It is impossible to walk the streets of Paris and not feel steeped in history, whether the representation of it is Neoclassical, Baroque, or Art Nouveau. An example of the ornamentation that crops up at every turn is the Pont Alexandre III above, a Beaux-Arts style bridge dotted with Art Nouveau lamps, playful cherubs and nymphs, and fanciful winged horses. Named after Tsar Alexander III, it was built between 1896 and 1900. You will see the influences of architecture like this on many of the trims in this post, which debuted during Paris Deco Off.
This year was the first in five we didn’t make it to Europe to attend Paris Deco Off, one of our favorite shows for the lush introductions in textiles and wallcoverings that are unfurled in so many chic showrooms and pop-up venues. Robin Garceau, founder of Robin Garceau Interiors, kindly agreed to share with Design Diary readers her experience of the new debuts from a number of manufacturers. She’s on the right in the image above taken at Timothy Corrigan’s apartment in Paris last January. Designer Carol Beck is to the left of our CEO Saxon Henry as they toasted Corrigan’s Les Folies Collection for Fromental that was debuting that evening during Paris Deco Off.
Proving how contemporary times can be so paradoxical, Robin’s research illustrates how many of the new fabrics and trims are modern takes on historical styles created with avant-garde innovation.
Robin Garceau Reports on Paris Deco Off
The impact of technology on new design products was evident this year during Paris Deco Off, the unique enhancements to the beauty of fabrics, trims, and wallcoverings all the more surprising because they are possible thanks to innovation. Within the elegant backdrop of Paris, companies showed off their new products infused with intricate weaves, multi-level embroideries, and laser-cut designs.
Hartmann & Forbes
Hartmann & Forbes launched their new collection by designer Michael Smith. His vision is inspired by his world travels, influences for his wallcovering designs that span from Japanese hand-stenciling stylistic notes to patterns seen in Moroccan tiles, one of the patterns shown above. These organic, natural designs radiate an understated elegance.
Amidst all the technological wonders in today’s industry, Hartmann & Forbes prides themselves on a commitment to a “one of one” concept, a precept in which each shade is handcrafted specifically to the client’s desires to create a “unique commissioned work.” The man in the photograph above illustrates the level of attention to detail that is taken as he checks to ensure the proper color was achieved after the fiber has been dyed and naturally dried by the sun. The fiber he is examining is called ramie.
Samuel & Sons
Extensive new collections by Samuel & Sons were show-stoppers during Paris Deco Off. The collaboration with Timothy Corrigan and his stunning Parisian-inspired collection is achieved with new technology that results in exquisite trims in the Chevallerie Collection. The intricate weaves give the collection incredible depth and the color variation is sometimes achieved with as many as ten threads woven together, elevating any creation imagined by a designer.
Some of the most stunning introductions in the Veronique Collection during Paris Deco Off have been ornamented with a new technique that incorporates a raised embroidery and an outline around that embroidery. The depth heightens the elegance of these trims that will not go unnoticed by discerning designers.
The Milano Collection, a couture-inspired collection of leather trims, is made with laser-cut technology. The embroideries and the amazing, sometimes oversized, trims they achieve with this approach elevate their products to a higher level of sophistication for designers.
S. Harris
Revival, a new fabric collection from S. Harris, is a loving nod to everything that is 1920s Art Nouveau. You can see how palpable the style is from the landmarks that dot Paris, such as the lead image on this post, the Pont Alexandre III. The influences inspired by the style include metallic threads, gold lamé and intricacies of ornamentation in the rich velvets. These bring a spectacular epoch of design into a contemporary language.
Vervain
Launching in August 2019, designer Frank Ontario’s trim collection with Vervain, which created lots of buzz during Paris Deco Off, has Italian influences that lean toward the masculine. Again, technology raises the bar on design capabilities with a layering of materials, such as braided leather and metal trims, and hair-on-hide patterns.
Innovation Leads to Beauty at Paris Deco Off
The in-house designers and collaborative visionaries who create products for these brands are taking advantage of the vast advances available to them, and the result is a delight for the eyes. They are true artists, and their hard work, vision and ingenuity is definitely appreciated and admired.
A note about seeing Paris Déco Off without the accent as their branding demands. It’s an SEO move. We are content creators after all, and since there are no symbols allowed in URL’s and Paris Deco Off is our long-tail keyword for this post, we had to leave it out of all of the content. Just sharing a bit of the “behind the scenes” intel that we must know in order to create exemplary content for our clients in the home décor industry.