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Maison & Objet22-26 January 2016

Representing Belgian creativity in the design sector and promoting dynamic young businesses that will be the key figures of the future: that is the mission of Wallonie-Bruxelles Design Mode (WBDM), the public agency for the promotion of design and fashion which seeks to improve the international visibility of designers from Wallonia and Brussels.

The year 2016 will mark ten years of support of these creative industries, mainly achieved through collective stands at international trade fairs, exhibitions, B2B events, and meetings with the press and other international opinion makers. Through these activities and close supervision, WBDM continues to witness the flourishing of business in this sector.

Belgium is Design is a label common to various design demonstrations staged in Belgium and internationally by several institutions of promotion of design.

www.belgiumisdesign.be

www.wbdm.be

During the Salon Maison & Objet in January 2016, the Belgium is Design label will present a cutting-edge selection of brands that exemplify a very modern image of the emerging scene in Belgium.

Mini Archi, No More Twist, Victor Maurice, Jo-a and Linadura are five new furniture design compa-nies created by the designers themselves and which, together, represent a manifesto on current Belgian creativity. Locally produced items, the search for natural materials sourced in Europe, the same desire to produce a blueprint design in which ingenuity is put to work to create enjoyable, long-lasting items.

The Belgium is Design pavilion will therefore house the latest products by Jo-a, including storage sys-tems (bookcases, display cabinets and dressers), fun educational pieces by Mini Archi and colour-ful textile accessories (cushions, rugs and stoles) by No More Twist. Victor Maurice, presenting in France for the first time, will display a collection of furniture in wood, leather and aluminium; finally, Linadura will present a new ceiling light and an office system.

These young design companies embody an inter-national trend in which the role of the designer has changed once and for all. Designers are no longer content to merely design; they also pro-duce, manufacture and distribute their products, managing every aspect and dealing with market realities. By anchoring their inspiration in a very concrete economic reality, Belgian designers are demonstrating exceptional pragmatism, supported and promoted by the Belgium is Design label.

Victor MauriceLinaduraMini ArchiJo-aNo More Twist

The NoMoreTwist project is a place for collec-tive research as well as a brand of textile ob-jects. The design studio unites Marie Beguin, Anne de Prémare et Michèle Populer around a loom. The brand’s DNA is textile. Each new production considers the thread itself, its thickness, texture, colour and, above all, the various ways of interlocking it. The col-lections (throws, scarves and cushions) are 100% made in Belgium, with a close collabora-tion between a weaver, and a sewing workshop. NoMoreTwist also offers its expertise in jac-quard/dobby weaving to editors for the devel-opment of custom innovative textiles design.

The new Pinacoteca collection is made with high quality wool and silk jacquard fabrics around 4 patterns: Fluxus, Pigment, Lazure, Cosmogony. Playing on the weave tightness, the “Fluxus” pattern releases and softens the thread making it oscillate like a kinetic wave, a Japanese calligraphy or a drypoint intaglio on an engraving plate. The “Lazure” pattern is characterised by a mix of sen-sory and aesthetic experiences; the works of Ann Veronica Janssens, Sol Lewitt, Olafur Eliasson and Albrecht Dürer merge in a stripe drapery and a mist of colours.

www.nomoretwist.be

Thinking about the material itself.

Linadura is committed to producing and selling contemporary furniture in order to improve the quality of our living conditions. Their products were developed using in-novative manufacture systems, created by team work of technicians and designers. Great importance is attached to establishing simplified manufacture processes, in order to create locally produced, durable furniture which is both functional and inspirational. Inspired by a folded sheet of aluminium, Linadura’s first products (table, shelves) have established a comprehensive collection of objects as well as home and office furniture.

The Linadura range, a result of collaborations with the new generation of Belgian designers, includes, amongst others, shelves and stor-age systems such as Cork by Twodesigners and small objects such as Crab or Face by Mathias van de Walle. After the Kino lamp, Emmanuel Gardin reworked birch plywood (multiplex) into a new product with light and airy suspension: Ika. Finally, the Recto-Verso desk, one of the brand’s best-selling pieces, has also evolved into a double version.

www.linadura.com

Creating less but better.

Jo-a was born out of a desire to satisfy the wishes of people looking for unique furni-ture. Jo-a are specialists in custom-made fittings, but also produce a range of standard furniture which adapts easily to individual projects. Working with high-quality ma-terials, steel, bamboo and also solid wood, Jo-a takes care to create durable furni-ture, with fine, taut lines, which draws the gaze and plays with light. The entire range is created and produced in Belgium.

The range has been extended to include 3 new products presented for the first time at Maison & Objet. The Arches book case, com-posed of different modules, can be adapted to various dimensions and positions. The steel uprights that let in the light, can also be embellished with wooden alcoves for storing precious souvenirs. The sleek lines and asym-metric feet of the Neus sideboard make it an imposing piece (available in bamboo, oak and beech). Finally, Toon, a clever, playful modular display cabinet system, allows you to display small objects dust-free – the perfect solution for collectors or for shop interiors.

www.jo-a.eu

Designing to provide a warm interior on a lasting basis.

Launched in 2013 by young parents and architects Ana Maia and Laurent Maes, the Mini Archi brand is a range of adaptable games for children. Playful and intelligent objects, which fit the structure of a sleek-styled, minimalist house inspired by the worlds of Mies Van der Rohe and Alvaro Siza, into a box. The many different combinations of Mini Archi make children want to explore, immerse themselves in a project, experiment, and develop their creativity. Mini Archi is intended for lovers of design and architec-ture, and aims to stimulate the aesthetic sensibilities of the youngest children.

The Modular House, a large house on the scale of Playmobil, gives children an awareness of the basics of architecture in composition, lines and projections. The modules slide and fit into each other, the coloured elements produce an overall dynamic look. A Mini-Box on the same principle, is available in a mini-format made of natural wood. A set of 12 pieces of self-assembly cardboard furniture completes the range. The collection also includes furniture: desks conceived in the same spirit. The closed doors of the new DuoM model conceal a series of storage boxes in the colours of Mondrian.

www.miniarchi.com

Inventing playful, intelligent objects.

Enlightened by the understated elegance of North European design, furniture label Victor Maurice creates furniture that draws inspiration from the past to forge connec-tions with our interiors. Built on the tradi-tions of furniture making, each of the label’s exciting furniture pieces is created in their Brussels’ workshop with clean simple lines, quality materials, and skilled craftsman-ship – shaping each with the ideals of the past but looking towards the future with relevant products of luxurious simplicity that will stand for generations. In 2016, Victor Maurice will be launching its first collection comprising

the Maurice armchair. Its elegant yet robust suspended backrest gives it a unique char-acter. Maurice provides light and refined beauty, and an exceptionally comfortable shape. The Victor modular shelf is an innova-tive approach to the shelving unit, with two moveable storage modules that provide ef-fortless organization for anything and eve-rything. The Huguette console table, made of solid oak and hand-moulded leather, will exude minimalist modern elegance in your entrance hall. But also Wabbes and Graham…

www.victormaurice.com

Offering rational, honest and simple designs.

Press France and international S2H CommunicationSarah Hamonsarah@s2hcommunication.comVictoria Chionvictoria@s2hcommunication.com+33 (0)1 70 22 58 55

BelgiumWallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI)Dominique Lefèbvred.lefebvre@wbi.be+32 (0)477 40 05 37

Download pictures on: www.belgiumisdesign.be/press

Info Maison & ObjetParc des Expositions Paris Nord VillepinteNow! Design à vivreHall 7 – Stand D194-E193Belgium is Design

Opening hours22 > 26 January 2016Friday > Monday 9:30am - 7pm Tuesday 9:30am - 6pm

www.belgiumisdesign.be

ContactWBDMBoulevard Baudouin 12 1000 Bruxelles (Belgium)Leslie Lombardleslie.lombard@wbdm.be+32 (0)2 421 84 61

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