Design Parade 6 at the Villa Noailles, Hyères

White ceramic art display on wooden tables, against a white wall with wall art hanging
’Positive Systems’ exhibition by François Dumas in the New Gallery at Villa Noailles The ’Superimposedvase’ collection was born from Dumas’ residency with Sèvres, Cité de la céramique - part of his prize for winning the Grand Prix at the Design Parade 5 in 2010 © Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011
(Image credit: TBC)

Now in its sixth year, the Villa Noailles' annual Design Parade is quickly gaining momentum. Among this year's line up are leading names ranging from Germany's Stefan Diez to eccentric French brand Moustache, as well as an impressive troop of young designers.

The sister event to the more established Festival International de Mode et de Photographie, which also takes place at the modernist villa on a hilltop above the French coastal town of Hyères, it kicked off with a three-day festival of talks and workshops. But if you missed these don't fear. The exhibition runs until 2nd October and is a worthy excuse for a sojourn to the South of France.

Like with the fashion and photography festival, seeking out fresh talent is the Design Parade's raison d'etre. Assisting it in its mission this year was a panel of judges including Diez, Design Miami director Marianne Goebl and Galerie Kreo director Didier Krzentowski, who picked two joint winners for its annual Grand Prix: French designer

http://www.jeanbaptistefastrez.com/" target="_blank" >Jean-Baptiste Fastrez, who brings together industrial and artisanal production methods in his work, and Iceland's Brynjar Sigurðarson, who came brandishing a rather fetching, paddle-like 'Tool light'.

Other notables among the young designers include American Max Lipsey, who caught our eye at last year's Salone del Mobile with his workshop exploring casting processes, and Germany's Caroline Perret, who presented an interesting collection of silver tableware.

Fastrez and Sigurðarson have won a one-year research residency at Sèvres, Cité de la céramique - the fruits of which will be shown at next year's Design Parade - among other prizes. Last year's winner, François Dumas has done the Villa Noailles proud, creating a series of punchy and graphic furniture and objects, which are now on show in its new gallery space, echoed by lively sketches on the walls.

Other highlights in this year's parade include 'Glass Scene' in the swimming pool room, a collection of contemporary objects in glass by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Pierre Charpin, Hella Jongerius and Jaime Hayon. Meanwhile, Adrien Rovero has taken over the villa's gymansium with a series of ceramic pieces and Stefan Diez has commandeered the squash court with a selection of his work, including recent stars like the Chassis chair and the Paper bag. And Moustache has set up camp over in town at the Tour des Templiers with some of its brilliant off-beat pieces.

The permanent collection at the villa - the former home of Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles - is also well worth a look in itself. The voracious collectors amassed a vast trove of treasures in their life time, including furniture and art by Marcel Breuer, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Man Ray and Jacques Lipchitz, and the exhibition continues to expand as more pieces formerly in their possession are uncovered.

Art display on wooden tables, against a white wall with wall art hanging

’Positive Systems’ exhibition by François Dumas
’Anemones’ by François Dumas
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Colourful art display on long wooden tables in a room with white walls and grey floor

’Positive Systems’ exhibition by François Dumas
’Anemones’ by François Dumas
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Red chair frame next to a balcony outside over looking the city

’Positive Systems’ exhibition by François Dumas
’Sealed chair’ by François Dumas
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Brynjar Sigurðarson with his ’Tool light’ standing next to a wall portrait of a man holding the tool light

10 young designers exhibition in the vaulted ceiling rooms
Grand Prix joint winner Brynjar Sigurðarson with his ’Tool light’
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

White rectangle coffee table on a brown tiled concrete floor with a white wall in the background featuring wall art

10 young designers exhibition
More work by Brynjar Sigurðarson, including ’Furniture object n°1’ (left)
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

White table with variations of colourful electric kettles on display against a white wall with art displayed and an arch opening with a view of the outside

10 young designers exhibition
Installation of work by Grand Prix joint winner Jean-Baptiste Fastrez
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Colourful variations of electric kettles photographed on white surface against white wall

10 young designers exhibition
’Variations upon an electric kettle’ by Jean-Baptiste Fastrez
© Véronique Huyghe

(Image credit: TBC)

Wood frame objects displayed in a room with concrete floor and brick walls

10 young designers exhibition
Dédoublé by Léa Longis

(Image credit: TBC)

Objects displayed on a white table attached to a white wall with wall art and next to an open french window

10 young designers exhibition
Léa Longis installation at the Villa Noailles
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Black floor lamp next to a side glass table and chair, in a room with white walls and tiled brown concrete floor

10 young designers exhibition
’Turned on’ lamp and table, and ’Bench Medusa’ by Erasmus Scherjon
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Room featuring white walls, ceiling and brown concrete tiled floor with chairs and tables on display

10 young designers exhibition
Max Lipsey installation at the Villa Noailles
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Wooden gemotric style chair displayed on a low white platform on tiled concrete surface against a white wall with wall art displayed

10 young designers exhibition
’Nokl, tabouret’ by Caroline Perret
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Multiple items made of silver metal, photographed on a tiled concrete floor

10 young designers exhibition
’Border Crossers’ by Caroline Perret

(Image credit: TBC)

Brown shelving unit on brown tiled concrete floor photographed against a white wall

10 young designers exhibition
’Standard numéro 2’ by Marc Ferrand
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Room featuring white wall and tiled concrete floor with a round coffee table next to a purple chair and wall floating shelves

10 young designers exhibition
Emilie Colin Garros installation at the Villa Noailles
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Room featuring white walls and brown tiled concrete flooring with a high bench and a white table against the wall

10 young designers exhibition
David des Moutis installation at the Villa Noailles, including ’Secrétaire Demi’ (right)
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Contemporary designed blue and black ceiling light with bulbs on., photographed against a grey background

10 young designers exhibition
’Balance’ by David des Moutis

(Image credit: TBC)

3 red office accessories ( 2 cellotape holders and one paper holder) photographed on a white surface against a white background

10 young designers exhibition
Office accessories in extruded aluminium by Pauline Deltour

(Image credit: TBC)

Designers standing together to take a group picture outdoor on the green lawn

At the opening Design Parade festival
The young designers gathered for the awards announcements during the three-day festival that kicked of the Design Parade

(Image credit: TBC)

A workshop led by a woman standing with the audience sitting and a camera man recording the session

At the opening Design Parade festival
The festival consisted of a series of talks and workshops, including one by Pauline Deltour

(Image credit: TBC)

Designers in a room (some sitting and some standing) with items displayed on tables and walls

At the opening Design Parade festival
The designers were on hand throughout the festival

(Image credit: TBC)

Contemporary glass designs photographed on white platform surfaces with clear glass window panel in the background and views of a big tree outside

’Glass Scene’ exhibition in the swimming pool room
The glassware show focuses on the work of two factories - Baccarat crystalworks and Crystallerie Saint-Louis - and two research centres: the CIAV in Meisenthal and the CIRVA in Marseille
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Contemporary glass designs photographed on white platform surfaces with clear glass window panel in the background and views of a big tree outside

’Glass Scene’ exhibition
Glassware by the likes of Ettore Sottsass, Pierre Charpin and Marie-Christine Dorner
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Contemporary glass designs photographed on white platform surfaces with clear glass window panel in the background and a yellow ceiling light hanging from white ceiling

’Glass Scene’ exhibition
More glassware, including Oscar Diaz’s ’RGB vase’ (right)
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Contemporary glass designs photographed on white platforms with white walls in the background

’Glass Scene’ exhibition
’Lighthouse’ vase by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Venini/Established & Sons (right)
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Contemporary glass designs photographed on white platforms with a window and white walls in the background

’Glass Scene’ exhibition
Glassware by Fabien Cappello, among others
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Upclose of colourful glass designs

’Glass Scene’ exhibition
’Ecran’ vases by Pierre Charpin for Cirva

(Image credit: TBC)

Up close image of contemporary glass designs photographed on white platforms against a white wall

’Glass Scene’ exhibition
Vases by Ettore Sottsass, among others
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Glass designs displayed on grey display box stands next to a white wall. photographed during the day

Verre Session in the sun lounge
The Villa Noailles invited Reims School of Art and Design to take part in a series of two glass-making workshops - one at the International Centre for Glass Arts at Meisenthal and one in Murano under the tutelage of Renaud Thiry. Here are some of the results...
© Olivier Amsellem - villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Black reflective ceramic bowls photographed on a grey surface

Verre Session
© Olivier Amsellem - villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Contemporary shaped vases, photographer on a grey platform next to a wall

Verre Session
© Olivier Amsellem - villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

A wall filled with wall posted in a room with plastic shairs of different styles and colours

’The Real, Participation, Time’ exhibition by Stefan Diez in the squash court
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

A green armless chair next to a grey public wall phone, photographed during the day

’The Real, Participation, Time’ exhibition of work by Stefan Diez
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

3 plastic chairs (red, grey and black) displayed on concrete floor, photographed during the day

’The Real, Participation, Time’ exhibition of work by Stefan Diez
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

3 plastic chairs (red, grey and black) on display, next to a display of broken chairs on a grey wall

’The Real, Participation, Time’ exhibition of work by Stefan Diez
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

2 wooden circular chairs on a wooden platform in a room with wall art on white walls and grey floor

Exhibition of work by Adrien Rovero in the gymnasium
’Les Plaques’ by Adrien Rovero - the fruits of his residency at Sèvres, Cité de la céramique
© Olivier Amsellem - villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

White ceiling lamp shade with spiral design in a room with white walls, ceiling and wooden flooring

The Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles collection permanent exhibition
Lampshade by Man Ray, 1919
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

A view through open doors, of a wooden object in a room against a black and wood background

The Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles collection permanent exhibition
’Figure debout’ by Jacques Lipchitz, 1916
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

A room with white table in the middle of the room on brown floor and a wall paper featuring a bed

The Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles collection permanent exhibition
View of the installation in the Sybold van Ravesteyn room of Villa Noailles
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

View of the installation in the dining room with white walls and ceiling, brown concrete floor and black ceiling light above a wooden table

The Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles collection permanent exhibition
View of the installation in the dining room of Villa Noailles
© Olivier Amsellem - Villa Noailles, 2011

(Image credit: TBC)

Malaika Byng is an editor, writer and consultant covering everything from architecture, design and ecology to art and craft. She was online editor for Wallpaper* magazine for three years and more recently editor of Crafts magazine, until she decided to go freelance in 2022. Based in London, she now writes for the Financial Times, Metropolis, Kinfolk and The Plant, among others.