Five Favourites From Paris Design Week 2020.

Hand up if you’re sick of all the digital events these days? Argh! Me three. Alas, our new reality is here to stay and event formats are all doing their best by experimenting and learning how to adapt.

Paris Design Week 2020 took place across the French capital as a combination of real and virtual events between 3rd to 12th September. Maison & Objet fair was presented in an entirely digital format, while the showrooms and galleries around the city took the old-school physical approach, with the addition of compulsory face masks and social distancing measures in place. It feels like this is the way we will be operating across the globe for quite some time.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, below is a quick recap of five things that caught my digitally-fatigued eye this year.

Photography by Alessandro Zambianchi.

Haute Couture by Servomuto, curated by Margherita Ratti.

Italian Institute of Culture in Paris hosted the launch of Haute Couture installation by Servomuto, curated by Margherita Ratti. Hôtel de Galliffet was transformed into a hall of art with seven oversized floor lamps paying homage to the visionary spirit of Parisian Haute Couture – the synthesis of different cultures and subcultures that acts as a bridge between tradition and innovation.

Product photography by Sylvain Claire.

Humbert & Poyet’s Metamorphosis Collection for Maison Pouenat.

Comprising unique pieces and collectibles such as lights, sofas, armchairs, and tables, Metamorphosis features pure, clean lines and a resolutely contemporary spirit, brought to life with bespoke craftsmanship both the historic iron maker Maison Pouenat and interior architects Humbert & Poyet are renowned for.

Inspired by the Art Deco movement and the designs of the 1950s and 1970s, the collection pays tribute to a number of Humbert & Poyet’s favourite artists including Jean Royère, Paavo Tynell and Josef Hoffmann. These inspirations are apparent in not only the design, but choice of shapes, assorted textures and exquisite attention to detail. The bold choices of materials – lacquered wood, stone, plaster and brass, note a striking contrast from the raw to the ornate.

The collection was unveiled as a scenography that was a tribute to Christo & Jeanne Claude. Statement by statement, wrapped and unwrapped.

Photography by Alice Cuvelier.

Photography by Fabrice Gousset.

Intérieur aux Aubergines by Cristina Celestino for Maison Matisse.

After the success of their first limited series and first permanent La Musique ceramics collection, Maison Matisse has expanded their collections with pieces by Milanese designer Cristina Celestino. A sofa, an armchair, a folding screen, two coffee tables, a rug, wallpaper and a selection of home accessories are the stars of this permanent collection, inspired by the iconic still-life Intérieur aux aubergines (1911), regarded as one of Henri Matisse’s most decorative artworks. Like a living painting, Celestino‘s archetypal pieces interpret the work’s most striking elements in three dimensions, through a set of screens that are superimposed in-depth, mirroring the pictorial composition imagined by Matisse.

In the likeness of Matisse’s works, these objects seek to stand the test of time: to be cherished, kept and passed on from generation to generation.

Initiated by the fourth generation of Henri Matisse’s family to celebrate, pass on and share the boldness and values of this universal artist, Maison Matisse offers an interpretation of the painter’s creative world, celebrating shapes and colours.

Eclipse Transience Mirrors by Lex Pott & David Derksen.

Lamina Lights by Tijs Gilde.

Lex Pott & David Derksen and Tijs Gilde at Transnatural Gallery.

Amsterdam gallery Transnatural showcased five new works by designers who take material innovation as a starting point of their creative process. By harnessing sustainable production methods and technological innovations, Transnatural cultivates forward-thinking ways to (re-) design our living spaces.

Two standouts are the ongoing series by Dutch designers Lex Pott & David Derksen, who unveiled new versions of the Eclipse Transience Mirrors. The Eclipse models celebrate the beauty of the natural oxidizing process inherent in mirrors, which the duo accelerate and manipulate, resulting in handmade pieces that illustrate the various stages of oxidation through a gradient of brown – gold – silver tones.

Meanwhile, Tijs Gilde’s Lamina Light features a variety of luminous elements that form a narrative through his unique fascination with pattern and colour. Within a layered, modular structure of recycled acrylic material, Lamina amplifies colour pattern intensity. The design also explores new possibilities for more efficient production and recycling techniques. Two new models were launched at M&O digital fair 2020.

Verso Collection by David/ Nicolas for Pierre Frey.

In 2017, French decorating house Pierre Frey acquired one of France’s leading manufacturers of furniture, expanding its range of products.

Sam Baron, Pierre Frey’s newly appointed artistic director for furniture, worked with Lebanese designers David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem of design studio david/nicolas. The duo focused on the theme of travel and the great transatlantic liners by the likes of René Prou, boldly reinterpreting his codes to create the collection.

Verso responds to new lifestyles with both functional and modular design. A link between decoration and function, the collection demonstrates an innovative approach by mixing classical, contemporary and futuristic elements in a timeless aesthetic.

[Images courtesy of the designers. Photography credits as noted.]