Novel offerings from the Parisian design trade show
Among the myriad of brands vying for attendees’ attention at the Maison et Objet 2012 were a handful of particularly innovative products—a high-tech foosball table not least among them—that caught our attention. In our multi-part look at the massive design fair, we start with the following standouts for just…
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Interesting works by Tokujin Yoshioka and Blanc Bijou at Maison et Objet
The artistic work of Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka and Japanese brand Blanc Bijou were on show at Maison et Objet, illustrating two aspects of the innovative potential of crystal.
Elected designer of the year at the show, Yoshioka’s experience with glass tells a long story, from the benches he recently created for the Parisian Musée d’Orsay to his collaborations with Swarovsky, Issey Miyake, Hermès and Cartier.
He presented pieces from his “Crystallized Project” at Maison et Objet. For Yoshioka, crystals demonstrate nature’s power to produce spontaneous forms that transcend human aesthetics—a phenomenon he qualifies as “unintentional beauty”. The cost of such a spectacular occurrence, according to the designer, lies in the challenge of working with such naturally hazardous construction.
Crystal cannot be molded, but in this instance, the artist manipulated the medium to grow directly on canvas, manually shaping the forms as much as possible. The series presented at the show grows on the vibrations on the music by Frederic Chopin.
Looking for a material that could express the essence of light, the designer was fascinated by crystal’s peculiar ability to morph from total transparency—the mineral is invisible when dipped in water—to shining with hundreds of reflections when carved.
The Japanese company Blanc Bijou showed a stunning range of industrial applications to a rare natural crystal called fluorite. The whole process to obtain the purely white material—also called “Blanc Bijou”—was exhibited at Maison et Objet, from the extraction of powder from the fluorite to finished fired results.
The stability of the molecular structure created offers certain exclusive aesthetic qualities, like a whiteness that never diminishes with time or sunlight and a smooth softness for home use. At the same time, its properties give it a high resistance to heat, chemical treatments and adhesion for use in advanced chemical industries, robotics and medicine.
Three years of partnerships between manufacturers and designers revealed at Maison et Objet
The concept is simple—connect expertise with creativity by bringing together manufacturers with designers. Founded by a group of textile industrialists looking to foster innovation, French network R3ilab helps bring new products to the market with 10 such alliances made each year.
In the three years since the project began, R3ilab has forged 30 partnerships between traditional, often narrowly focused manufacturers and young designers with fresh talent. The network supports the annual group of 10 pairs from the concept development stage to prototyping and marketing, and recently showcased its ouevre at the 2012 Maison et Objet in Paris.
For the familial Societe Choletaise de Fabrication, which specializes in weaving everything from shoelaces to industrial packaging, famous designer François Azambourg has imagined a jaw-dropping stool made with a composite strand of metallic wire and polyamide threads. The item is sold flat, with the strand wound on a cardboard frame. By plugging the strand into a power source after unfolding the frame, the composite thread is heated through the wire causing the polyamide to solidify. The frame can then be removed to reveal a solid strand stool.
Umbrella manufacturer Le Véritable Cherbourg was partnered with designer Mathieu Lehanneur for a series of umbrella-shaped, Asian-inspired suspended lamps.
Lace and embroidery specialist Broderies Bacchus and Normal Studio also created stunning lamps. The designers came up with the idea for the monumental suspension pieces when they visited the factory and saw the company’s exceptional large embroidered strands and phosphorescent, reflective ribbons.
Designer Solenne Morigeaud conceived a new decorative window shade inspired by an Asian fan, and reminiscent of birds’ wings for Toiles de Mayenne, maker of traditional luxury fabrics. At once lightweight and solid, the aluminum-frame panel can be attached to a window frame and manually operated to open and close by a unique folding system the duo has licensed.
With creative insight from Mathilde Bretillot, the sock brand Collegien expanded to the children’s market with a menagerie of playful puppets, as well as baskets that transform into huts and decorative rugs.
A survey of trends from the French furniture designer at this years Maison et Objet
We got to preview the rich new collection from Ligne Roset at Maison et Objet, which reflected a range of larger trends seen throughout the show. Here, we highlight Ligne Roset’s take on some of the most intriguing concepts coming up in design.
Designers seem poised to explore the potential of felt and wool this year, using the material to cover chairs, make pots and more. In its most effective iteration, felt warms up furniture that may otherwise not be so comfortable.
Offering a sense of fragility and flexibility, the idea of stripes was prevalent, whether from stretched cords on a chair or bands shaped to form a pot. The Fifty armchair was modeled on the metal-and-cord recliner chair designed by Hans Wenger in Denmark in the 1950s. The modern Fifty features a straight back with woven “ears” protruding from either side of the head rest. Made from polypropylene plastic threads, the piece can survive inside or out. A gracious series of decorative pots called Bidum is made with stiff metallic strands covered in a satiny black finish.
Thanks to a special fabric called Tempête (tempest) interwoven with strong, metallic thread, and quality, downy filling, the refreshing Serpentine armchair by the young French designer, Eleonor Nalet is both comfortable and durable enough for the outdoors.
The Grillage series by the famed French designer, François Azambourg comprises ultra-light, lace-like chairs, armchairs and a table made from sheets of metal. The origami-style fold of the armchair makes it a particularly elegant piece.
The Dino serves as a sophisticated storage system with interior shelves and cabinets when closed, and a folding writing table when opened. The functional secretary is modeled after James Bond’s cabinet, reconfiguring to form side drawers, a document tray and a set-up at the back to plug in a laptop or lamp.
The innovative, double-function table, Black Bird, can be positioned low to meet a sofa end or raised to a standard height for chairs. The tri-color shelves can stand vertically or laid horizontal, overlaid or articulated to one another.
The Ukomi Kimono Chair very successfully blends Scandinavian purity and geometric structure with a traditional Japanese covering. Styled to look like a kimono has been thrown over the seat, the chair features Japanese patterns between the creases, which are actually stitched in the traditional way of the kimono.
The highly original Peye table lamp and floor lamp reminded us of a hair dresser’s drying helmet, but are actually inspired by Popeye the Sailor Man—the table lamp is named Olive. Instead of a traditional bulb, the light relies on invisible LED stripes beneath its oversized shade.
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