It’s a crisp October evening on rue de l’Université, and the grand façades of Hôtel de Maisons, Karl Lagerfeld’s former Parisian pied‑à‑terre, buzz with understated elegance. Inside, a carefully curated army of international collectors, designers, and socialites descend for the VIP Preview of Design Miami/Paris — this year’s most anticipated event in the luxury design galaxy.
A Palatial Stage for Collectible Design
Housed in this 18th-century hôtel particulier in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the fair brings together more than 25 of the world’s leading galleries, each presenting museum‑quality furniture, lighting, and objets d’art from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Beneath gilt moldings, crystal chandeliers, and the very air once scented by Lagerfeld’s daily ritual, the show unfolds as both a design salon and a jet‑set soiree. The fair’s largest-ever Design at Large programme activates the gardens, terraces, and intimate salons of the Hôtel de Maisons, framing sculptures and installations in perfect dialogue with the mansion’s storied architecture.
Noteworthy Works — and Their Price Tags
For the ultra-luxury collector with a penchant for provenance, several marquee pieces are turning heads — and raise‑eyebrows with their price.
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Jean Prouvé “Présidence” Desk (Model No. 201) — Presented by Galerie Downtown / François Laffanour, this iconic kidney-shaped executive desk is perhaps the most covetable piece in the fair. Originally commissioned in the 1950s, examples of this model have fetched €244,600 at auction. Other versions have sold in the range of US$350,000–550,000 (By Sotheby’s).
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Full-scale Jean Prouvé Prefabricated House — A striking architectural piece, which took home the Best Design at Large distinction at a previous Design Miami/Paris, reportedly sold for over €1,000,000.
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Gaetano Pesce “Palladio” Cabinet & Flower Origami Table — Curated by Salon 94 Design, these sculptural, experimental designs combine color, whimsy, and luxury. The cabinet (prototype milk‑colored) and the Origami Table have been previously offered in the range £150,000–180,000.
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Rick Owens Tomb Chairs — Also from Salon 94’s garden installation, the pair reportedly sold at £40,000.
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Claude & François‑Xavier Lalanne Zoological Sculptures — In the garden, gallery powerhouses like Galerie Mitterrand pay homage to the Lalannes’ enduring menagerie with pieces such as Tortue Topiaire III. While exact prices for this edition haven’t been publicly disclosed, Lalanne works of this scale regularly trade in the six‑figure euro range.
A Curated Social Scene
The VIP opening is as much about networking as it is about design.
Champagne flutes twirl in the hands of Parisian tastemakers, while the lack of velvet ropes allows for a fluid, high-society familiarity.
Conversations drift from Bauhaus to biomorphic lighting, from archival provenance to upcoming commissions.
In the garden, a centerpiece from New Delhi’s Vikram Goyal, created in collaboration with scent artist Sissel Tolaas, evokes a “Soul Garden” — a poetic ensemble of animal sculptures, each linked to virtues of Indian mythology. It’s a kinetic tableau under Parisian plane trees, conjuring both whimsy and reverence — a perfect metaphor for the fair itself.
Why It Matters
Design Miami/Paris isn’t just another fair — it’s a signal. It’s where the serious collector rubs shoulders with the jet set; where mid-century icons meet young design visionaries; where every object tells a story, and every room feels like a private salon.
This isn’t just buying design: it’s buying a piece of cultural capital.
For the VIP Jet-Setter
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When: October 21–26, 2025, with the VIP/Collector preview on October 21.
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Where: Hôtel de Maisons, 51 rue de l’Université, Paris 7ᵉ.
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Dress code (unspoken): Couture meets craft — think sleek black tie, but make it design.
