April 26, 2022

Creativity according to Flore & Benoît

Can you introduce yourself ?

We are Flore and Benoît, respectively scenographer and graphic designer. We met during an experience in the decoration department of the Hermès shop windows in the Faubourg Saint Honoré 8 years ago.

Flore : Today I work for the studio Clémence La Sagna that I joined at its creation in 2016. The studio is specialized in the conception of scenographies for the presentation of collections, objects or fashion accessories, the realization of windows and the artistic direction of parties.

Benoît : I continued to work for Hermès as a freelancer and after some experience, notably as art director at Le Bon Marché, I now teach at the Duperré school while continuing my activity as a freelance graphic designer.

We both went our separate ways before meeting again to work on the first window displays for the Maison Matisse boutique.

What does creativity mean for you?

La créativité selon Flore et Benoit

It translates into the desire to tell a story through the projects we design, whether explicit or more discreet. This desire to tell a story is the starting point of our creations.

(We like to think that) these are subject to the public's gaze - here passers-by - who can give free rein to their imagination and their own interpretations.

How do you stay creative ? How do you nourish your creativity ?

Both of us, through our studies, have been led to learn to look at and understand what surrounds us. It is the way we observe our environment that allows us to be inspired and to finally have this desire to create.

You have just created the first Maison Matisse boutique, how did you approach this project? What inspired you?

We started by getting to know the universe of the brand we were discovering.

Also, and this is important for us, we liked the spirit, the aesthetics and the challenges of Maison Matisse. These elements were the starting point of our inspiration.

What were the most important challenges in creating the windows?

The ambition, for these first windows, was to write a narrative around the origin of the brand.

The main challenge was to understand and immerse ourselves in the origins of Maison Matisse. We then looked at the story of Henri Matisse himself, grandson of weavers.

We then imagined using this information as a starting point for the design of these windows. The art of weaving seemed to us to be an obvious way to present one of the foundations of the Maison Matisse: the link with the crafts... We then imagined diverting the loom and representing it in an abstract way to highlight the collections.

What materials do you prefer to work with / What are your favorite materials for your creations?

We are open to all types of mediums, as long as they fit into our narrative and allow us to accentuate our purpose.

Nevertheless we like to work with wood, metal, and in general rather use materials in a raw way without transforming them too much in their aesthetic aspect - but not necessarily in their formal aspect.

Which Maison Matisse piece evokes creativity for you the most / Which is your favorite piece?

Flore

The Graphnight vase designed by Jaime Hayon, a piece that I find very joyful. The motifs and the choice in the colored harmony represents, for me, a beautiful homage to the whole work of Henri Matisse. Also, I find very accurate the " craziness " of his design that evokes many inspirations and makes this vase unusual.

Benoît

The Octave pitcher & the Canon bottle