MAISON&OBJET September 2023

Refocus, regroup, indulge your senses, reconnect with your inner self, with others and with the environment. January 2023 will be all about taking care of each other, of our expertise and of our planet. From 19th to 23rd January, Maison&Objet Paris is set to shine a light on these highly meaningful forward focused values. The theme is set to sweep across the entire trade fair, even rippling out to the talks and the trend zones.

Understand the theme

The major social, economic and political upheaval we are all currently experiencing is inciting everyone to stand up for their convictions. It is also encouraging brands to be more transparent, inclusive and responsible when reaching out to consumers, who are themselves more invested than ever in the way in which they engage with brands. Now is a time for straight talking, taking action and being open minded, even if that means beating a drum in order to drive forward change. The design on show at Maison&Objet will look to challenge the modern day aesthetics of what is Beautiful and provide a springboard for what is Good.

Taking care is something that has become a veritable necessity at a time when we are all actively seeking meaning and tranquillity. The January edition of Maison&Objet Paris is set to breathe life into something that is now deemed an absolute must.

"When deciding on our themes, taking a close look at modern day society always serves as our starting point. Today, the second we step outside, we are hit with cultural, environmental and identity issues. Society is craving new models, and that is something that brands can deliver, providing solutions that target the environment, safeguard expertise, or encourage us all to care for others or focus on our own wellbeing. What we are interested in is the rising voices that are picking up that gauntlet. The under 25s that make up Generation Z are impatiently waiting for something

to be done. Today, a new set of ethics are dictating the type of consumer activity we are seeing." - analyses Vincent Grégoire, Creative Director at the NellyRodi design consultancy.

The drive for responsible approach

Above and beyond the increasingly responsible approach being adopted by the trade fair itself (recycling 50% of waste, using more and more LEDs, storing and reusing signage, donating unsold food to the Red Cross, sourcing water locally and turning down the heating), an ever increasing number of exhibitors at Maison&Objet Paris are themselves keen to defend these pivotal values with a view to shaping a desirable and inclusive future.

There is Noma, for example, the French design house that works solely with recycled materials. Or la Ciergerie des Prémontrés which perpetuates the traditional expertise inherited from the Pères blancs monks at l’Abbaye des Prémontrés. Other good examples would be Care by me, the Danish brand that designs soft and warm clothing ranges and accessories, or Laines Paysannes whose rugs are crafted solely from locally sourced materials. These are all just a tiny handful of so many stands that bring joy to our hearts and meaning to our interiors.

The four cornerstones of care

Taking care of yourself

Brands and designers are now looking beyond simple aesthetics to come up with increasingly meaningful creations that invite us to take care not only of our bodies, as is the case with Waterrower’s wood and metal sports equipment, but also of our mental health. "There is a huge trend for solutions dedicated to wellness and physical health, which suffered so much during the pandemic," explains Vincent Grégoire.

The January trade fair will encourage visitors to take their time and clear their heads in spaces such as the 'What’s New?' trend zone, curated by Elisabeth Leriche and appropriately named "In the air" as an invitation to openly embrace lightheartedness and relaxation. Trend spotter François Delclaux will encourage us to get onboard with "Slow Hospitality" by whisking us off on a journey that inspires us to take the foot off the accelerator. The soon to be announced "Designer of the Year" meanwhile, will put together a peaceful and atmospheric space to help us disconnect from the stresses of daily life.

Taking care of nature

"Whilst some visitors come to the trade fair to hunt for exciting new finds, others browse the aisles looking for benchmarks, meaning and ways of tackling social issues, notably ecology," Grégoire explains. For a number of years, the trade fair has been awash with up and coming socially minded brands, who are proactively embodying a "brand new ethic that is finding a foothold amongst consumers, echoing the slow living trend", the trend hunter continues. These include La Fabrique à Sachets, which inspires us to give nature a helping hand by sowing our own seeds, or Dopper which is highly committed to fighting the good fight against single use plastic bottles with its own attractive, ingenious and sturdy vessels. Knife maker Jean Dubosc meanwhile, designs pieces whose handles are made from waste plastic that has been collected and recycled in France.

For the past few years, the brands that boast the most exemplary CSR initiatives have, indeed, been singled out by an independent jury of experts to feature on the trade fair’s "Sustainable" itinerary.

It is also worth noting that as of December, Maison&Objet’s digital platform, MOM, is set to showcase products that can help us save energy, a testament to just how red hot - or perhaps that should be green hot - the topic is this season.

François Bernard’s zone 'What's New?' that helps visitors home in on new trends will shine a light on the relationship between raw materials and nature in an installation titled "Grounded", illustrating a new kind of luxury that sees gold and glitter make way for simplicity.

Taking care of and showing an interest in others

"A huge number of brands are now committed to reforging links between generations, social classes and cultures, and as such are looking beyond simple aesthetics," Grégoire explains.

Maison&Objet tracks down and celebrates hot new talent every single year, and the January edition will place seven Spanish "Rising Talents" firmly in the spotlight, all hand picked from the country’s vast pool of up and coming talent by some of its more well established design names. These talents all represent a socially minded generation, with their creations echoing the widespread desire to care for the world around us. Those self-same values are shared by the three design talents that have been invited to be part of the new "Future on Stage" program, which allows recently launched brands to showcase their convictions.

Also, in a carte blanche given to Ukrainian designers entitled "The art of resilience", Maison&Objet wants to show that Ukrainian design, like all of us, no matter where the war has dispersed us, survives and even grows. Designers are still creating, launching new collections and producing. A tribute to the courage and spirit of freedom of this generation that is helping to write the history of design.

Taking care of our heritage and expertise

"The world boasts an abundance of expertise that we all turned our backs on for a good many years. Today, however, brands are increasingly placing the accent on all things local. Reine Mère works with wood from the Jura region. Cristel’s saucepans are 100% Made in France. Then there are designers such as Samuel Accocebery who collaborates with craftsmen in the Basque country, or Youssouf Fofana from Maison Château Rouge, whose creations celebrate this French capital’s district. They all reflect a mindset that is underpinned by a sense of commitment and the desire to root design in a specific region, drawing on local expertise and culture", explains Vincent Grégoire.

Young brands and centuries old firms present at the trade fair are all keen to ensure this valuable heritage gets passed down to future generations. In France, brands such as Drugeot, Delavelle and Sollen are giving French cabinetry a resolutely twenty first century spin with collections that flaunt overtly contemporary silhouettes AS’ART, meanwhile, selects pieces from South Africa, encouraging and promoting traditional expertise with a view to contributing to the socio-economic development of artisan communities.

Build bridges between the world’s different cultures, facilitate new ways of creating and enjoying interiors and design, perpetuate exceptional artisan trades and propel them into the future, shine a light on new and meaningful initiatives that drive forward innovation that is precisely what the January edition of the Maison&Objet Paris trade fair promises to do from 19th to 23rd January 2023.

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The Futurist: Cruise Design in 2030 and Young Designers: Designing for Gen Z and Beyond

Designers with an eye for the future will be found at the day one keynote The Futurist: Cruise Design in 2030 and the day two conference session Young Designers: Designing for Gen Z and Beyond. From those who track trends to those who are currently shaping the trends, the CSIE conference presents two insights into trapping lightning in a bottle and getting it right before its even happened.

Cruise Conversations Live takes place over the two days of Cruise Ship Interiors, 30 November – 1 December. It’s completely free to visit and one of only two opportunities in the year to attend a live conference and workshop programme dedicated to exploring the cruise ship interiors industry.

Register to receive your free pass here.

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For the September 2022 edition, following the past two years surrounded by our own four walls, Maison&Objet Paris is inviting visitors to step inside the new kind of world we’ve all been dreaming of, echoing a deep-rooted need for meaning and emotion.

A new El Dorado of creativity

It’s a fact, the times in which we are living have sparked a yearning for interiors that strike a subtle balance between being anchored in the real world, surrounded by artisan pieces, craftsmanship and tactile materials, and, at the other end of the spectrum, an appetite for digital living, free of all physical ties. Maison&Objet Paris illustrates this social undercurrent with its “META SENSIBLE” mantra, which paints a picture of a physical world that is no longer in opposition with its digital counterpart. Better still, the two worlds are mutually influential, cross-fertilising and even merging to become a brand-new media for creation, communication and distribution. It is a concept that was forged by the NellyRodi agency, and will be rolled out through a range of different activities come September.

Pixels and bubble-gum

A vast number of designers and makers have, indeed, already got on board with the trend, seeing homes as protective nests with curvaceous silhouettes whose bubble-gum decors are paired with iridescent hues for a new phantasmagorical feel. Objects, fabrics and furniture all draw on a naive or dreamy repertoire. In the age of an ultra-pixelated metaverse, the (real) home exudes a soft and uplifting vibe. In that vein, the brands like Pink Stories, PolsPotten, Mojow or Italian firm Saba – which has already started retailing its sofas NFT form – already look set to be absolute musts.

Restlessness of the senses and experiences on the programme

Once again this year, Maison&Objet Paris will clearly be so much more than simply a trade fair: it will be a place that invites visitors to explore unique sensory experiences and tap into tomorrow’s trends. As well as the “in” event (at the Exhibition Centre), Maison&Objet Paris will also host “off” events (Paris Design Week) as well as “on” events (online via the MOM digital platform and the Maison&Objet Academy). Proof itself that hybridisation is now a firm fixture within decoration, design and lifestyle community, too!

Endorsing rising talent and spotting the next generation of stars

The Designer of the Year – Cristina Celestino – will stage an enchanting new restaurant design in the Signature space in Hall 7. Bonjour Bonjour Bonjour The 'What's New?' programme, meanwhile, will showcase the inspiration spaces put together by Elizabeth Leriche, François Delclaux and François Bernard. These three trend-spotters are returning to the trade fair once more to share their hottest finds for the autumn season, with colour-packed installations that are guaranteed to deliver a decidedly upbeat experience.

That same curative vibe will filter through to every part of the event, with Maison&Objet Paris shining a light on innovation right across the board. Visitors will be able to engage with emerging brands (that have been awarded the new Future on Stage label), discover the new guard of French designers (Bina Baitel, Samuel Accoceberry, Charlotte Juillard and Pierre Gonalons, will be presenting their self-productions for the first time ever in the heart of the Signature space in Hall 7), and meet the up-and-coming stars of the Dutch design scene, who are honoured in this edition’s Rising Talent Awards section and were carefully hand-picked by a high-flying jury (Ineke Hans, Hella Jongerius, Kiki Van Eijk and Wieki Somers).

Dinner is served!

The “Cook & Share” sector (Hall 3) is also set to be yet another of this edition’s absolute musts. It will give visitors the chance to discover dishes rustled up by Gault & Millau’s carefully curated “109” selection of chefs who are already on track for becoming some of French gastronomy’s biggest names. “Waww la table”, meanwhile, will blow a breath of fresh air through the world of tableware, using installations to demonstrate just how much the sector’s traditions have changed. The team will also invite the jury that judges its year-end table setting contest (India Mahdavi, Thierry Marx and Stéphane Bern) to award prizes and host a one-off talk.

Paris at the pace of Paris Design Week

The edition’s final flourish will come in the form of Paris Design Week, Maison&Objet Paris fringe event, which will set up home in three of the capital’s most buzzing neighbourhoods and will also embrace the trend for all things “phygital” (part-physical, part-digital). The importance of craftsmanship and new ecological solutions will notably take centre stage at the Paris Design Week Factory at the Espace Commines. Digital design, meanwhile, will be the focus of numerous exhibitions, showcasing creations from designers and architects alike. A record number of showrooms will also be open right across the capital, with a special itinerary inviting visitors to cast their eyes over Parisian stylists’ favourite furnishings.

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