12 Product Standouts From Maison & Objet 2018
While Paris was cloaked in heavy gray skies, the halls of Maison & Objet were alive with color. The January 2018 edition did not disappoint, with over 3,000 exhibitors showcasing the latest international home wares, furniture, accessories, and lighting. For the 91% of visitors who state that they come to Maison & Objet to discover new products, there were plenty of new-to-market pieces that wowed.
The Designer of the Year 2018 honor was awarded to Danish designer Cecilie Manz. The show celebrated her versatility and talent in “Objects,” an exhibition that brought together existing and previously unseen pieces including those she designed for brands such as Fritz Hansen, Lightyears, and Bang & Olufsen.
In contrast to Cecilie Manz‘s mantra of functionality and simplicity, the “SHOW-ROOM” inspiration space created by Vincent Grégoire from NellyRodi Agency was a maximalist adventure. It highlighted how consumers now take on the role of curators, styling and staging products to share on their social media channels in a form of decorative exhibitionism. The multilayered vignettes included technical camera lighting and reflectors to create the perfect picture.
The show had an altogether Italian flavor. Partnering with the Italian Trade Agency, this was a bumper edition for Italian design with 327 Italian companies exhibiting and talks by Rossana Orlandi, Rosita Missoni, Nina Yashar of Nilufar, Luca Nichetto, and Giulio Capellini.
This year, the Maison & Objet Rising Talents Awards winners all belong to Italy’s newest generation of designers. Orlandi selected Guglielmo Poletti, whom she met at his design show in Eindhoven. Another Rising Talent Award winner, Federica Biasi, chose to celebrate the excellence of Italian artisanship in her design exhibition, which included her work for Mingardo, Incipit, and Fratelli Guzzini. CC-Tapis also championed young and dynamic Italian designers, with new creations by Elena Salmistraro, Leonardo Talarico, and Domenico Rocca & Alberto Nespoli of EligoStudio.
