Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011
Danish Craft stand at Maison & Objet
(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

As if the design community didn't have quite enough jetsetting to do in September already, what with Copenhagen, Helsinki, London, Lisbon and Vienna all staging city-wide mini-Salonis this month, Paris now wants in as well. Piggy backing on the success of biannual professional interior design fair Maison & Objet, the city is staging the first ever Paris Design Week, boasting around 100 citywide events and issuing a call to arms to French creatives in the process. Does the world really need another design capital? Zut alors. Of course it does. We booked the Eurostar toute suite.

Parisians have long excelled at interior design, and Paris Design Week offers a peek inside their toolkit. The key is in the mix. And while that can be slightly odd to see in a trade-show environment such as Maison & Object, where Wallpaper* favourite Michaël Verheyden's booth backed onto a stand specialising in seashell chandeliers, and GUBI was just metres from a giant stuffed giraffe courtesy of a taxidermy company (one of a worrying number exhibiting this year), across the rest of the city it makes more sense.

Juxtaposing slick contemporary pieces with classic arts and crafts, or rustic French bricolage with far Eastern influences, the contrasts - ever surprising and ever chic - are being played out all across town.

A feeling for Japan is palpable everywhere. At the treasure trove that is Astier de Villatte on Rue Saint Honore, visitors during Paris Design Week are treated with a curated collection of products from six Japanese artists, all chosen by Takanao Muramatsu. The lovely Merci meanwhile, is staging an exhibition entitled 'SUGAO - Essential Design in Japan'. More than 200 products on sale represent a new generation of Japanese designers and makers, fusing the craftmanship, traditions and cultures of their homeland with global influences.

The Japan fetish is also evident at the biggest organised event of the week outside of Maison & Objet - a show called 'Now! Design a Vivre' which took place at the big green Cité de la Mode et du Design on Quai d'Austerlitz. Here, 60 French and international designers gathered to display their wares, a platform for the up and coming, student displays and small curated initiatives. One such display was Dessine-moi Le Japon, for which 100 designers produced a drawing or photograph in aid of Japan's disaster victims, but there was also a strong collection of Norwegian design, as well as some interesting new names to watch such as Studio Pauline Deltour and Xiral Segard.

Paris in September is buzzing with energy. Blame the new collections, the weather, or la rentrée, the atmosphere is fresh and Parisians are all tanned and re-togged in the wake of their August vacances. Designers certainly need little encouragement to congregate here at this time of year and while there's still a little way to go, Paris Design Week certainly holds a lot of potential.

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Magma installation at Maison & Objet

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Adnet' mirror - designed in the 1950s by Jacques Adnet and reissued today by Gubi at Maison & Objet

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Michaël Verheyden stand at Maison & Objet

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Michaël Verheyden stand at Maison & Objet

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Chair 

(Image credit: Michaël Verheyden)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Utiles' by Sam Baron for Secondome, 2009, at Maison & Objet

(Image credit: Sam Baron)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Teapot from the Secant collection

(Image credit: Atelier Polyhedre)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Traverse Vase' from the Landslides collection 

(Image credit: Atelier Polyhedre)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Diva' watering can by Eero Aarnio for Alessi

(Image credit: Elena Datrino)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Stool' from the A Tempo collection by Pauline Deltour for Alessi

(Image credit: Elena Datrino)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Tray by Pierre Charpin for Alessi

(Image credit: Leo Torri)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Il Canif' penknife by Pierre Charpin for Alessi

(Image credit: Elena Datrino)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Design House Stockholm at Maison & Objet

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Casetta No 1.' - a 'cottage-box' room 

(Image credit: R&D De Castelli)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Screen-pot' 

(Image credit: Francois Clere for De Castelli)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Kuusi collection 

(Image credit: Anna Karell for Delica)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Monthly Measure' by Sebastien Bergne for L'Atelier d'exercices

(Image credit: Sebastien Bergne)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Urban Garden by Patrick Nadeau for Authentics at Maison & Objet

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Urban Garden by Patrick Nadeau for Authentics at Maison & Objet

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Kali' by Doshi Levien for Authentics at Maison & Objet

(Image credit: Maison et Objet)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'String' tea set by Gearlab for Jia Inc

(Image credit: Gearlab)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Double luck' salt and pepper set by KateChungDesign for Jia Inc

(Image credit: KateChung)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Circle' plate set 

(Image credit: Thorsten Van Elton)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

The Japanese exhibition at Merci included a large installation of fish-shaped soaps

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

A bright statement at Merci

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Window display by Magma at Astier de Villatte on Rue Saint-Honoré

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Carpet Panier' by Stephen Burks for Chevalier édition

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Wherever' by Alban Le Henry at Now! Design a Vivre

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Owl by Andreas Engesvik at Now! Design a Vivre

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Evergreen' lamp by Vibeke Skar and Jens Praet at Now! Design a Vivre

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Playtime' concrete tiles by Xiral Segard at Now! Design a Vivre

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Gayalux' lamps by Xiral Segard at Now! Design a Vivre

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Sunset' cheese holders by B+B (Laurene Barjhoux & Adrian Blanc) at Now! Design a Vivre

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Sunset' by B+B (Laurene Barjhoux & Adrian Blanc) at Now! Design a Vivre

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Office accessories and 'A Tempo' collection by Studio Pauline Deltour for Alessi at Now! Design a Vivre

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Ignotus Nomen' collection by Pierre Charpin at Galerie Kreo

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Ignotus Nomen' collection by Pierre Charpin at Galerie Kreo

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Grillage' by Francois Azambourg for Cinna

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

A selection of works on show at Galerie Gosserez

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

'Cahute' by Piergil Fourquié for Galerie Gosserez

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Dirty Geometry installation by Esther Stocker at Galerie Alberta Pane

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Dirty Geometry installation by Esther Stocker at Galerie Alberta Pane

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Ich & Kar pop up shop with Sometime Studio

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Ich & Kar pop up shop with Sometime Studio

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

The opening of the newest Aesop store in Le Marais

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

At the opening of Aesop in Le Marais

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Open Books II by Charlotte Cheetham & Sophie Demay at Le Cneai

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Open Books II by Charlotte Cheetham & Sophie Demay at Le Cneai

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)

Maison & Objet and Paris Design Week 2011

Open Books II by Charlotte Cheetham & Sophie Demay at Le Cneai

(Image credit: Katrin Greiling)