(1888PressRelease)
February 18, 2009 - Members of the press are invited to a breakfast/conference with Rabih Hage and the designers at 9:00am on Tuesday 3 March.
This Design Forum will provide attendees with an opportunity to meet French companies representing a broad selection of the design industry. It will offer a unique environment in which architects and designers can discover original products and find new business partners.
For the first time, the annual event will feature a conference on French and British Design with top international designers and renowned speakers from the industry. VIP Press Tickets are available on request. The conference, which will take place from 3.00pm on 3 March 2009, will debate conventional systems of display and encourage the participating designers to think of new ways to promote themselves and their work.
The themes of French manufacturing, collaborations with designers, marketing and integrity will be discussed by a panel of professionals including André Dubreuil, Matali Crasset and representatives of META Design. It will be chaired by Max Fraser, a design connoisseur and critic.
The participating French artisans and manufacturers are listed below; further details are available on request.
Atelier Le Penher
Atelier Le Pehner creates designs using wood and glass that reflect the company’s values of purity and contrast. Its products include sculpture, furniture and decorative items.
Atelier Wiart
Atelier Wiart manufactures hand-made tiles, bespoke lava-rock work surfaces for kitchens and bathrooms, table tops, and ceramic frescos that are hand-painted on either terracotta or lava rock. Glazes vary from traditional vibrant colours to contemporary matt tones.
Collection Pierre
Collection Pierre designs chairs and other items of furniture, which are manufactured by skilled artisans in the Vosges region of eastern France. Its designs draw inspiration from the decorative arts and from Ancient Egyptian styles, right through to contemporary models.
Fame & B
Fame & B manufactures contemporary furniture and lighting. Fame & B also works with well-known designers such as Nicolas Gaudin and Gerard Gateau. The company specialises in metal work, using steel, aluminium, brass, stainless steel with epoxy finishing, as well as other raw materials including plain oak and concrete.
Florentin Design
Florentin Design creates bespoke furniture for international designers. All its products can be made to measure in order to fit any interiors and projects, from private homes to luxury hotels and boutiques.
Gautier
Gautier, which was founded in 1958, designs contemporary furniture. Its range covers the entire spectrum of living spaces including bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, storage units and other furniture accessories.
Moissonnier
Moissonnier designs high-quality furniture, including bespoke pieces for both individuals and luxury hotels. The company which was founded by Emile Moissonnier, carries out all its production in its workshops in Bourg-en-Bresse, in eastern France.
Oxygene
Oxygene, which is headquartered in the south of France, offers a wide range of contemporary lighting solutions. Its lighting designs can be used for bars, restaurants and hotels to create stylish atmospheres.
Protoform
Protofrom is a partnership between Virginie Leliepvre, a professional glassblower, and Eric Sanchez, a blacksmith and sculptor. Using their combined expertise, Protoform creates stylish furniture and lighting.
Steven Edrich
Steven Edrich specialises in designing contemporary furniture. The company, which is based near the chateaux, vineyards and other historical sites of the Loire Valley, designs tailor-made products using carefully selected woods such as walnut, cherry, sycamore and wenge.
Translucides
Translucides, was created by Jean-Michel Letellier and Miki Nakamura, a Franco-Japanese couple specialising in the design of glass panels incorporating wallpaper. The company designs papiers d'ombres (translucent paper incorporating abstract or figurative drawings), which are then enclosed within glass or resin to create innovative panels for use in doors, floors or furniture.
The French Design Forum is being organised in partnership with Rabih Hage, a French architect and interior designer who is now based in London. Rabih Hage was the British Interior Design Association’s (BIDA) Interior Designer of the year in 2004.
The French Design Forum is sponsored by Baccarat and DeTnk, and is also supported by Design Centre Chelsea Harbour and BIDA.
About the French Trade Commission in London
The Trade Commission of the French Embassy assists trade development between France and the UK; it offers a wide range of services to French companies, so as to assist them in their business activities within the UK. The Trade Commission organises B2B events in the form of conferences and networking opportunities, mainly in London.
The French Design Forum will be held at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour in London on 3 & 4 March 2009 (Space Room, Third Floor South Dome). Members of the press are invited to a breakfast/conference with Rabih Hage and the designers on Tuesday 3 March 2009 at 9:00am.
Journalists wishing to attend should contact the French Trade Commission directly (see below).
Ms Constance Nuytten
Consumer Goods Department, French Trade Commission
Tel: 0207 316 4166
Email: constance.nuytten ( @ ) ubifrance dot fr
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