Paris was awash with the dapper set in the first week of March, not solely because of Fashion Week but also due to the inauguration of a new salon, Matter and Shape. Founded eight years ago by Matthieu Pinet, Matter and Shape has evolved as a design platform showcasing exquisite objects, spaces, and homes. On March 1st, this platform materialized in the Jardin des Tuileries, steered creatively by Dan Thawley. The venue, a vast 32,300-square-foot exhibition tent designed by Willo Perron of the Los Angeles-based Perron-Roettinger Studio, accommodated 33 exhibitors.
It was by no means an unharmonious clash with fashion week, Thawley and Pinet were keen to see the two events coincide. With the arrival of fashion week, so too is the appearance of the design-conscious. As Thawley remarked in an interview with WWD, "It's a faultless location for Paris because during fashion week, not only do people come to attend fashion shows, but people also come to shop and visit the city. There are international collectors of many kinds of objects also that come to Paris during that time to spend money,".
There was an earnest curation when it came to picking the individual designers and brands. They were from all over the world, each seeming to have artisanal foundations with the potential to expand. Pieces that could sit alongside high fashion while also being interesting additions to the 'lifestyle' market.
Matter & Shape offered a unique experience compared to other venues I've frequented over the years; it wasn't secluded in an airplane hangar or hidden behind a velvet rope in a back alley. It stood at the heart of Paris, housing outstanding design. Free for those who had registered, it made it possible for all to take part in this curated event. It certainly has echoes of Milan, and I would not be surprised if a branch of it made its way there in the next year.
For my part, I was so delighted to have visited; there are so many of those shows where you leave feeling lethargic as if looking at the design in hopes of finding something marvellous has sucked all the energy out of you. In contrast, Matter and Shape left me feeling uplifted, reassured that beauty and excitement still thrive, eagerly anticipating their next venture.
N.B my photographs are terrible I would direct you to the Matter and Shape instagram.