Making its debut at the Salon, we spoke with Chloé Meydan, Country Manager for France, about reconnecting with familiar clients, meeting new retailers and discovering what made this first edition stand out.
Tell us about &Tradition and what makes it unique?
I’m Chloé Meydan, Country Manager for &Tradition in France. Our headquarters are in Copenhagen, and we have teams across Europe working to develop the brand in each market. &Tradition has been around for just over 10 years, with a simple ambition: to reissue the icons of the past and create the icons of tomorrow. Alongside Danish design classics by names such as Verner Panton and Arne Jacobsen, we work with contemporary designers including Jaime Hayon and Luca Nichetto.
Did you meet any interesting buyers?
We reconnected with some existing clients, including the Grand Palais, Galeries Lafayette, Smallable, Made in Design and Merci. All are concept stores that we would really like to work with. We also met smaller retailers from across France, which was important to us as we want to continue developing the brand throughout the country.
What caught your eye at Shoppe Object Paris?
It’s our first time at the Salon, and we were keen to join this edition because we can really see Shoppe Object Paris finding its place among the leading design trade shows. There’s a strong focus on design and objects, with a real energy building around the Salon. It’s still the beginning, but you can feel that something is happening. Going from 30 to 100 brands shows how quickly the Salon is growing.
Did you meet any other exhibitors or discover brands that stood out to you?
We were surrounded by familiar faces, including Vitra and Tiptoe. We all know each other quite well in the design world, so even as competitors, there’s a real sense of exchange. Jack Meal was a great discovery. They make small, colourful insulated bags, and I loved meeting the founder. Maximum was another brand that stood out. I thought the brands worked really well together without being too competitive, which gave the Salon a nice sense of harmony.
Will you come back to Shoppe Object Paris?
We’ve already signed up for January!
