A New Design Chapter Emerges

MILAN — In an age marked by the quest for resilience and adaptability, Hervé Lemoine calls this historical chapter the age of “engaged and experimental design.”

In Paris, a century after International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts brought what we know today as Art Deco onto the world stage Sèvres & Mobilier National has carefully assembled a group of designers who uphold the ethos behind this new chapter, Lemoine, the group’s chairman, told WWD on Monday.

Sèvres & Mobilier National has put the work of this elite circle on show until Nov. 2, under the name Salon des Nouveaux Ensembliers, French for the salon of new designers or decorators. The exhibit, under the theme “L’Ambassade de demain,” or “the embassy of tomorrow: in English, is being held at the city’s historic Galerie des Gobelins. Located at the heart of the Mobilier National, the Galerie des Gobelins is dedicated to the Élysée Palace and houses more than 80,000 pieces of furniture and textiles.

Sèvres & Mobilier National, a French national furniture institution, has been supporting arts and crafts since the 17th century and is clearly still busy.

A New Guard Is Born

The roster of the show features mostly French names, but one Brazilian studio — in honor of the “Year of Brazil” in France. Designers include architect Sophie Dries; artist Paul Bonlarron; architecture and design studio Oud; architect and interior designer Marion Mailaender; Estudio Rain, founded by Ricardo Innecco and Mariana Ramos, both natives of Brasília; France-based design studios Emilieu Studio; Dach&Zephir, Atelier Craft; Pierre Marie Studio; Studio GGSV, as well as interior designer Mathilde Bretillot.

These designers all share the belief that beauty must coexist with values and environmental awareness, Lemoine said. Ultimately, they also resurrect the spirit of the modern ensemblier, or a creator who seamlessly blends architecture, furniture and decorative arts for the 21st century.

“The common thread is the combination of innovation and traditional craftsmanship, with a strong commitment to sustainable and responsible design. Trends include material reuse, eco-design, and the blending of decorative arts with architecture,” he added.

For the exhibition, Atelier Craft unveiled Ambactos, a mobile, modular dining kitchen that adapts to the habits of visiting chefs and which was made in part of oak reused from a dismantled farm structure and recycled aluminum.

Sophie Dries created Octa, a contemporary boudoir bar positioned under a chandelier paying homage to Art Deco-era designer Eileen Gray. Pieces were made in collaboration with French crystal house Baccarat and Mycoworks, a biotechnology firm that makes materials for design like mushroom-based Reishi.

Historical Design Chapters Since the Dawn of Art Deco

Art Deco, an emblem of the Roaring 1920s, remains one of the most enduring and revolutionary design movements of all time. 

The cohesive and signature design elements, including motifs, materials and techniques, continue to reverberate throughout architecture, design, fashion and even jewelry 100 years after it debuted at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industrials Modernes, or International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, in Paris. From that day on, the movement, quickly was embraced and adapted worldwide and would forever alter the creative cultures of cities from New York and Paris to Miami and Mumbai.

Lemoine argued that there have indeed been several movements since Art Deco that have been of near or equal resonance, and that served as chapters of the history of design. The 1900 Exposition Universelle introduced new forms and materials, he said, while the 1968 Montreal Expo and the 1970 Osaka Expo, where Pierre Paulin created iconic prototypes, also played a revolutionary role in shaping modern design’s chronicles. In each case, the Mobilier national was involved in producing these prototypes, demonstrating the historical role of French institutions in promoting innovative design, he said.

Today, the Salon des Nouveaux Ensembliers aims to be a contemporary equivalent, bringing together designers and more than 150 artisans to combine tradition and sustainable innovation.

The notion of “engaged and experimental design” is almost always paired with ecological and social awareness among the designers selected by Mobilier National.

“Unlike 1925, which celebrated ornamentation, today’s era is defined by attention to durability, ethics and the reinvention of traditional craftsmanship,” he said.

In Europe, the formation of Salon des Nouveaux Ensembliers is one of the boldest steps toward defining a new chapter of design, on the part of a national institution and toward pinpointing a distinct new guard composed of both established and emerging minds. The Salon des Nouveaux Ensembliers’ creation has also garnered the support and participation of a significant number of artisan and craftspeople to make the exhibition come to fruition.

The salon’s 150 artisans and designers are supported by institutions such as Le19M, the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller, the Mobilier national and Sèvres, as well as emblematic houses such as Baccarat, Christofle and Poilâne. This new generation redefines the future of French design by combining innovation, tradition, sustainability and poetry. It constitutes a true new guard of visionaries, imagining design that is both responsible, engaged and captivating.

Looking ahead, Lemoine said modern design is very much hinged on how creatives employ sustainable materials, reinterpret traditions and propel environmentally conscious techniques. “It’s no longer about spectacular forms or decoration alone, but about reinterpreting traditions with sustainable materials and environmentally conscious techniques,” he said.