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Features: andrea bocelli's home • maison&objet Asia special • 2014 colour trends
MAISON&OBJET
ASIA SPECIAL
E
Destination Asia
This March, the renowned Parisian decoration and home fashion trade
show is making its way to Singapore with its inaugural fair in Asia
BY Y-JEAN MUN-DELSALLE Images courtesy of SAFI
210 | SINGAPORE TATLER HOMES
stablished as
one of the
world’s leading
trade fairs
for home accessories
and furnishing, the
Maison&Objet show is a
bi-annual event that has
drawn design enthusiasts
and furnishings experts
to Paris, France since its
inception in 1995. For the very first
time in its history, Maison&Objet
Paris is exporting its special brand
inculcating the art of living and
creation to the Marina Bay Sands Expo
& Convention Centre in Singapore in a
6,000 sqm exhibition area.
For four days this March, the city
will become the new destination to see
and experience the latest design ranges
and trends emerging from the region,
and visitors will get a taste of the very
same spirit of creativity, innovation,
luxury and the avant-garde that
characterises the Parisian event.
This new annual meeting place for
professionals marks the initial stage
of Maison&Objet’s international
development strategy targeting
markets with high growth potential.
Maison&Objet Asia runs the full
gamut in home design and decoration:
furniture, lighting, tableware,
kitchenware, decorative objects, soft
furnishings, technical materials,
bathroom fixtures and outdoor pieces.
Event
Details
Date: 10 to 13
March 2014
Location: Marina
Bay Sands Expo &
Convention Centre
Tickets: Open
to home design
and architecture
professionals
Web: www.maisonobjet-asia.com
As a platform for showcasing
some of the best in Asian
design and collaborative
projects and with a strong
representation of the region’s
leading companies at the
show, this first Asian edition
aims to attract a strong
Asian visitor base as well as
European visitors in search of
new design influences and ideas.
A Step In Southeast Asia
Philippe Brocart, MD of
SAFI (Salons Francais et
Internationaux), organiser
of the Maison&Objet fairs,
says, “The mission for all
Maison&Objet shows remains
consistent: bringing together all
the arts of living. Deciphering
new trends. Foreseeing
consumer movements. Offering
new sources of inspiration.
Revealing talent. Stimulating
the market. Promoting
creativity. It is through
the show’s target audience
(designers, architects, those
in the hospitality business,
property developers, retailers,
concept stores, department stores and their
business associates) that we hope to connect
with the homeowner ultimately.”
First launched in Paris almost two
decades ago, Maison&Objet was created
from the fusion of various trade shows for
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MAISON&OBJET
ASIA SPECIAL
home interior design (Paas, Moving,
Tex’Styles, Mic, Arts Cuisine and
Parallèle). Today an international design
platform, each new edition draws an
ever-increasing number of international
visitors and exhibitors, which currently
numbers at 85,000 visitors (50 per
cent from outside France) and 3,000
exhibitors (45 per cent international
brands) twice a year, in January and
September, occupying more than
130,000 sqm of booth space.
Brocart describes the prospect of
bringing such an iconic French trade
fair to Asia, “Since its establishment in
1995, Maison&Objet has grown to be
one of the best design furnishing shows
worldwide. It is the most anticipated
show in the world and, much of this,
organisation apart, has been because
of the reputation of the brands at
our shows. In time to come, it is our
desire for the Asia shows to have a
similar reputation and be just as highly
thought of. Not just because of the
Maison&Objet name, but very much
because of the quality of brands that are
showcased and the visitors who attend.”
Strategic Singapore
Singapore was chosen to host
Maison&Objet Asia and not another
city as “Singapore is a landmark city in
Southeast Asia and ranked in the top
10 most fashionable destinations in the
world,” explains Brocart. “The islandstate is a business hub in the heart of the
ASEAN free trade area, which numbers
600 million inhabitants and is one of
the world’s leading financial centres
and busiest ports. Since the 1990s,
the government has been promoting
Singapore as a centre for arts and
culture, to transform the country into
a cosmopolitan ‘gateway between the
East and West’. And it is the crossroads
where many talented Asian designers
will converge and meet with their
European counterparts to exchange and
explore new ideas, network and, most
importantly, showcase their works.”
What does the fair mean for
exhibitors who are new and also for
those who have already been showing
at Maison&Objet Paris? Brocart
answers, “For new exhibitors who may
not have been able to show in Paris,
Maison&Objet Asia provides them
with the opportunity to experience
the quality of an exhibition for
which Maison&Objet is renowned,
and which offers them a platform to
showcase their talent and creative work,
and to establish business or design
opportunities with buyers from around
the world. For those who have shown
in Paris, they will experience a host of
new business and creative opportunities
in Asia and be able to develop
contacts with Asian designers. We are
delighted to have some Asian brands
at Maison&Objet Asia that have never
participated in any shows.”
“Singapore is a landmark city
in Southeast Asia and ranked
in the top 10 most fashionable
destinations in the world.”
TOP TO BOTTOM
La Maison Du
Chocolat, picture by
If Aloisi; Tom Dixon
creation for the Royal
Academy restaurant
212 | SINGAPORE TATLER HOMES
Singapore
Design Week
2014
Maison&Objet Asia
is a part of Singapore
Design Week (SDW)
held from 10 to 16
March 2014, which
is organised by the
DesignSingapore
Council. Open to the
design community,
businesses, design
students and the
general public,
SDW intends to
raise awareness of
good design and
promote the use of
design for innovation
and productivity.
Celebrating the very
best in design, the
week will showcase
local and international
design trade shows,
conferences,
exhibitions and
workshops across
a broad range of
design disciplines,
including SingaPlural,
International Furniture
Fair Singapore,
Singapore Design
Business Summit,
Singapore Good
Design Mark Exhibition,
Design Thinking and
Innovation Workshops,
Design Trails and
Design Films, which
will also provide
opportunities for
business, international
collaboration and
knowledge exchange.
In September 2011, the
first Paris Design Week
was held in connection
with Maison&Objet,
allowing both the public
and professionals to
discover the latest
trends at the centre
of Paris, so it seemed
appropriate for
Maison&Objet Asia to
participate in SDW, as
the two do share similar
objectives and aims.
Designers and Art
Directors lectures
Although the original target was for
150 exhibitors, due to overwhelming
response, this number has grown to
200 brands from 23 countries, with
a waitlist. SAFI’s International Sales
& Business Development Director,
Frédéric Bougeard, and his team first
selected 800 brands from over 3,000,
basing their choice on similar criteria
as the Paris shows: quality of product,
design, concept and presentation that
would be attractive to buyers. This list
was thereafter narrowed down to fewer
than 200 brands, with the European
brands chosen having existing
businesses in Asia to guarantee that
buyers would have good local follow-up.
Brocart notes, “About one and a
half years ago, when the idea for
Maison&Objet Asia was mooted, the
target for Asian brands was deliberately
conservative – 15 per cent – as this
was a new market. Today, we are very
delighted that we have exceeded our
target and there will be 30 per cent
of Asian brands at Maison&Objet
Asia.” While maintaining the original
Maison&Objet identity, the Asian
edition will distinguish itself by
significant representation from brands
from across the region, and will work
towards having more than 50 per cent
of brands from Asia starting from
next year. This follows the show’s
objectives, which is to be a global
platform while showcasing as much
Asian talent as possible.
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ASIA SPECIAL
The Opening Party
Maison&Objet Asia
will kick-start the show
with a by-invitation
only opening party on
10 March that will bring
together international and
regional design professionals,
and feature the Interior Design
& Lifestyle Summit, which will begin
with a keynote address by a prominent
personality from the industry that will
then branch out into various sessions.
Topics include: Trends & Inspirations
Workshops; Best of Interior Design,
highlighting an outstanding interior
design project in Asia; Best of Retail,
showcasing concept stores and the
home and lifestyle sections of a
Selected from among top Asian
designers who have built a
strong reputation in their field
of design, Kenneth Cobonpue
is this year’s award-winner.
department store; Roundtable on Retail
and Roundtable on Design Schools &
Interior Design in Asia.
Just like in Paris, Maison&Objet
Asia will name its Designer of the
Year. Selected from among top Asian
designers who have built a strong
reputation in their field of design,
Kenneth Cobonpue is this year’s
award-winner. He will be given an
opportunity to design an aspect of the
Singapore show and will become a
Maison&Objet Asia ambassador. Six of
the best up-and-coming designers from
Asia, each representing their individual
countries, will also be spotlighted at the
show through the Rising Asian Talents
exhibition, giving them the opportunity
to present their work to international
Phoenix bamboo car
concept by
Kenneth Cobonpue
professional visitors.
Brocart concludes by explaining
the show’s impact for designers in
the region: “Asia is fast becoming
an important design market and
is also home to some of the most
innovative and creative designers
and design projects today. Through
Maison&Objet Asia, we hope to
assist in accessibility. For designers
in Asia who would otherwise not
have the opportunity to attend the
Paris shows, whether as exhibitors or
visitors, Maison&Objet Asia would
be one large stage to meet with
other talented designers, exchange
innovative ideas, learn more about the
trends and even create new ones that
could go beyond the Asian region.”
Watchlist
Here are some key brands to look out for at the fair
Campa
A leading maker of
radiators in France
and around the world,
Campa has been creating
state-of-art machines
for providing reliable
temperature control and
maintaining the comfort
levels within rooms.
Campa also utilises
high quality materials,
such as glass, steel and
lava stone, to combine
utilitarian function
with sleek forms. The
50-year-old brand will be
unveiling its collections
at the fair, visit the booth
to find out how the brand
can add to your home.
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Apaiser
Christopher Guy
The award-winning
international bathware
designer and
manufacturer specialises
in hand finished stone
composite bathwares
synonymous with
luxury and renowned
for its organic feel and
sculptural lines. Having
just completed its latest
hospitality project here,
Park Royal On Pickering,
Apaiser is now offering
its lines of eco-friendly
freestanding stone
composite baths, basins,
vanities and shower bases
Already a household
name among discerning
homeowners around the
world, Singapore-based
designer Christopher
Guy is best known for the
iconic look of his furniture,
lighting and wall accent
creations. Look out for
more updates from his
sought-after collections,
such as the Mademoiselle,
Autograph and Galleria.
Guy, whose designs
have been featured in a
variety of movies from
Hollywood, has boutiques
across the globe and
produces all the furniture
from his own workshops.
for use in residential and
commercial spaces.
Cosa
With over 20 years
of experience in the
interior design and
fit-out projects, Cosa
International specialises
in the design and
production of unique
and custom-created
structural and acoustic
ceilings, lighting
structures, 3D forms,
sculptural forms and
printed wall features.
Clients can expect
personalised service and
customised solutions.
The brand will be
introducing its artistic
construction designs
during the trade show.
Design Hub
Frato
Hansgrohe
Megaphone
Volevatch
One of the leading
providers of design
solutions in Singapore,
Design Hub’s extensive
multi-level showroom
in Singapore offers a
diverse array of ceramic
tiles, marble and wooden
flooring, wallpapers,
kitchen setups as well as
sanitary wares. Design
Hub also represents a
range of premium home
brands, such as Apavisa
tiles, Listone Girodano
flooring, Devon & Devon
bathroom fittings and
Veneta Cucine kitchens.
Visitors the booth to find
out more.
Available locally at
Marquis HQO’s gallery
at Great World City, the
global brand is popular
with homeowners for
its versatile designs that
adapt easily to any interior.
Prior to its collections
for the home, the brand
is also recognised as
a leading designer of
furnishing for a wide range
of hospitality projects.
Much of its inspirations
are derived from
international influences.
New lamp designs and
creations fusing East and
West influences will be
launched during the show.
One of the leading
producers of kitchen,
shower and bath
mixers, Hansgrohe’s
premium Axor range is
highly sought after by
homeowners because of
its unique collaborations
with noted designers,
such as Philippe Starck,
Antonio Citterio, Patricia
Urquiola, Jean-Marie
Massaud, as well as Ronan
and Erwan Bouroullec.
Visitors to the booth will
be able to find out more
about appreciating the
user’s relationship with
water through the use of
its products.
The captivating design
of this passive amplifier
for iPhone arose from
a reflection on the way
natural laws of sound
and physics interact with
technology. Designed by
Enrico Bosa and Isabella
Lovero, the Megaphone
has been creating waves
among audiophiles and
tech-enthusiasts as it uses
the way sound is naturally
amplified when passing
through a ceramic pipe
while remaining crystal
clear. Made in Italy, visitors
to the fair can also find out
more about the smallersized Megaphonemini.
Hailing from France,
this high-end
bathroom fittings label
manufactures luxury
bathwares using fine
metals and materials.
Volevatch will be
unveiling its iconic
Art Deco collection to
audiences in Asia during
the fair, along with other
products consisting of
shower screens, walls,
and accompanying
accessories. The brand
aims to bring its wealth
of experience in creating
luxury bath retreats and
experiences to design
projects here.
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