Paris Design Week 2022: From traditional craftsmanship to the Metaverse

France has a reputation in regards to its craftsmanship and contributions to design. The capital city of Paris lives up to this reputation with its stellar art, architecture, culture, and cuisine. Paris is submerged in the waves of design as the immensely anticipated Paris Design Week 2022 unravels across the city’s cobbled lanes. Taking place this year from September 8 to September 17, the design week runs in tandem with the Maison&Objet 2022 trade fair. The design festival provides a platform for experts, hobbyists, and the general public to interact with the most recent design trends. Post navigating the animated streets of Paris, the visitors of the design event can indulge in a feast at the crowd-favourite spots of the Parisian bistronomy with each step being a design-fuelled celebration. Whether you’re looking to refine your eye for collectable design, add new locations to your address book of design, delve deeper into the universe of ‘Meta Sensible’, discover up-and-coming design talent, or simply experience the vivifying spirits of Paris, Paris Design Week offers endless enticing ingredients for a stirring stroll.

STIR lists down the events and showcases that highlight the ongoing design fair.

Paris Design Week Factory

Meta Sensible is this year’s inspiration theme for Paris Design Week. Continuing this approach adopted for the September edition of the Maison&Objet 2022, the design festival welcomes visitors to step inside a world made of dreams. Visitors get to experience simultaneously the sensorial handcrafted pieces and the intangible digital artwork destined to be installed in a ‘Meta’ interior, without feeling torn between the two. The Paris Design Week Factory is where new generation designers explore the physical dimension of the Meta Sensible theme. At the Espace Commines, Emily Marant introduces visitors to a selection of new design houses currently making their mark: 13Desserts, Alice Renaud, Mademoiselle Jo and NOKA.DESIGN.

The second edition of ‘Bienvenue Design’ at La Louisiane

Around 20 rooms in the unique setting of Hotel La Louisiane accommodate galleries, designers, and design practices, each showcasing their perceptions of historical or contemporary design while complementing the whimsical expression of the venue. Harry Nuriev, a designer and architect based in Moscow and New York, is the hotel’s guest of honour. Crosby Studio, Nuriev's interior design and architecture firm, produces a collection of furnishings. Apart from creating furniture design, the designer also works on numerous spaces within La Louisiane. Putting his experience in 3D imaging technology to use, Nuriev will also push the project’s boundaries further by creating a virtual version of La Louisiane.

Stolen Objects From Under The Sea by Uchronia and Antoine Billore

The Uchronia collective steps into the world of virtual reality to explore the Metaverse in its analogue form with Stolen Objects from Under the Sea. The design exhibition draws the visitors’ attention to the beauty and diversity of the innumerable species that inhabit the oceans, species that are fading into the abyss of endangerment. A myriad of ceramic fish and shells invite us to acknowledge this magnificence and the threats that it faces. Vintage objects from Vallauris are meticulously assembled by Antoine Bilore from Stolen Objects From My Exes to create a surreal setting for the contemporary designs by Uchronia, which seem to be extensions of our memories. These relics from the sea resemble aquatic species like anemones and starfish and have exemplary French craftsmanship embedded in them.

Exhibition by Isabelle Stanislas at the Hôtel de Sully

Paris Design Week amplifies its charm by turning mundane strolls into moments of delightful discovery. Joining forces with France’s Centre of National Monuments, the design week ushers visitors to cherish one-of-a-kind creations. These pieces adorn Parisian venues that have either abandoned their conventional grandeur for novelty or are usually not open to the public. With contemporary design striking a dialogue with decades of history, what unfolds is a universal expression. Mounted between the courtyard and garden, the installation at the Hôtel de Sully exerts a push and pull between indoors and outdoors. The use of architectural follies, new modular designs and furnishings instil a sense of curiosity. Through the immersive installation, furniture designer Isabelle Stanislas invites viewers to explore a sensory story through sight, touch, sound and smell—a nod to the symbolism on the building’s facades.

The Netherlands’ Rising Talents at l’Atelier Néerlandais

The isolation brought about by the pandemic entails an insatiable urge to travel to new places and explore different cultures. Paris Design Week brings worldwide methodologies, techniques, and knowledge to the French capital, allowing visitors to enjoy a fast vacation across the world without needing to carry their passports. The September edition of the trade fair Maison&Objet 2022 rewards six Dutch designers and fine craft artists with the Rising Talent Awards. In tandem, Paris Design Week will spotlight their work in the heart of the French capital. Hand-picked by an eminent all-female jury including Hella Jongerius, Wieki Somers, Kiki Van Eijk and Ineke Hans, these emerging talents have demonstrated their cosmopolitan and contemporary heritage. Four solo designers and two design duos will be at the forefront: Hanna Kooistra, Ruben Hoogvliet and Gijs Wouters from Atelier FIG, Théophile Blandet, Seok-Hyeon Yoon, Vera Meijwaard and Steven Visser, Simone Post, and fine craft artist Sanne Terweij. When asked about what sets this generation of designers apart, Dutch designer Wieki Somers responds, “They are more focused on the ecological side of the industry and on the social impact of design.”

Projects by Le Mobilier National

Visitors to Paris Design Week will be able to discover brands that continue to hand down their design expertise from generation to generation, preserving the country's artisan crafts. The Design and Research Workshop (ARC - Atelier de Recherche et de Création) of Le Mobilier National promotes contemporary French style with creations epitomising cutting-edge French design and innovation. Continuing this crusade, the institution unveils two of its latest projects at Paris Design Week 2022. The new chair design for the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF) will be exclusively presented at Le Mobilier National. French designer Patrick Jouin helmed the creative process for the new piece which adorns the Oval Room at the Richelieu site. Prototyped by the ARC and produced by Basque manufacturer Alki, the chair will be available to the public in October 2023. The EIDOS XXI collection from Benjamin Graindorge and Valérie Maltaverne of YMER&MALTA design studio is also featured at Le Mobilier National. Guided by nature, it encompasses a desk, a bookshelf and lighting designs. Also prototyped by the ARC, the collection embodies traditional expertise, including marquetry, cabinet making, saddlery, and porcelain, blended with new technology.

Look out for new showrooms and stores

Spanish group Cosentino City Malesherbes, a global pioneer in the production and distribution of innovative and sustainable surfaces for architecture and design, unveils two new collections of ultra-compact surfaces. Named Dekton Kraftizen and Dekton Onirika, the collections are showcased in a 450-square-metre space. Luxury brand Gaggenau will also be opening the doors of its brand-new showroom on rue du Bac in the 6th arrondissement. With over 300 addresses to choose from, the growing inventory of must-visit design spots entices visitors who are keen to keep their little black book of design updated.