Wint Design Lab - Photo by Cosmetics IC
With the theme of Tech Eden, the 30th-anniversary edition of Maison&Objet (18-22 January, Paris) invited exhibitors to consider how the symbiosis of technology and nature will inform future design scenarios.
Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation’s Coralie Arme, Forecasting & Insights Consultant, explored the show at Paris’ Parc Expo Villepinte, to uncover the top 3 fields of innovation to inspire future-focused solutions for the beauty industry.
“This year's theme explored the vital links between technology and nature, showcasing future-facing design that improves overall well-being and prioritizes environmental sustainability.” Coralie Arme, Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation Consultant in Forecasting and Insights.
1.Symbio-tech: Augmenting nature
WINT Design Lab perfectly embodied the show’s symbiotic emphasis, as the Berlin-based design and research lab explored the relationship between ecological and technological responsibilities.
The studio overcomes disciplinary silos to tackle today's challenges through various projects including bio-textile innovation. Collaborating with biotech startup Mimotype, WINT has developed a high-performance outdoor textile created from 100% collagen. Through this future-proof innovation, the design lab is tapping into the potential of quick iteration cycles.
In beauty, there is a growing normalization of human augmentation through technology (AI-supported healthcare, adaptive and personalized systems, circadian rhythm lighting, etc). Harnessing technology to stimulate natural processes, Solaris Laboratories’ LED Intensive Hair Growth Stimulating Brush is an advanced hair and scalp treatment technology that helps prevent hair loss and reverse thinning hair.
Wint Design Lab - Photo by Cosmetics IC
Solaris Laboratories NY - Photo by Cosmetics IC
2. Upscaling waste: Imagining new-gen materials
Mâche&Maché is a culinary design studio committed to exploring the hyper-future of food. For the show, at the “Inspire me!” by Peclers corner, the studio showcased “Papier Alimentaire” - an edible (and decorative) packaging material made from waste fruit and vegetables designed for large-scale use in the food industry. According to the studio, for sustainable food to be widely accepted, it must offer a more desirable experience than today's standard fare.
In the wellness corner, Japanese brand Incense Kitchen showcased a new incense created from repurposed matcha. The brand advocates recycling matcha into tea incense (instead of perfume) to prevent the wasteful disposal of fine matcha particles in factory machines and air purifiers, providing an alternative and more sustainable outcome.
Mâche&Maché x Peclers - Photo by Cosmetics IC
Incense Kitchen - Photo by Cosmetics IC
3. Healing homes: Anti-anxiety interiors
When one crisis follows another, the actions needed to respond sometimes seem out of reach. Modern society is gripped by an anxiety epidemic, and designers are charged with providing solutions that holistically ease discomfort. The notions of sensoriality and fluidity are thus at the heart of tomorrow's design challenges.
Furniture and objects exhibited sinuous, undulating curves to give everyday settings the air of primitive landscapes with spiritual dimensions. Roundness is as de rigueur as ever, transforming living spaces into cocoons of comfort. Sofas, armchairs, and chairs play a common score, that of an enveloping, reassuring hug.
Mathieu Lehanneur's "Outonomy" offers an alternative vision of survivalist habitats. By questioning the kind of life we want to lead, Outonomy proposes a return to an original cave, with the comforts we no longer wish to give up.
In beauty, Austrian skincare brand Be […] my friend uses only the purest organic, plant-based ingredients to provide maximum care for the skin, while at the same time minimizing stress. The two pillars of the brand are to elevate the way the skin is treated, while simultaneously elevating the way the environment is treated.
“Outonomy” by Mathieu Lehanneur - Photo by Cosmetics IC
Be [..] my friend - Photo by Cosmetics IC
The CIC Take
Tech Eden suggests a Protopian vision of the future - a natural awakening, enriched by technological innovations - from biotextiles and 3D printing to AI-powered design. Nature remains omnipresent through radical interpretations of color, form, and material.
In our latest Makeup Inspiration from the US report - Protopian Beauty - we investigate the latest product innovations in the US and explore how technological acceleration is paving the way for a more progressive future. For more information on this report, and for details on our upcoming animations at MakeUp in Los Angeles (Feb 14/15 2024) - drop us a line today.