PARIS DESIGN WEEK WELCOMES OUR WINTER GARDEN
A section of the Winter Garden installation - a collaboration between Creative Matters and LOMA Photo: Anna Muller
“So poetic.” “C’est superbe.” “Like a reset button.” These are just a small sample of the expressions of awe and wonder we received every day during Paris Design Week for our installation titled “Winter Garden”. Inspired by a Rumi quote, we developed the exhibit in collaboration with Parisian Design studio LOMA and presented it to the public in a small gallery in the Le Marais district of Paris. Paris Design Week ran from September 8 -17 with hundreds of exhibitions and events weaving through museums, monuments, parks, galleries and shops.
Guests enjoying the ambiance at the opening night party. Photos: Ayka Lux
The Rumi quote that inspired the development of the Winter Garden installation.
The Creative Matters team for the exhibit was led by Partner Ana Cunningham. “My time at the gallery was spent chatting with people who came in to see it. Whether they were interiors professionals, designers, devotees of Paris Design Week or people walking in off the street, what amazed me the most was the emotional connection they felt as they viewed the installation,” said Ana. “It was an opportunity to reflect and reconcile with the past as we envision a future season.”
Visitors to Creative Matters’ Winter Garden talked of the emotional connection they felt. Photo: Ayka Lux
Winter Garden included pieces of outdoor furniture as you might find in a Canadian garden. In the centre there was an intentionally casual formation that called to visitors to sit down and reflect. Many visitors responded to the call and took the time to chat with friends or sit by themselves and think. (Note: although the pieces of furniture appeared to have a generous layer of snow, this was represented by a wool and silk textile that was perfectly suitable for sitting.)
A table and chairs invited guests to sit and consider the installation. Photo: Ayka Lux
Working with the very talented designers at LOMA was the Creative Matters team comprising Ana, Clémence Hardelay, Design Director Europe; Anna Panosyan, Director of Design Development; and Sophie Williams, Designer. “Collaborating with LOMA on Winter Garden gave us the opportunity to reimagine - as well as examine - our intention behind showcasing functional design,” said Sophie. “Johan Brunel and Nicholas Omet (the Parisian duo from LOMA) understood and shared our vision to create a space for pause while providing a tactile connection to materials. It was inspiring to see and hear people of all ages express comfort and nostalgia in response to the scenography.” “Going back to the Rumi quote, we were looking for something more than this and I think this collaboration and connection shows that CMI can take new leaps to understand, develop and inspire moving forward.”
Creative Matters and LOMA. The team behind the Winter Garden exhibit. Photo: Ayka Lux
The installation featured wool – the preferred material for the fabrication of most of our floorcoverings. “I particularly enjoyed showcasing the beauty of primary materials that are minimally treated, and seeing the surprise and fascination people expressed for the pure carded wool. It was a celebration of the material and craft at their purest,” said Anna.
We were fortunate to be able to source this beautiful wool in France, from Brun de Vian-Tiran, a company that set up their first mill 1808. And as a Canadian firm, we also sourced wool through The Campaign for Wool Canada. Post exhibit, both the wool and the wood will be entirely re-used.
The beautiful placement of wool to represent snow. Photo: Anna Muller
We chose to include only one of our rugs in the installation. A stunning 100% silk handtufted rug designed by Creative Matters Designer Mengting Shen hung on the wall. Representing the aurora borealis, it shone and glimmered exquisitely. It also inspired the takeaway piece from the exhibit.
Creative Matters’ rug representing the aurora borealis. Photo: Anna Muller
The takeway piece from the Winter Garden exhibit was inspired by the aurora borealis rug.
“A poetic scenography, a peaceful and delicate sanctuary where people enjoyed cocooning and taking a break, Winter Garden was a real coup de coeur among the Paris Design Week public, said Clémence. “A first Parisian experience for Creative Matters, we were also conquered by the enthusiasm and the effervescence of the people with whom we conversed - new contacts as well as devoted clients - and we are leaving empowered and ready to take on new projects in France.”