"To be Parisian is not to be born in Paris, it's to be reborn there," wrote playwright Sacha Guitry. Nowhere does that feel more true than during Paris Design Week 2025, which has transformed the French capital into an exuberant playground of creativity, dialogue, and experimentation. Running from 4–13 September, and celebrating its 15th anniversary, the event embraces the theme of "Regeneration", a word that captures both the city's energy and design's power to renew itself.
© Sophia Taillet
Musée de la Chasse.
In partnership with Maison&Objet, Paris Design Week has expanded to 375 venues, from the cobbled streets of Le Marais to the elegance of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the bustling Opéra district, and the vibrant quarters of Bastille. The organisers describe it as "an open-air observatory of creativity," where galleries, design schools, historic monuments, and concept stores open their doors to professionals and enthusiasts alike.
This year's edition coincides with the 100th anniversary of Les Arts Décoratifs, ensuring that history and heritage play as strong a role as innovation. Brands including Leblon Delienne, Tiptoe, Archick, and Oberflex are using the platform to unveil new collections, reinforcing Paris's status as a hub for global design premieres.
© Zoe Forget
LAINAMAC.
A platform for emerging talent
One of the most talked-about areas is Paris Design Week Factory, showcasing 130 emerging talents across venues such as Espace Commines and Galerie des Gobelins. Meanwhile, Aubervilliers' POUSH programme has added a fresh, urban dimension with exhibitions highlighting the new generation of designers who are not afraid to push boundaries.
"Paris Design Week means emerging creativity, renowned institutions, established design houses, and the international scene, coming together in a spirited and spontaneous dialogue," the organisers emphasised. This unique mix ensures that young talent can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with household names, often sparking collaborations that continue well beyond the event.
Partnerships and global voices
For the first time, retailer Monoprix has partnered with the École Camondo, spotlighting graduates Blanche Mijonnet, Léo Achard, and Stanislas Dieupart. Their imaginative work represents the new voices shaping French design culture.
International perspectives are also central. At the China Creative Pavilion, the exhibition "SHE" highlights female designers working with materials as varied as fibre, wool, sugar, and immersive technologies. From Portugal, curator Nini Andrade Silva brings Made in Portugal, Naturally, while Hong Kong artist Stanley Wong presents his project Hong Kong Walk On. Guatemala too is represented, with a showcase of indigenous craft traditions given a contemporary stage.
Installations that captivate the city
Across Paris, landmark venues have been re-imagined with immersive installations. At Place de la Bastille, artist Aude Franjou unveiled Corals of Freedom, a monumental linen sculpture shifting from white to red. Described as "a metaphor for death and rebirth," it embodies the year's regeneration theme with striking poetry.
At the Hôtel de Sully, Lucas Huillet and Alexandre Helwani's Folie takes visitors on a sensory exploration of mental health, blending design, sound, and psychology. Meanwhile, collectible design house YMER&MALTA brings handcrafted pieces that merge art and nature, reinforcing Paris's role as a city where disciplines overlap.
The Hôtel de la Marine hosts Jérémy Pradier-Jeauneau's labyrinthine installation The Labyrinth, inviting guests to lose and find themselves in a play of light and space. Nearby, Maison Victor Hugo features Jacques Pépion's "interior portraits," photographic studies of intimacy and place. And in a particularly crowd-pleasing highlight, designer Mathieu Lehanneur's Olympic hot-air balloon returns to the skies, "enchanting the capital as it gazes upon the city's various events from above."
© DR
Giopato Coombes - Scarabei.
Awards and new initiatives
A major debut this year is the France Design Impact Award, honouring projects that generate societal, environmental, and economic value. With Mathieu Lehanneur presiding as Jury President, the award is intended to spotlight design's growing role in tackling contemporary challenges.
A spirit of regeneration
From reviving icons such as Les Arts Décoratifs to platforming experimental new talent, Paris Design Week 2025 captures design's regenerative power. Installations, exhibitions, and collaborations come together to "question, disrupt, break down barriers, and stir things up."
For visitors, the message is clear: in Paris this week, design is not just about objects, but about experiences, dialogue, and rebirth. And as the city basks in late-summer light, it feels, in Guitry's words, that to be Parisian is indeed to be reborn here — through creativity itself.
More information:
Paris Design Week
www.maison-objet.com
