While major fashion brands showcased their fall ready-to-wear collections in Paris, a unique design event drew an influential crowd to the French capital. Matter and Shape, which ran from March 7 to 9, 2026, across two pavilions in Paris’ Jardin des Tuileries, featured a diverse lineup of 70 exhibitors blending fashion, art, and design.
This year’s event included notable collaborations between established names and emerging talents, such as fashion designer Ann Demeulemeester and film director Luca Guadagnino, who worked with the Austrian glass brand Lobmeyr. The event similarly showcased beauty and lifestyle brands like Byredo, Birkenstock 1774, and the audio specialist Bang & Olufsen. One of the highlights was the Olfactory Signals platform, which invited visitors on a sensory journey, emphasizing the connections between fragrance, design, and art.
Matter and Shape is the brainchild of Matthieu Pinet, who initially launched it as an online platform. After joining the trade show organizer WSN in 2022, he transitioned the project into a physical salon format. Since its inception in 2024, the event has evolved under the creative direction of Dan Thawley, who recognized the need for a fresh approach to the traditional trade show model. Thawley noted that fostering diversity and dialogue is crucial for the future of design events.
Key Features of Matter and Shape
The third edition of Matter and Shape focused on the theme of scale, exploring the relationship between objects, bodies, and spaces. The event’s distinguishing qualities include:
- Niche and Curated: The event emphasizes a curated experience, allowing visitors to explore collections in an intimate setting. Demeulemeester unveiled a collection with Serax, presenting objects as if emerging from darkness to highlight their materiality and emotional impact.
- Intimacy: The atmosphere is designed to encourage conversation and dialogue, as noted by Paula Gerbase, creative director of Georg Jensen. Gerbase showcased a collection of reissued archive jewelry, emphasizing the historical significance of female artist-makers.
- Influential Crowd: The event attracted high-profile exhibitors and visitors, including Leslie Johnsen, who showcased offerings from her brand Chapelle Industries. She noted the presence of high-end brands like Lobmeyr and Herzog & de Meuron, illustrating the event’s caliber.
- Community-Focused: Milan-based designer Conie Vallese described the event as a community, highlighting the connections among attendees and exhibitors, making it feel like an ecosystem.
- Fashion Appeal: Johannes Schön, director of brand and cultural strategy for Bocci, expressed enthusiasm for a design salon coinciding with fashion week, noting the design-savvy audience.
Retail Opportunities
Matter and Shape also served as a platform for fashion retailers looking to expand their offerings in lifestyle and home sections. Carlos Tavares, who manages Tavares 1922, noted positive responses from retailers, including connections made with Harvey Nichols and other international buyers. His family-run brand showcased pieces from its “Shell” table collection crafted from shells collected from local beaches.
Future Prospects
The architectural framework of Matter and Shape was designed by the London-New York City studio JA Projects, fostering cross-cultural dialogue throughout the event. Notable attendees included media figures like Jefferson Hack, co-founder of Dazed Media, and French design pioneer Thierry Lemaire.
Looking ahead, the organizers aim to create cultural dialogues and bring together unexpected collaborations. Thawley mentioned the potential for heritage companies to be revisited by young designers, showcasing work in innovative ways and breaking through the noise of larger events like Salone del Mobile.Milano.
As Matter and Shape continues to grow, it represents a significant intersection of fashion, art, and design, appealing to a diverse audience and setting the stage for future creative collaborations.
We encourage readers to share their thoughts on the event and its impact on the design landscape.
