Dialogue of Design: Paris Redraws its Design Map
Updated: 10 hours ago
Paris Design Week and Maison & Objet are two parts of the same September design ecosystem in the French capital. It’s my first experience of these events, and I’m struck by the flair unfolding across iconic venues throughout the central quarters of Paris. The simultaneous timing of the Design Week and the professional trade fair is not without purpose, allowing the momentum of the trade show to flow harmoniously into the city.
The design week’s programme spans several districts — Le Marais, Saint‑Germain‑des‑Prés, Opéra, Bastille and includes galleries, showrooms, schools and heritage spaces specially activated for the occasion.
Many years ago, I was a student working in Paris and have since revisited scores of times. Yet seeing heritage sites from a new perspective — opened up through design interventions, installations and staged events — reframes both perception and space. This, in fact, is a guiding principle of the Design Sur Cour programme, which animated major institutions through distinctive collaborations.
Uchronia at the Grand Palais
Paris based architect and designer, Julien Sebban, working under the Uchronia banner, transforms the Rotonde d’Antin of the Grand Palais with Le Grand Bouquet. This monumental installation was inspired by floral motifs and the historic décor of the venue. Between architecture, design and immersive scenography, the work offers a luminous bloom that guides the gaze, invites contemplation and brings a sense of exuberance to the space.
AlUla at the Fondation Lafayette Anticipations
Between the mineral landscapes of AlUla, an ancient oasis region in north-west Saudi Arabia and now international cultural centre — and the creative effervescence of Paris, a beautiful exhibition unfolded. Works produced through the 2025 edition of AlUla’s Design Residency were presented alongside pieces from Lafayette Anticipations, the major Parisian contemporary art and design institution. Across the exhibition, forms evolve and recalibrate, carrying the memory of materials, traces of the gestures that shaped them, and the meaning acquired through human use — bringing them to life.
Maison & Objet
Taking place in Parc des Expositions in Villepinte, situated on the periphery of Paris, Maison & Objet (M&O) is a showcase of craftsmanship. The visitor encounters an array of artful objects including jewels, ceramics, textiles, accessories and furnishings, each beautifully conceived — the sheer breadth of it surpassed my expectations. Artefacts range from the practical to the purely decorative and whimsical.
I managed to speak to Aster Cassel, a young talent whose work exemplifies this sentiment. Based in the southwest of France, Cassel explains that her ceramic sculptures are inspired by childhood stories which aim to re‑engage us with forgotten parts of ourselves — our consciousness, memories and our dreams for the future. Her works form a bridge between the fantastical and the unsettling realm of adulthood.
I was also touched by the dedication of feather artist Amadine Bonneau. A former student of the Lycée Octave Feuillet in Paris, Bonneau is a pioneer in this ancient craft to which she brings a contemporary feel. Her feather work, she relates, is reinvented as a sensory language, in which feathers, light and metamorphosis engage in dialogue. Under the brightness of the salon, I see an iridescence fragmenting from the delicately angled feathers, projecting a warmth to her wall art. The pieces, which straddle contemporary art and design, have an extraordinary tactile allure, whilst reminding us of the splendour of colour gifted to our feathered friends.
Another highlight — the Rising Talent Award — is a flagship initiative through which M&O reinforces its role as an observer of emerging artistic scenes around the world. Their goal, I learn, is to identify new generations of designers and studios that will play a part in shaping the future direction of design. For the 2026 edition, M&O celebrated the vibrancy of South Africa’s creative scene.
Meetlo Studio is a designer of high-end sculptural furniture and collectible objects based in Johannesburg and one of the seven award-winners. Their work embodies vitality and boldness, drawing on the richness of the country’s cultural heritage and the excellence of local craftsmanship.
I spoke with Tshego from Meetlo, who explains that their collection is an evolving expression that narrates stories of African customs, heritage and royalty and is inspired by the richness, symbolism and aesthetic subtleties within South African culture. She further shares that the collection embodies the belief that we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, our ancestors, whose lives and traditions shaped our heritage.
Tshego expressed her joy at the growing confidence of South Africa’s art community, the mutual support of collaborators and the increasing recognition being afforded to designers within and beyond her country’s borders.
Extending Paris’s Design Map
The centre of Paris has undeniable beauty with its coherent Haussmannian boulevards and historic monuments — it’s a remarkable backdrop that sets an exceptionally high bar. The aesthetic DNA is shaped by overlapping voices concentrated in its central arrondissements, where cultural density and architectural memory create a potent elixir for contemporary design. These neighbourhoods absorb interventions with a particular sensitivity, forming a dialogue between heritage and contemporary practice.
The heritage scope of the design week continues to expand — which is exciting — taking over more iconic venues throughout the capital and redrawing the map of design in Paris. This fertile setting stands in contrast with the northern and eastern banlieues, where post‑war utilitarian construction has shaped a markedly different urban context from that of the historic centre. Yet design surfaces here — indeed, wherever imagination lives in the soul.
The festival's expansion is creating real momentum around the importance of design in our lives, and design itself could become a means of discovering, connecting and nurturing creative dialogue between different parts of the city inwards and outwards, absorbing creative practices and cultural activity beyond the traditional geography. In the banlieues, the map is still being drawn. I’m curious to experience this process unfolding.
A fascintating read! ❤️