For Paris Design Week, and running until October 4, the Hôtel de la Marine is hosting a Méhari. This lunar-inspired hybrid vehicle was reimagined by Maison Lacmé as a tribute to fine craftsmanship.
While the Hôtel de la Marine has established itself as a key venue for Paris Design Week, this year’s bold choice is sure to surprise. A curious car is parked right in the center of the courtyard, its odometer—fresh from the workshop—seemingly stuck at 40,075 kilometers. A malfunction? No, a clue. Because behind this familiar silhouette, that of the Citroën-produced Méhari, lies a true design manifesto and a tribute to the decorative arts.
Behind this project are Cécile and Antoine Tauvel, the founders of Maison Lacmé, established two years ago. Their goal: to create functional works of art from everyday objects. This ambition led the two vintage car enthusiasts to explore the potential of the Méhari. "For many French people, it evokes the 60s or memories of seaside vacations. But for me, it was also the lunar aspect that spoke to me, reminding me of the covers of certain Tintin albums. So our role was to reveal the symbolism and the sense of wonder that were already there," explains Antoine Tauvel. The couple then designed the frame. It would be gold, echoing French decorative arts and art history, applied in touches to a transparent chassis. "What we found interesting was creating a certain balance between industry and fine craftsmanship by playing with contrasts." This aesthetic research was conducted with a French manufacturer to rethink the polymer composition and prevent the chassis from yellowing, after which a layer of transparent ceramic was applied. "The challenge was to transform this purely industrial typology into an art object without giving it the status of a luxury item. We first had to spark formal curiosity to then draw the eye to the smaller elements," details Cécile Tauvel. A quest for storytelling where the automobile conveys the imagination.
Who said a hubcap and a lamp, or an automotive logo and a brooch, don't belong to the same world? Certainly not Maison Lacmé, whose project is centered on the ambivalence of objects. Each of the twelve elements created by master artisans has a practical function. "This car is a Trojan horse, a mobile cabinet of curiosities that hides things within itself," summarizes Antoine Tauvel, who originated these dual functions. "This idea is central. We did all the preparatory drawings and aesthetic choices in-house, then presented them to the artisans." From then on, the project became collaborative, and the sketches were adjusted for aesthetic coherence. The steering wheel, crafted from driftwood, and the seashell-embroidered upholstery open up a maritime horizon, while the feather-marquetry odometer—stuck at the Earth's circumference—can be removed and used as a desk clock. Beyond their utility, the techniques used recall those of the golden age of French decorative arts. Among them is the trompe-l’œil technique, used to replace the stone hubcaps with painted versions when the vehicle is in motion.
A true "poetic travel tool," the Maison Lacmé Méhari will be on display in the courtyard of the Hôtel de la Marine until Sunday, October 4.
Through October 3, the Bureau de la Mode, des Métiers d’Art et du Design (BDMMA) is presenting the "Multiples" exhibition. A range of projects celebrating industrial design and the new relationships between designers and industry.
As we reflect on September's Paris Design Week, one thing is clear: collectible design seems to reign supreme. Yet, the less "Instagrammable" world of industrial design has not disappeared. To reaffirm its presence and offer a counterpoint to the current trend, the Bureau de la Mode, des Métiers d’Art et du Design (BDMMA) presents "Multiples." Conceived as a return to basics, the exhibition is not "a status report on the sector", but rather aims to "provide an overview of research and textures centered on mass production", explains Frédéric Bouchet, deputy director of the institution. This diversity is reaffirmed through thirteen studios whose utilitarian and aesthetic objects celebrate production. Through this, the focus is not on creating for the sake of creating, but on the intelligence of replicable and viable systems.
A new relationship with industry, but the same idea of design
If the sector is experiencing "a change of state", it is partly due to the upheaval that has occurred in industrial production. "The relationship with industry has changed completely, requiring designers to shift their stance and be less passive regarding production. They are now encouraged to take hold of processes themselves or repurpose production methods to engage in self-publishing", analyzes Frédéric Bouchet. These new alternative paths are prompting some designers to question the challenges related to resources and how the materials used serve their intended purpose. "It seems to me that this concern is increasingly rooted in the local fabric, as seen in the work of Jules Levasseur. He convinced a company in Burgundy, where he is based, to take an interest in his project, and together they developed 'Projet S,' made from corrugated metal sheets. His challenge today is to channel production at his own scale to produce just the right number of furniture pieces." Beyond the challenge of economic adaptability, there is the issue of formal and technical reinterpretation. "How can one avoid being beholden to traditional publishing? How can I bring local industry into my own territory while generating value? These are the two major questions that emerge in the exhibition, notably through the work of Lila Guédin, who used industrial assembly techniques to create chairs, and Nicolas Verschaeve, who uses tool handles to create small interior objects like hooks and coat racks." These captures and reinterpretations of pre-existing industrial matrices open up new aesthetic and technical doors. Whether published or not, the projects selected by curators and exhibitors Lucien Icard and Kevin Lebouvier shed different lights on these new relationships with industry, favoring "a certain stylistic purity based primarily on assembly".
An exhibition to discover at the Bureau de la Mode, des Métiers d’Art et du Design, 30 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, until October 3rd.
Since 1993, the City of Paris Grand Prix for Creation has supported new generations of designers in the fields of fashion, design, and fine crafts. Here are the eight winners of this 33rd edition.
Established thirty-three years ago, the Grand Prix for Creation is part of the City of Paris's policy to support the fashion, design, and fine crafts sectors. Organized by the Bureau of Design, Fashion and Fine Crafts (BDMMA), this year’s awards recognize eight professionals, each receiving a grant of 18,000 euros. It is a modest contribution considering the 350 applications received by the juries, chaired this year by Ionna Vautrin for design, Lisa Gachet for fashion, and Jeremy Maxwell Wintrebert for fine crafts.
Design Revelation Award: behagelfoiny
Antoine Behaghel and Alexis Foiny met while studying at the Arts Déco. Gradually inspired by the ready-made, they began developing projects centered on exploring the materials at their disposal. This approach led them to found their studio in 2020, based on a practice inspired by neo-craftsmanship. "We act as a connection point between different trades, which allows us to reclaim the creation and production of objects by implementing innovative methods. This is our DNA, even as we expand our expertise into other fields like scenography. This approach leads us to address issues related to environmental awareness and childhood." Their approach has already caught the attention of galleries and institutions, such as Le French Design, which included them in its FD100 list, and the Mobilier National, which acquired their Alupié bookcase in 2026.
Represented by the Signé gallery on Rue Jacob in Paris, Marie and Alexandre are currently presenting "Under Pressure," an exhibition of objects shaped by pressure. The project effectively summarizes their work, which began five years ago after meeting at the Villa Noailles during the Design Parade. Marie, who studied at HEAD in Geneva and ECAL in Lausanne, and Alexandre, who trained at ENSCI – Les Ateliers and later at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco during a university exchange, share a curiosity for craftsmanship that drives them to adopt an itinerant practice. Between factory visits and field experiments, the duo collaborates with brands such as Glas Italia, Dryade, and Petite Friture. "Our creations for galleries allow us to conduct free research, which we then use as a foundation for more industrial projects."
Sewing. An activity that has occupied Anthony Calydon’s mind for twelve years. He started by making his own clothes, had a brief stint at ESMOD, and then decided to continue as a self-taught designer. His career began quietly thanks to Instagram. Alongside his work dressing artists, he works as a pattern maker for emerging labels. But he is in no rush to move too quickly until he has found his style—one that will be recognizable at a single glance. "I have always been inspired by Japanese designers. I wanted to offer something strong, without a logo. I wanted people to see my pieces and think: that’s Anthony Calydon. And, little by little, I made ribbing and overlock stitching my signature." A world and a body of work rooted in their time, driven by a deep attention to craftsmanship.
A chemical engineer from INSA with a master’s degree from HEC, Samia Boukbir spent five years in marketing and international makeup development before joining a collective dedicated to upcycled fashion. Her professional path then transformed into a journey. "In 2016, I went to Cuba and my professional life changed forever," recalls Samia Boukbir. I discovered a company entirely based on reclamation, having spent nearly seven years in the industry at L’Oréal and Dior. It really made me question things. When I returned, I quit my job… and ended up at the Saint-Ouen flea market!” It was in this historic cradle of the circular economy in Paris that Samia established Collectivo, which officially launched in 2022. The collective has since collaborated with 22 designers. Each new collection is an opportunity to open the circle to new talent through open calls for projects. “Everything starts with our selection of materials to upcycle: we build the plans for our three collections around them, focusing on reinvented officewear, sports, and innovation.”
The story begins with the purchase of a huge orange bag. That first purchase sparked a realization. “It was an act of emancipation. For my dad, a bag was a forbidden object for a man. But I was fascinated by it!” However, it would be a while before Luca Colosimo dedicated himself to this accessory. After studying industrial pattern-making for ready-to-wear—which he hated—receiving a scholarship to train in leather goods prototyping, and gaining experience at Gucci, Isabel Marant, and Paco Rabanne, he had a breakthrough in 2020. He then launched his own brand, naming it after his father’s birth date: 10.03.53. From there, he began creating sensual designs with classic shapes, with a particular interest in innovative materials. “Today, we make bags out of paper, reinforced concrete, untreated leather… We’re having fun!”
Fashion Jewelry Accessories Award: Sarah Madeleine Bru
Trained at a design school in Nantes, Sarah Madeleine Bru quickly realized she was passionate about craftsmanship. She took on numerous internships and freelance assignments while still a student, before joining the Creative Academy, the Richemont Group’s school in Milan, which provides training in design for the jewelry, watchmaking, and accessories sectors. “That allowed me to join the brand Dunhill, which is little-known in France but is a bit like the Hermès of menswear.” She stayed there for a year, during the time Kim Jones was the artistic director, before being scouted by Louis Vuitton. Then, in 2012, she went solo. “At the beginning, I mainly sold my silver jewelry to my friends. Then I got some press, I was recognized, and I evolved my designs. Today, high jewelry and custom orders have taken over.”
A sculptor, bronze caster, and jeweler, Chloé Valorso discovered the lost-wax casting technique during her studies in London, first at Central Saint Martins and then at the Royal College of Art. “I wanted to learn the technique from A to Z. Normally, artists go to outside foundries or learn just a few steps. I wanted to master everything so I could innovate.” Inspired by anthropology seminars and works on new materialism and eco-feminism, the designer works through collage, giving birth to objects akin to "exquisite corpses of stories and mythologies", opening up the imagination. "I mostly work with materials imbued with life: snakeskins transmuted into bronze, flowers I immortalize using a direct casting technique I developed. I just finished some candle holders, combining roots, snake vertebrae, and flowers gathered from Parisian gardens."
Craftsmanship Commitment Award: Les Ateliers Victor Bert
Giving visibility to an endangered craft: this is what drove Victor Bert, a sign painter, to enter the City of Paris Grands Prix de la Création. Always fascinated by historical monuments, Victor trained as a stonemason in Amiens. It was there that he discovered stone engraving and quickly developed a passion for lettering. With his vocational certificate in hand, he moved to Paris, working while supplementing his training with courses in typography and calligraphy. "I always knew that lettering went beyond stone carving, that I needed to explore a multitude of mediums. I have never stopped enriching my practice. That’s how I discovered a documentary on American sign painting in 2015 and decided to get started."
Conceived by Thierry Dreyfus for DCW éditions, the Seagull collection is expanding with a new 160 cm pendant lamp. A change in scale that maintains the luminaire's founding principle: to reveal the light rather than the lamp itself.
Making light a presence without letting the fixture dominate the space: this is the philosophy behind Seagull, imagined by Thierry Dreyfus. To design it, the designer drew inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright's Johnson Wax Building, built in the late 1930s, where glass tubes diffuse exterior light into the interior. Thierry Dreyfus transposes this sensation to a domestic scale through a succession of horizontally arranged light tubes, in a composition with Art Deco accents.
Seagull pendant lamp, design: Thierry Dreyfus
New proportions, new possibilities
Already available in a 120 cm version, Seagull now comes in a 160 cm format, designed to complement larger tables. Ideally suspended between 80 cm and 1 m above the tabletop, the fixture stretches the light rather than concentrating it, creating a "roof of light," to use the words of Frédéric Winkler, president and founder of DCW éditions. A new scale that also opens Seagull up to other uses, because more than just a simple light source, the pendant can become a true line in space, capable of following architecture and guiding the eye. An approach that extends the research of Thierry Dreyfus, known for his light installations and collaborations with Comme des Garçons, Raf Simons, and Peter Marino. The goal is to stage the light, here in a version designed for everyday life.
For this new edition of Paris Design Week, the Intramuros team slipped through the capital's arteries to discover the season's latest exhibitions and new releases. Here is a look back at the ones you shouldn't have missed.
From September 10th to 19th, design once again took over the streets of Paris, much to our delight! Whether industrial or collectible, the creative sector made headlines again, both through new collections and new gatherings. It was an opportunity to rediscover certain profiles and meet new minds driven by innovative concepts. Among all the installations we discovered, here are the ones that particularly caught our attention.
Picnic by Cluzel / Pluchon: an invitation to lunch
Following Marianna Ladreyt last year, designers Cluzel / Pluchon took over the courtyard of the Hôtel d’Albret to present the Picnic installation, created in collaboration with manufacturer Guyon Mobilier Urbain. Conceived as an invitation to share and wander, Picnic was unveiled as a life-sized picnic table over seven meters long. Continuing the Gier duo's well-known collection, it combined locust wood slats with a powder-coated steel structure, drawing a generous curve to create a dialogue between urban furniture and conviviality.
GOOD SELECTION by Lucas Zito and Marika Caputo: new scenes
Organized by Lucas Zito and Marika Caputo, the second edition of GOOD SELECTION was held this year in the heart of the Fondation Fiminco in Romainville. Now disused, the former pharmaceutical factory—reminiscent of some of the most surprising Milanese venues chosen by Alcova—was taken over for the occasion by 47 international designers. Favoring dialogue between creations rather than formal classification, the exhibition offered various living spaces. A combination of styles and atmospheres provided visitors with a new, more embodied perspective on this so-called "collectible" design.
Volt Face by Studio 5.5 and Schneider Electric: high-voltage collection
Studio 5.5 teamed up with Schneider Electric to imagine the Volt Face lighting and furniture collection, designed using the Odace range and presented at the Galerie Joseph on Rue des Minimes. Faithful to their taste for repurposing everyday objects, Vincent Baranger and Anthony Lebossé chose to make the socket and switch the main element of their creation, rather than an afterthought. Developed as wall lights, pendants, lamps, tables, and even nightstands, each piece plays with the repetition and assembly of the modules. Conceived as a true creative palette, the Odace range thus becomes a material to be composed, but also to be touched and operated, making these pieces playful and offering a fresh look at these familiar yet often undervalued objects.
Tout est Chaos by PLI Office: ordering the desirable
After initiating "Pour que tu m’aimes encore" in 2024 and "Design Disco Club" the following year, Christopher Dessus returned this year with "Tout est chaos." Presented at the Gaîté Lyrique, the exhibition brought together a body of work that acts as a vector for surprise. A feeling conveyed by the material or the form, but also and above all by a freer consideration of usage. It is a counterpoint to modernist design, which is generally serial and fundamentally utilitarian, here abandoned in favor of narrative. It was an opportunity to see very personal research collide, such as the non-linear or even random work of the series, the reinterpretation of industrial archetypes reworked by hand, or new explorations blending industry and craftsmanship. Driven by a nearly free participation, the 66 selected designers delivered a specific idea of design, claimed by 10 of them through installations and even a projection imagined as a manifesto.
For this year's Paris Design Week, Victoria Wilmotte unveiled nearly a dozen pieces. Whether brand new or reimagined existing typologies, this collection continues to explore a world defined by geometry and a distinct industrial spirit. Crafted from stainless steel—sometimes featuring textures that evoke the technique of hammering—the various objects diffused light, along with the signature blue hue championed by the designer.
Launched a decade ago, the interior architecture firm Hoch unveiled Studio CHHO, the creative force behind Opus. This debut furniture collection, whose name suggests both a first chapter and a technical term for stone masonry, consists of five pieces. Developed over a year and a half, it highlights taut lines and 90° and 45° angles, delivering a bold aesthetic language with generous forms. Enhanced by a restrained palette of three materials—stained birch veneer, hammered glass, and vibrated stainless steel—the pieces were conceived as "objects of presence." This term, unique to the studio, reflects creations made in the south of France that embody the firm's sober yet characterful DNA.
"The Light Library" by Studio Meaningfull: Coloring Light
Continuing their research into color, which began with the Agora du Design grant they won in 2021, Studio Meaningfull—comprising Marine Rouit-Leduc, Galilée Al Rifaï, and Nicolas Rouit-Leduc—presented "The Light Library" at Galerie Ideal Place. The exhibition showcased nearly four years of experimentation with the color of light, conceived not as a material, but as a means of interaction. Each shade was developed with reference to natural phenomena, such as the aurora borealis, dawn, and twilight, to achieve a realistic and natural effect. The trio displayed several light-based objects and sculptures, including the Milan lamp, which recently joined the Mobilier National collections. The exhibition was designed to engage the senses and emotions while establishing new chromatic references for light, through an approach that is both sculptural and architectural.
"The Light Library" exhibition, Studio Meaningfull
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