Maison & Objet: Future on Stage

For the past two years, Maison&Objet’s launching pad, Future on Stage, has rewarded remarkable young companies, revealing French and international talents and presenting the latest trends to the world.

Established within the past three years and operating in the design, decoration and lifestyle sectors, these recognised companies set the pace in innovation, business, and creativity. In each edition of the fair, three outstanding and highly creative young companies are given an exhibition space at the show. They benefit from enhanced visibility and support from market experts.

“To support young companies determined to make an impact today and tomorrow, the Future On Stage programme takes our forward-looking mission a step further in an evolving marketplace. Acting as an incubator, Maison&Objet accelerates the development of these remarkable young companies… these Digital Native Vertical Brands which have so much to offer, bringing real added value to retail buyers and architects wishing to assert their uniqueness with brands that will help them stand out.”

For the fourth time since its launch, the Future On Stage pavilion (which ended on 22 January 2024) provided a podium of inspiration, dynamism and a booster for developing businesses.

“For this fourth edition, the number of applications tripled, and two of the three winners are international. The response has been truly exceptional! On our side, development has taken place on the business end of things. We take account of all elements of young businesses, and we place our trust in a team, as an investment fund would do. To ensure the brand can fulfil its potential and meet the demand its presence at the show will generate, we offer a real consultancy and support approach through our community of partners, designers, trend agencies and architects.” – Mélanie Leroy, Managing Director of SAFI.

Creation, Invention and Sustainability

For this new edition and as part of the TECH EDEN theme, marking the 30th anniversary of Maison&Objet, Future On Stage has consolidated the promise of a lasting alliance between creation, invention and sustainability. Chaired by MÉLANIE LEROY, Managing Director of SAFI/Maison&Objet, the Future On Stage jury is made up of VINCENT GRÉGOIRE, Director of Consumer Trends & Insights at NellyRodi; PHILIPPE LEHR, Director of Sales and Development at Designerbox; FRANCK MILLOT, Director of Paris Design Week; FLORENCE DELAGE, Director of Sales at Le Bon Marché; CRISTIANO BENZONI, co-founder of Studio REV, and VINCENT ROMEO, founder of Blog Esprit Design and Director of Agence 14 septembre.

This exceptional jury distinguishes Anga (France), Bluecycle (Greece) and Tosco studio (Portugal), three young companies with truly forward-looking approaches. Three projects which point to an optimistic future, reconciling aesthetics and technology.

“The jury was very much unanimous in choosing these brilliant, disruptive and innovative projects. Each one offers forward-looking solutions combining technology, technique, craftsmanship and eco-design. Whether seen from the perspective of slow decor, sourcing raw materials, or the second life of a product, they all embrace the values of ecoresponsibility, not as a marketing tool, but as something self-evident. When examining the applications, we make sure that this holistic approach does not come at the expense of design or scalability. As you will see, our approach has paid off!” – Mélanie Leroy, Managing Director of SAFI.

Anga

21st century “marble”

Country: France / Founded: 2020

Alexandre Alimi, like everyone else, once found himself stumbling over some plastic waste. But unlike the rest of us, as a student at Strate Design, he formed the idea of using it initially as a raw material in his designs, and then, in partnership with ESSEC student Valentine d’Harcourt, transforming it into construction panels.

“By using his kitchen oven to melt fine plastic, a low-toxicity material that is seldom recycled, Alexandre came up with a recipe for a revolutionary material described as environmentally-friendly marble. We offer it in high-end panels for worktops, credenzas or surfaces (for offices, for bathrooms) and we’re going to be offering it in the form of office furniture with Moore design. It’ll be our news for the Future On Stage pavilion!” – Valentine d’Harcourt, co-founder of Anga

anga.fr

Bluecycle

3D objects made from marine debris

Country: Greece / Founded: 2020

Bluecycle creates a virtuous circle linked to the sea. The brand offers furniture with shapes and textures inspired by aquatic life and made from plastic marine debris. Old fishing nets and packaging materials recovered from the Aegean Sea, either directly in the port of Athens or at 30 Greek collection points, are given a second life in the form of 3D-printed vases, benches and chairs.

“Our first step was to collect marine debris between the Greek islands. A few years later, we developed our products with the aim of reintroducing the collected plastic into industry. After transforming old nets into pots and outdoor seating, we’re now putting together a homeware series that will reflect our latest research: we’ve found a technique for combining our own waste with two other derivative materials. Eureka!” – Suzanna Laskaridis, founder of Bluecycle

bluecycle.com

Tosca Studio

Ennobling concrete

Country: Portugal / Founded: 2022

In a warehouse in Lisbon’s former industrial district, a Gaudí fan and “artist-designer” makes concrete furniture. The young designer has developed a technique which makes her creations less about brutalism and more about elegance. Seldom considered a noble material and more commonly used in the building industry, cement is miniaturised by Tosco in the form of tables, vases and shelves, in two-tone marble designs that embrace the organic fluidity of forms inspired by nature.

“The aim of my research was to find a material that would give me total freedom to work with shapes and colours. After numerous tests, I bought a bag of concrete. It was a revelation! I was able to play around endlessly, obtaining completely different forms and a unique rendering. Giving nobility to the cement used on building sites has been a creative and technical challenge that has enabled me to change perceptions.” – Joana Esteves, founder of Tosco studio

toscostudio.com

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