rapp and Bernard Spitz of the AYA agency created the interior design of this vast space devoted to the art of outdoor living, with immense photos of exotic landscapes. In a refined environment, the furniture and accessories take on an urban look that fits in perfectly with the indoor/outdoor vocation the brand holds dear.
78 rue de Seine. 75006 Paris. France. Tel. +33 (0)1 43 26 46 50
Founded in 1643, the former Royal Waxworks has been transformed into a striking cabinet of curiosities devoted to the cult of vegetal candles. With a new precious collection designed by Ramdane Touhami and even custom-made creations.
119 rue de Paradis. 13006 Marseille. France. Tel. +33 (0)4 91 33 19 10
In less than a year, the Italian design brand has opened seven stores in the four corners of France. Behind six large windows, it has taken its place in the heart of the southern metropolis with all of its collections.
In a mini-loft situated in the heart of a picturesque neighborhood, Pierre-Marie Villant offers a selection of chic design brands such as Marzais, Paola C., Ceccato, Via Notti, Vitamin…etc. The store is also an art gallery and creates custom-made furniture and mirrors in teak and brushed metal.
6 Marylebone High Street. Londres W1U 4NJ. Angleterre.
The household linen brand asked the architect François Muracciole to design this new 200 m2 space, where light wood and zinc commingle in the soft glow of poetic lighting.
2-21-9 Kichijohihon-cho, Musashino-City. Tokyo 180-0004. Japon.
The famous Finnish brand continues its ambitious internationalization policy by opening a concept store to present all of its collections in the Japanese capital. Marimekko also has ten stores in Japan.
On Friday, February 1 at 5 o’clock in the morning, a gigantic fire ravaged the house of Deyrolle’ magnificent cabinet of curiosities, founded in 1831 on the Rue du Bac in Paris. Collections of insects and butterflies as well as part of the collection of natural animals went up in smoke. Fourteen fire engines dispatched from seven fire houses finally managed to put out the flames. On the ground floor, the Prince Jardinier boutique should reopen soon. But the deluge of water also created important collateral damage in Julie Prisca’s neighboring shop. “We are shocked. A ceiling collapsed, destroying the whole collection. It was as though a bomb had been dropped on our showroom,” laments Julie Prisca. It will take two months to dry out the space, and losses have been evaluated at over 50,000 €. Now, the designer is urgently looking for another space in the neighborhood to receive her clientele. Meanwhile, Louis Albert de Broglie, the owner of Deyrolle is calling for donations in order to reconstruct the “Deyrolle museum.” Gifts of insect collections, naturalized animals, Deyrolle drafts, antique pedagogical materials or entomological furniture can be bought. Or drafts purchased at 25€ rather than 9.91€.
Version Vendôme
1 bis place de Valois. 75001 Paris. France. Tel. +33 (0)1 42 60 33 00
In a space halfway between an apartment and a gallery, Gérard Thomas brings together his favorite styles from the furniture of Edra, Cecotti, Baleri, Rivolta. Private individuals and professionals alike adore the creations by Marcel Wanders for Quodes, or Nino Gavina for Simon. There is also a cutting-edge selection of highly seductive accessories, such as Merry Crystal and Kreon lighting, tassels by Spina or creations from Ochre. All in a setting that privileges the four elements, with a wall of water and a retro-lit onyx wall.
Rue de la Rosière. 73120 Courchevel 1650. France. Tel. +33 (0)4 79 08 07 07
In a traditional Alpine chalet with 36 rooms and suites, a refined décor evokes the peaks of the Himalayas, the Canadian Rocky Mountains or the Swiss Alps. Relax in the Mahayana spa with treatments by Anne Semonin and Vitaman. Enjoy the cuisine of chef Christian Salin, who was previously at the world-renowned Troisgros.
44 rue Yves Klein. 06480 La Colle sur Loup. France. Tel. +33 (0)4 93 89 73 34
Facing the Provençal village of Saint-Paul de Vence, Anne d’Hauterives and her husband have transformed a former blacksmith’s into a charming inn with four rooms and a suite. In the peaceful calm of its white tones, the former La Treille Muscate designer combines the old and the contemporary with verve.
A charming new décor for this large fairytale chalet, which is one of the Leading Hotels of the World. With Pierre Gagnaire’s cuisine, a skating rink on the patio, a 850 m2 spa and “skiing valets” to take care of guests’ needs.
60 Washington Avenue. FL 33139 Miami Beach. USA. Tel. 305 534 96 006
Wallace Tutt, the decorator for the house of the late Gianni Versace, has given a new glam-chic atmosphere to the 1930s architecture of this spot situated in South Beach.
In a former fishing village on the Gulf of Thailand, the architect Duangrit Bunnag has designed 79 rooms and villas with a private pool. For this new hedonistic luxury retreat, the eminent architect has showcased old wood and marble and put the accent on rigorous, pure lines. The hotel is a member of the Design Hotels™ network.
The Morgans Hotel Group (Delano, Royalton, Sanderson, etc.) asked Marcel Wanders to design this residence hotel offering costly studios and luxury lofts. A spectacular spiral staircase, oversized furniture, black and white baroque motifs, combinations of grey and gold, and subverted Delft porcelain for a post-minimalist aesthetic the Dutch designer holds dear.
13 rue des Lavandières Sainte Opportune. 75001 Paris. France. Tel. +33 (0)1 42 21 01 72
Chef Santiago Torrijos and his second in command Matthieu Aman create delicious dishes in a peaceful grey décor. With Bruno Viala, the new Bar à Manger now offers B&B, culinary activism, and a catering service.
Jaime Hayon’s “Mediterranean digital baroque” style has transforms the restaurant at Madrid’s casino. In a masterful ode to shades of pale on a backdrop of black and white or mirrored checkerboards, one can taste the cooking of Paco Roncero, inspired by the gustatory discoveries of Ferran Adria.
Palais de Tokyo. 13 avenue du Président Wilson. 75016 Paris. France.
French plastic artist Loris Gréaud invests the entire space of the Palais de Tokyo with a striking interdisciplinary approach, in which the architecture of drafts of air encounters high-tech design, nano-sculptures, scattered candies, and films as “utopian projects.”
Through May 4, 2008
Musée du Louvre. Quai du Louvre. 75001 Paris. France.
Flemish artist Jan Fabre has imagined an itinerary through the museum’s collections in which his works encounter masterpieces by Van Eyck, Van der Weyden, Bosch, Metsys and Rubens. A “mental drama” touching on themes of death, vanity, madness, suffering and disguise.
From April 11th till July 07th, 2008
Galerie Kreo. 22 rue Duchefdelaville. 75013 Paris. France. Tel. +33 (0)1 53 60 18 42
New pieces that dabble in the poetry of excess while respecting use, such as a three-headed lamp, “white, unreal tables like pieces of floating ice” or a box sofa “with an intriguing format.”
Through March 8, 2008
Tools Galerie. 119 rue Vieille du Temple. 75003 Paris. France. Tel. +33 (0)1 42 77 35 80
On the borderline between art and industrial production, creations by Studiobility and Gudrun Lilja are anchored in Icelandic culture, combining rigor and whimsy.
Through March 16, 2008
Cooper-Hewitt Design museum. 2 East 91 Street. New York NY 10128. USA.
Brazilian designers Fernando and Humberto Campana explored the museum’s collections in order to pick out some thirty objects dating from the 16th to the 20th century. The exhibition’s curators had the objective of “creating a bridge between design and poetry, between design and the hidden desire for wellbeing, and the fantasies of everyday life.” For the occasion, the museum has edited a new piece from the “TransPlastic” series, in which natural materials and plastics form a daring hybrid.
Through September 28, 2008
MoMa. 11 West 53 street. 10019-5497 New York. USA. Tel. +1 (212) 708 94 00
Design is taking on technological, social or scientific innovations to accompany the changes that are modifying our lifestyles and our environments. Nearly 139 objects, projects or concepts testify to these disruptive approaches, such as creations by Mathieu Lehanneur or Front Design.
Through May 12, 208
National Heritage Museum. 33 Marrett Road. MA 02421 Lexington. USA. Tel. +1 (781) 861 65 59
The major influence of the most famous of industrial designers, who designed icons expressing the American Way of Life, with creations as diverse as locomotives and lipstick tubes, not to mention the famous Coca-Cola bottle.
Through March 23, 2008
Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon. Cité Internationale. 81, quai Charles de Gaulle. 69006 Lyon. France.
An homage to the New York artist who died in 1990 after creating a style recognizable anywhere a decade before.
Through June 29, 2008
to read
CULTURE DECOR
Roland Daraspe. From leaf to curve
Published to coincide with the retrospective exhibition of to the French goldsmith Roland Daraspe at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Bordeaux, this book presents this maestro’s exceptional creations. Cut-out, softened, wrinkled or rounded, silver leaf transforms into a unique piece inspired by the vegetable and marine worlds. Editions Bernard Chauveau. 40€. A hundred copies have been published with a piece of exceptional gold work for a sales price of 290€.
Release date March 14, 2008
From Yodels to quantum physics. Volume 1
A collective work edited by Marc-Olivier Wahler. At the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the subjects dealt with are varied: Yodels and quantum physics, but also zombies, the occult, woodcutters, mutants, anti-matter, tuning, etc. Like an encyclopedia, the book gives an exhaustive presentation of the Palais de Tokyo’s program from September 2006 to December 2007. The objective: to break down intellectual and aesthetic categories, multiply interpretations and question the ties between contemporary art and reality. Editions Archibooks. 34€.
Vivre la couleur
By Stafford Cliff with photographs by Gilles de Chabaneix. Colors determine our moods and our wellbeing. They sublimate our interiors and also express a true art of living. Thames & Hudson. 34.95€.
Pierre Paulin
By Catherine Geel. A historical, analytical monograph on the work of the French designer, elected Creator of the Year. For the monographic exhibition at the Grand Hornu museum in Belgium, Catherine Geel has edited this monographic work, which is both historical and analytical. The bilingual catalogue explores all the facets of Paulin’s work as a designer: interior designer, creator of furniture and industrial products, scenographer, art director, and head of his own agency. Editions Archibooks. 39€.
Once again this year, the number of visitors reached a new peak.
From January 25 to 29, 2008, 86,085 professional visitors came to see the 3,001 brands at MAISON&OBJET in Paris-Nord Villepinte.
Once again, the show confirmed its international scope with nearly 42% of visitors from abroad (+12% compared to January 2007). The show’s synergy with MEUBLE PARIS has made Paris now more than ever the international capital of home-fashion.
"Les Découvertes" MAISON&OBJET awards
20 companies/exhibitors were recognized. Details available at www.maison-objet.com
MEUBLE PARIS in
NEWS
MEUBLE PARIS January 2008 overview : an international spirit
For its first edition at Le Bourget from January 24 to 28, 2008, the MEUBLE PARIS show welcomed 25,759 professional visitors to its halls, of which 8,966 were from abroad – some 35% of attendees. 471 brands came together across more than 44,000 m2 of stands to represent the whole Furniture industry.
From the most classic to the most contemporary, MEUBLE PARIS presented an overarching, exclusive and qualitative offer that met the expectations of highly qualified visitors from all over the world.
"Les Découvertes" MEUBLE PARIS awards
16 companies/exhibitors were recognized. Details available at www.meuble-paris.net
September 5-9, 2008 / Exhibition Centre, Paris-Nord Villlepinte
Exhibitions organized by SAFI, filiale de la chambre syndicale des Ateliers d’Art de France et de Reed Expositions France.
For any information: Tel. +33 (0)1 44 29 02 00. Fax: +33 (0)1 44 29 02 01. info@safisalons.fr
MAG online is published by SAFI Communication Services. Communication Director: Véronique Thouvenin. Coordination: Aurélie Mestelan. Editor-in-Chief: Marie-Jo Malait.
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