Sombering Paris, by Peter Janssen Although still only a few years old, the new century has not offered us a lot to be cheerful about, and it doesn't look like this will change quickly either. The message is somber, but the French trendwatchers duo Brigitte Fitoussie and Christophe Pillet consider this year a wry little sauce, important for those who want to test their perspective on the newest developments in design thoroughly.
According to the duo, we are uncomfortable these days, because we are plagued by a poor moral awareness, by the stagnation of progress, by the greying population, the unequal wealth distribution, our own lack of lust for adventure, and other unhappinesses. In short, the threat of our potential failure. Our main concern is just to find ways to survive from day to day. Commonly held ideals have abandoned the field in favour of a fanatical individualism. There are more delightful ways to begin an article about the design trends in Paris fashion salons, but what had to be said had to be said. Whomever is disturbed by that, should remember not to take it too seriously. Fitoussie and Pillet this year apparently went out looking for ways to retain composure in these macabre and egocentric times. They found four concepts. The first three could be called survival strategies, the fourth is less self-evident. Light will, according to the duo, serve more purposes in the future than just illumination. It will lead its own life. It will become colourful light, which suggests space, evokes emotions, conveys poetry and inspires dreams. Light, in short, as the magic of the nocturnal elf forest in which we, craving for better times, can dream away from reality. This development, called Light Show by Fitoussie and Pillet, has already been happening for a few years. The second trend is pure. It also slots neatly into unpeaceful times. Purity stands for the search for a new living balance between the manmade world and the natural world, the search for the quality of life, and the origin of things and ourselves. A new relationship with water, plants, sensory organs and one's own body. Fitness, ecologically generated electricity and non-industrially hatched eggs also have to do with that. Fitoussie and Pillet call the trend Earth, Wind and Fire, and here too the symptoms have been observable for some time. The shell or husk is the third survival object. Whereas elsewhere people are hastily diving into cellars to rescue the naked body, we protect our tortured spirit from external unpleasantness by crawling into our shell, a comfortable retraite equipped with a queer cinema, internet and fridge, from which vantage point we can at appropriate intervals check whether the world has not ended yet. Such hyperexpensive multifunctional items of furniture have already been increasing in popularity for some time. Fitoussie and Pillet call it "Micro Univers". Less easy to describe is the last trend they've signalled, the growing supply of beautifully designed mass-produced products. Fitoussi and Pillet call the trend "Mass Market", which could could translate as Marks & Spencers or, in Holland, the Hema department store. In Holland, after all, the Hema has been preoccupied with this for a long time already, since the trees seemed to grow up to the heavens, and when happiness was still very normal. A causal connection with the observed sad times is not readily apparent, unless a powerful coalition of evil forces want to pacify us with that. Like bread and games in the past. Translated from The Telegraaf, 21 January 2004, p. T29.
