2008 Fall Maison & Objet

"Some experts say there is no single mega trend. They predict that the future trend will be trends that vanish amid a countless number of trends." "As lives get more complex and paradoxical, people pursue simplicity and more fundamental value." The 2008 Fall Maison & Objet arouses a question on the fundamentals of life. While the 2008 spring show put the spotlight on exaggeration around the concept “Onirique,” this fall season show concentrates on the “Aesthetics of Simplicity.” The Maison & Objet began in 1995 and has, over the last 12 years, grown into the world’s biggest global interior show. The Maison & Objet is a trend-leading exhibition which receives attention from quite a number of experts by presenting future trends in a future interior concept hall. Some people claim that there is no trend now in the Maison & Objet, pointing out that the Concept of the Year Hall is smaller than previous years and that the styles of exhibition halls and products are more various. Some experts say there is no single mega trend. They predict that the future trend will be trends that vanish amid a countless number of trends. SlowTech, FarmLife, Les Metropuritains Francois Bernard and Elizabeth Leriche who worked for Nelly Rodi, the worldwide trend-watching company, suggested that three influences - Slow Tech, Farm Life and Les Metropuritains - will inspire people a great deal. Slow Tech_ Pursuing a Natural and Simplified Life Francois Bernard suggested that people should take a break through slow tech in an extreme material world. In literature, themes on slowness and emptiness began a long time ago. The industrial aesthetics of designers and engineers in the previous century gave an inspiration to this trend to pursue less material value, slowness, the philosophy of a simplified life and natural things for better lives. Design is recreated due to an agony over the disharmony between forms and functions. “Reuse, Biodegradable, Local Industry” have been suggested as important key words. The more advanced the technology, the more handicrafts people want. People prefer products made with a lot of efforts and over a long period of time. Companies focus on basic functions for their products and put core and practical functions on their products without excrescent things. Slow Tech suggests that people should live a slow life to live happily; take a deep breath in a world getting faster. Les Metropuritains New Underground Activities

The Nelly Rodi Agency suggests more radical actions about the ecological crisis that faces the world, promoting new underground activities. In order to realize ecologically ideal lives, these Ecolo-Bobos choose simplicity as their weapons while keeping more activist-like appearances and graceful styles. They regard modern production and consumption practices as actions of mass destruction. They include "Organic, Ethical Consumption and Fair Trade" as keywords for their ideal world and actively put the keywords into practice. They recycle, do not buy new products for more than a year and boycott tropical fruits in winter. It is worth to pay attention to whether they will realize the world they hope for and to observe their manifesto about a simple life. Amid discussion about these themes at the Maison & Objet Concept Forum, LG Electronics prepared a booth in the interior exhibition, the first for an electronic appliance company. LG Electronics proposed Eco-Chic, a new trend in home electric appliances in partnership with the Nelly Rodi Agency. Eco-Chic is a chic interior concept with sleek design and an eye toward Green Living, which includes the latest environment-friendly technology for high efficiency and saving energy. LG Electronics planned this exhibition not for simple sales pitches or product promotion but for brand marketing to top class customers. The company presented electric home appliances as the core of home interior, more important than furniture. While LG Electronics pursues luxury of consumer electronics, the LG Chem Design Center will review European trends more concretely through Maison & Objet.

Mature Simplicity and Nature Itself as a New Luxury

Everyone likes luxurious and elegant things. In particular, Korean people change their views and attitudes when they hear the word, "Luxury." Then what is "Luxury" in this complex era? At Maison & Objet this fall, "Luxury" means core simplicity in a complex era. We already passed the era where people regarded "Ornamental" as high grade and are on our way back to the basics, free of ornaments. "Not complex” is simple. The word "simple" is very easy and familiar. But here, simple is not simple as explained in dictionaries. The aesthetics of simplicity is a crystal derived after a lot of trial and error. In other words, there is a big difference between naturally simple things and the beauty of simplicity derived out of many processes and agonies in terms of value. The value can be found in the auras of things or people. According to Benjamin Barber, a famous political scientist, "Complexity" is "Maturity." Mentally, young people and simple people are in psychological infancy. People hate complex things. This is because complex things are nasty and make people tired. They choose simple things and resist thinking complexly. But there is a difference between simplicity obtained after experiencing difficult and complex things and remaining simple without experiencing complexity at all, like a child. ?This show uncovers the contrast between the minimalism that occurred after World War II and the simplicity of today in terms of humanism and seriousness. The simplicity of today represents luxury with delicate styles plus sleek and concise finishes. And if simplicity is the luxury of this era, another luxurious thing can be nature itself. For some it is already a luxurious thing. People with something to spare try to get close to nature and put natural things in their home interior. This trend is expressed by such activities as planting in buildings and the government’s planning to create green sites.

The Indoor Outdoor Hall, an exclusive event for the fall show, tells of the trends in spas, luxury hotels and trendy restaurants. Nature itself is the biggest point and most significant element in these luxury spaces. Even though people introduce natural elements for appearances only, a main trend in the future will be to agonize over spaces to create synergies naturally without combining artificial materials with nature. The interior trends in Korea have just begun on this path, influenced greatly by Europe. Now the expression "Global Community" is time-worn. People around the world share trends in a worldwide bond. Teenagers around the world show similar consuming practices through the Internet. This trend will grow stronger for future generations. Big uncertainty is facing the world due to the financial crisis that is occurring in the United States right now. The European economy has already entered a time of slowdown, many people say. We can formulate a new definition on luxury through a question about more accentual and fundamental identity. The fall Maison & Objet show confirmes that "Simplicity" and "Nature Itself" are basic keywords in our hearts. designdb+ Witten by Cho Hee-chung, LG Chem Design Center www.lgchem.co.kr Photographs by Maison&Objet Organizer www.maison-objet.com