Inside the Paris Design Week Installation That Puts the Spotlight on Emerging Talent
Everyone says there’s nothing like Paris in spring, but early September is the time to visit this year for design aficionados, when the light is dreamy, the weather is still warm, and Paris Design Week—along with the fall installment of Maison&Objet—kicks off its 10-day run.
Like the sophisticated younger sibling of Milan’s Salone del Mobile, Maison&Objet (September 5–9) captures the spirit of the City of Light, with an eye to the future of design. Terra Cosmos, 2024’s theme, is a celebration of the fair’s 30th anniversary and an exploration into how new materials, A.I., and virtual reality might evolve the design industry. Looking to hospitality, Belgium-based Lionel Jadot, Maison&Objet’s designer of the year, will use his expertise in upcycling to create the fair’s café and restaurant, presenting an alternative to purchasing a suite of furniture and finishes meant to be discarded at the end of the show.
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Another highlight, the Rising Talents Awards, focuses on emerging designers—all under 35, with studios launched less than five years ago—and gives attendees a chance to see the next big names in furniture, textile, and accessories. This year’s winners are from the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland and include buzzworthy names such as Studio Flétta and Ali Shah Gallefoss.
Outside the fair, Paris Design Week (September 5–14) will be packed with designer installations, craft-forward exhibitions, and boutique openings. The open-air presentations, where designers take over courtyards and gardens around the city, will see Paul Cocksedge’s interactive mirrored intervention at H?tel de Sully, while designer Lucas Huillet and perfumer Alexandre Helwani will install a ceramic fountain, flowing with custom-scented water, at the National Archives Museum-H?tel de Soubise. Nearby at the historic H?tel de la Marine, multidisciplinary creative studio Uchronia and cabinetmaker Pierre Renart will take over two courtyards, each mounting large-scale works.
Two must-see shows are the open house at POUSCH (located just outside Paris in Aubervilliers), a recent arts incubator with 270 studios populated by creators from over 40 countries, and Paris Design Week Factory, held at Galerie Joseph and Galerie Ellia—another stop for catching the freshest names in the field of collectible design. As for openings, don’t miss the inauguration of Pradier-Jeauneau’s first Paris gallery, on which occasion architectural designer Sandra Benhamou will show previously unseen furniture in an exhibition titled Le Commencement. There’s also Diptyque’s new Maison, where Sarah Andelman, founder of the celebrated former concept store Colette, has curated the decor as well as a contemporary-art installation.
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