Biennale Gives Broader View of Luxury

By Carole Sloan -- Home Textiles Today, 9/18/2006 12:00:00 AM

Paris —

With a new approach, a new venue and timing, the classic Biennale des Editeurs de la Decoration created a fresh approach to luxury home furnishings events here this month at Carrousel du Louvre.

Formerly a fabric show held in January and primarily dedicated to the editors or decorative jobbers of the home fabric world, this year's Biennale has morphed into a venue for its fabrics members as well as high end furniture, lighting and art work suppliers.

In addition to a roster of luxury fabric editors that included such marquee names famous for classic traditional design as Lelievre, Sahco Hesslein, and Brunschwig & Fils, the exhibition showcased a presentation staged by VIA that celebrated the creativity and know-how of fabric and furniture design. VIA, a decades-old organization dedicated to the art of home furnishings, supports design work in lifestyle changes and behavior, as well as product design.

With few exceptions, the fabric exhibitors embraced elegant, luxurious classic design — but with a 21st century twist in terms of color and scale, the latter often dramatically overscaled. Colors were soft but saturated, rather than pastel. Silk, linen, and fine cottons were the primary fibers.