"What Inspires Me" with StudioParisien
Born through the fusion of two iconic and charismatic personalities: Laurène and Romain, StudioParisien was built over time since the two met 15 years ago. Laurene, an interior designer from Penninghen Art School and Romain a scenographer and designer met while working on their first project for a French Luxury House, “We met through a mutual friend who introduced us because I was looking for skills like Laurene has and we hit it off right away” says Romain. “It was immediately fusional in terms of creativity” he adds. Their collaboration is fluid and their artistic symbiosis is striking. Early on they were told that they had a common signature, a coherence that made their projects stand out. In 2013, they decided to associate their two identities and expertise, and created StudioParisien.
StudioParisien binds two different but complementary visions: the interior architect and the scenographer. Their projects are internationally acclaimed and made all the headlines these past years. Par Excellence had the chance to meet this fantastic duo!
We meet Laurene and Romain in their studio at the heart of Paris on a very snowy day. StudioParisien is located in the district of Le Marais, rue de Sévigné. Le Marais is a small village full of energy and creativity. Historically there are many craftsmen, architects, contemporary artists and galleries. “There is a story around every corner” and it feeds the duo’s creativity on a daily basis. They chose to have a studio that looks like a flat, a cozy and warm place in which they like to work with the rest of their team. Just like their interior projects, their studio is rather minimalistic, soft and very comforting. It conveys the agency’s environment, identity and inspirations.
Laurène and Romain were brought up in Paris, a city that inspires them a lot. The French style and this new generation of French interior architects such as Joseph Dirand and Pierre Yovanovitch to cite a few, drives the two designers. “We were really carried away by this style”. Another great source of inspiration is craftsmanship and French know-how. StudioParisien are in a constant dialogue with the highly skilled craftsmen they work with.
From the beginning of StudioParisien, Ateliers Jouffre has been a regular resource to create innovative furniture. “Ateliers Jouffre were immediately eager to collaborate with us, so we worked together on our first collection with the Panther sofa, inspired by the Cartier’s Panther”.
“There is a signature, a beautiful energy when you go to the Jouffre Workshops in Lyon, France” – StudioParisien
Strong supporter of arts and crafts, StudioParisien has at heart the protection of craftsmanship. “The general public is discovering and acknowledging all these techniques. It’s part of a heritage that have to be preserved and developed. It should not be lost. Young people are more and more excited to begin a career in a workshop, which is great!”. From their collaboration with the Manufacture de Tapis de Bourgogne for a recent residential project in Paris, StudioParisien remembers the Manufacture’s openness to creation, the great research work, the richness of volumes and colors. For Laurene and Romain, carpets and rugs are a real mean of expression that should be treated as a work of art that is put on the floor. “Carpets bring a real identity to a space, a real depth”.
“Paris is the city in which we express ourselves best and in which we want to be and create” – StudioParisien
StudioParisien cumulates a number of exceptional projects without being locked into a single visual signature. From Bhogossian, to Cartier and Christofle, the two designers are called upon for their creativity, their know-how and their craftsmanship. “It’s the drawing, the research, the understanding of a brand and the clients, the desire that we have around the theme. We approach things with poetry and clarity. We try to be as elegant as possible, as gentle, as companionable as possible” explains Laurène. It is also a lot of instinct adds Romain. Like many creative people, they have a vision. Images, forms, materials come to them quickly. Whether it is a form, a material, an atmosphere, a DNA, they are both very sensitive to the brand’s identity. “Laurène and I immediately have ideas and desires on our side, instinctively”.
Each project is the result of a rich and sensitive dialogue between the brand and the Studio, “It is about listening and stylizing their identity. There is a lot of curiosity and listening involved at this stage of the process and this is the phase I prefer” says Laurène. The end goal is to create a nice mix between the quality of the space, the light, the circulation and keep a global consistency while offering a beautiful interior.
While the interview goes on, we can’t help to notice the incredibly strong bond between Romain and Laurène. So, we ask: “How does this creative fusion translate on a daily basis?”
“Ah well, it’s intense!” says Laurène.
“We argue a lot!” adds Romain.
They are the opposite on the way they approach things and infuse each project with their extraordinary complementarity. “In fact, we function exactly like a couple in life, except that we are not a couple in life. We are a creative couple. It’s quite lively!”. However, they know that they are on the right path when they both agree on something. Overall, they have the same eye and vision.
“Before anything else, it is a human adventure. It is all about what we can transmit and bring to each other, whether it is with the team, the craftsmen and the clients.” – StudioParisien
The duo demonstrates a creative flexibility, skillfully playing between French craftsmanship and a desire for minimalist lines inspired by their French contemporaries. StudioParisien effortlessly transitions from residential to retail projects. The two designers also created a line of furniture and is constantly looking for new materials, crafts and techniques to create innovative pieces. Their curiosity and desire to explore is tangible and they have a lot of incredible projects ahead!
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Victoria Wilmotte exposes her new iconic pieces in Paris
Victoria Wilmotte exposes the different facets of her talent in the Silvera space in Saint-Germain. The opportunity to (re) discover her creative universe as well as her ingenious and singular furniture. Signatures Singulières Magazine went to her exhibition that honors the work and the French know-how of the famous designer.
Above: Victoria Wilmotte. On the right: “Zigzag” armchair upholstered with a purple velvet by Pierre Frey. ©Yannick Labrousse.
Victoria Wilmotte, the art of precision
Former student of the Camondo School in Paris, then of the Royal College of Art in London, Victoria Wilmotte specialized in product design under the direction of Ron Arad. Over the years, she has established herself on the design scene by collaborating with renowned brands such as Poliform, Legrand, ClassiCon or Land Rover. In 2009, the designer created her own studio before opening her workshop a few years later to design bespoke pieces or prototypes for industrial production. This workshop became a real laboratory of ideas. She explored with metallic and mineral materials, She cut and hollowed their surfaces playing with the textures. A creative process that is close to a sculptor’s work, coupled with an engineer’s precision… Today, Victoria Wilmotte develops her creative universe by self-publishing unique pieces in her own workshop, VW Factory, that she presents at Silvera.
Iconic collections and brand-new pieces by Victoria Wilmotte at Silvera
Victoria Wilmotte offers a sneak peak at her collections and exhibits the latest VW Factory products at the Silvera showroom in Saint-Germain. There you can discover an astonishing chandelier in folded sheet metal, a playful console and backlit marble lamps… But also, an armchair and a sofa all in velvet, quite innovative! This was the first time that the designer worked with fabric. And the result is astonishing. This exhibition is the occasion to discover the Ginza lamp post for Man Of Parts and its furniture edited by the brand Classicon, such as the Piega mirrors or the Pli tables, gloriously staged by the designer. “A project initiated as part of the Designers Days at Silvera Poliform – she (Victoria Wilmotte) once again surprises with her ingenuity, her taste for volumes and surface treatments” says Brigitte Silvera.
Interview with Victoria Wilmotte
Which new creations do you present in the Silvera showroom in Paris ?
A wall lamp, a chandelier, a console, a coffee table… A lot of new products that are part of my creative process. But also a statement piece, a completely new type of furniture for me: a sofa and an armchair. I was initiated to fabric treatment, forcing me to get out of my comfort zone to integrate softness and tenderness in a monster of precision.
Why did you create special and self-produced editions?
It all started when I worked with stone and marble. With these precious materials, you often have to draw tables and other bespoke pieces. I then followed the idea of limited and self-published pieces by creating my own workshop, the VW Factory, in which I can manufacture order-based production and develop my creative universe.
Maintaining your event in a context of confinement is quite audacious!
I did not want to cancel it. I wanted to close this decade with the creations that emanated from it. During the confinement, my desire to create compounded. I opened myself to other horizons and now I wish to continue on this path of proliferation and amazement!
10 years of creations in a limited edition book
To accompany this exhibition which highlights the graphic, rigorous and majestic universe of the designer, an anniversary publication celebrating the 10 years of Victoria Wilmotte’s creations is available. A book signed and edited in only 100 copies that lists all of the designer’s objects and installations. A beautiful book that reveals her creative line and inspirations, from volume, symmetrical compositions and contrasted design. A collector’s book not to be missed.
For all information, please contact the Silvera showroom located at 43, rue du Bac – 75007 Paris.