2229 exhibitors, including 700 taking part for the first time (as of 13/12), organized in 14 sections corresponding to market sectors, but also to wavelengths of taste. Three spaces set aside for exploration of three trends, all narrated with products presented during the fair. A program of 38 encounters and conferences.
These are the numbers of the upcoming iteration of Maison&Objet, the fair of decoration, design and lifestyle (Paris, Nord Villepinte exhibition center, 19-23 January). These attractions are joined by special installations, talents ready for discovery, and signature visions such as that of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, fashion designer and artist.
The main theme of this edition, developed together with the creative agency NellyRodi, is “Take care!” A message interpreted along four principal lines: care of oneself (physical and mental health), care for others, care of the planet and care of traditions, of the know-how passed down from generation to generation. This leitmotif can be seen in every pavilion, ready to become a true manifesto of thought.
“Today we are seeing a new type of ethics, also among consumers of design and furnishings. The fair offers answers to these problematic social issues through the initiatives of the exhibitors it chooses to support, the lectures it presents and the programming it offers,” says Vincent Grégoire, director of the Creative Design department of NellyRodi.
This is also the direction reflected in the decision to create a special space for the work of a selected group of designers from Ukraine: an initiative of solidarity that demonstrates how the creative community of that country is continuing to work, and to produce ideas. And a way of saluting the courage and spirit of freedom of this generation, which is doing its part to create design history.
This is not the only “flagship” initiative on creative talents from a specific geographical area: there are also the exhibition Rising Talents, on Spain, featuring work by six young designers (plus one, presented in the Craft section); Talents So French, an installation hosting self-produced works by four French designers; and a “British Capsule” bringing together selected talents from across the Channel.
The Future on Stage area gives visibility to three young companies whose production revolves around issues of sustainability or social impact. And a special space, The Apothem Lounge, pays homage to the research of Raphaël Navot, Designer of the Year for this edition: a space “that portrays a visual emotion,” Navot explains, an environment conceived to amaze the viewer through the use of light and materials with different textures.
Finally, the fair gets out of the fair: Maison&Objet has organized a special itinerary that involves the whole city, Maison & Objet in the City, an initiative approached from a B2B perspective, bringing together 100 sites in a single circuit comparable to a Parisian ecosystem of décor excellence: decorators, galleries, outstanding companies and exceptional artisans.
