It may be the effect of changes taking place in the company, or perhaps the crisis that struck the economy and which, in the words of Etienne Cochet, the company’s director "seems to have no end in sight", but the trade show Maison & Objet has decided adopt a new organizational structure and to offer services that are more tailored to needs of its visitors. The new changes will apply at the next installment of the show which will take place from the 7th to the 11th of September.


Etienne Cochet announced with some caution: "It is important to step back during times of turbulence. We are no longer in a style, but in a transition period." That did not stop him from reminding that "these times of crisis automatically generate a very strong creative movement." And it is thus no coincidence that the key word selected to describe the great movements of trends is - Essential.



Next September’s installmen of the show aims to respond to questions related to the economic crisis (Image Maison & Objet)



The most important change concerns Hall 6, dedicated to accessories, currently the most dynamic sector accounting for 30% of the surface area of the show and its exhibiting companies (of which there will be one thousand, including 200 new ones). It will be reorganized and divided into five sectors (moving, fashion object, children, fragrance and spa and everyday) with simplified courses and an upscale focus.

To help visitors to quickly get an idea of ​​the trends from all these universes, there will be a new area of ​​4000 square meters, located at the end of that hall. Zoom is a sort of creative showcase that will bring together 200 of the most innovative exhibitors, which will be renewed at each installment of the show.


"This redesign of Hall 6 corresponds to the transversal strategy that is unique about the show and meets the objective of retaining the distributors of fashion and decoration which now rely on a harmonious differentiation of their product offering," said Etienne Cochet.


The revisions also concern the Outdoor part, which now unfolds in multiple environments, including Now! Design for living, to emphasize its proximity to the world of designers and is also closely akin with the world of luxury and wellness in synergy with Indoor Scenes in Hall 7. It is in this same hall that one will be able to discover the six designers selected for the animation Talents à la Carte, which this year features a 100% Asian group.


On the services side, an educational approach is reinforced in the Retail Space, with a partnership with Open D Group, an agency specializing in creating concepts and distributive products. Guided and coached with new ideas for design, animation, and merchandising, retailers should be able to boost their activity.



Apart from the show, Maison & Objet will also feature for the second time, from the 10th to the 16th of September, Paris Design Week, with stronger and more conceptual content oriented towards both professionals and the general public. 150 locations in Paris (including institutions such as the Fondation Cartier and the Arab World Institute) will feature thematic grids that forge a bridge between the design of the twentieth century and current design or between art and design. The La Cité de la Mode-Docks sur Seine will have a special focus on 80 designers between the ages of 25 to 30 convening in the space Now! This week of celebration will for the first time go beyond the walls of Paris to invest in the Saint Ouen flea market, including the highly anticipated "canteen chic" My Flea, designed by Philippe Starck, which will open soon.

Silvia Manzoni