Paris Design Week Factory, a vibrant haven for newness
Published on 19 March 2025
For the second year running, from September 4 to 8, designers Jean-Baptiste Anotin and Thibault Huguet from the Meet Met Met collective will be curating the Factory, where new talent is revealed. Here’s a joint interview of these two alongside Pierre Gendrot, Coordinator for Paris Design Week.
They met when they were exhibiting at Espace Commines during the 2021 and 2022 editions of the Factory. Next, they founded the Meet Met Met collective, an organization where each of them maintains their independence but shares or organizes shows with other designers. In 2024, for the first time, designers Jean-Baptiste Anotin and Thibault Huguet envisioned the curation and staging of Espace Commines, one of the three galleries that make up Paris Design Week Factory, which is devoted to collectible design. This year, Pierre Gendrot, this event’s Coordinator, will offer them even greater possibilities as part of this project. The application period is now officially open. Submit your paperwork before Saturday, March 29th at midnight to participate in the first round of selections!
What’s the Factory’s role within Paris Design Week?
Pierre Gendrot: It serves to spotlight national and international young design talent. We offer industry professionals, gallery owners, furniture producers and the public a chance to see prototypes or self-made items from young designers, for whom this is often their first time presenting their work to the public.
Thibault and Jean-Baptiste, what are your memories of taking part in this event?
Thibault Huguet: I enjoyed the feeling of solidarity among the participants. We may have been competitors, but we were all in the same boat. And incidentally, many of us joined together afterwards into collectives or continue to exchange ideas.
What criteria do you use to select candidates?
Thibault Huguet: We’re designers. We have an overarching view of our field, its techniques, aesthetics and semantics, because this is what we do every day. We select viable projects. Young designers have to understand that the realities of the profession go well beyond making a 3D mock-up and then a prototype.
Jean-Baptiste Anotin: It’s not about presenting an object that’s simply beautiful to look at. We’re looking for an approach that’s destined to last over time.
PG: The Factory isn’t an exhibition about imaginary visions. We’re showing real, practical pieces.
How is the Factory organized?
PG: This year, we’ve asked Jean-Baptiste and Thibault to take a comprehensive approach across the two galleries of Paris Design Week Factory and not just at Espace Commines.
TH: We want to place all the galleries on the same footing, with coordinated staging and the same exacting standards in terms of curation. Each gallery will have its own theme, which we’ll choose according to the nature of the applications we receive.
What are the main trends among young designers today?
PG: This year, the relationship between design and craftsmanship will be in the spotlight in one of the galleries, because this is a lasting trend.
TH: Craft is a major trend with young designers, and the interesting part is that they’re exploring the roots of materials and artisanal skills in their local regions.
JB: The technical part truly interests me. It reminds me of Gaspard Fleury, who mixed the digital and textile worlds in 2024 to create vases. His techniques were cutting-edge, and the aesthetic was artisanal.
PG: The role of Paris Design Week Factory is to bring all of these evolutions to light. Our curators’ vision helps us see it all more clearly.