The best of Maison & Objet 2016

Headlined by the theme Wild, Maison & Objet 2016 in Paris exhorted a return to nature, as well as primal innocence and energy. The concept’s savage vision was borne out by stylist Francois Bernard, who curated a mini pavilion filled with foliage, Latin American and African folk art and even piped-in ‘natural’ scents. Designers here took the theme to new heights, appealing to our wilder instincts in works such as Fantich & Young’s nightmarishly surreal shoe collection lined with human teeth (false, thankfully).

Outside in the exhibition halls, the design industry’s leading lights unveiled creations that were no less inventive, but with more ready applications in the modern home. Japanese porcelain giant Aritsu commemorated its 400th anniversary in tandem with architect Kengo Kuma, who rebutted tradition with his series of porcelainware with unexpectedly intricate, lace-like webbing. The Campana brothers, working with Czech lighting specialist Lasvit, showed their new Fungo chandelier, which was inspired by, of all things, fungus growing on ancient glass-blowing moulds discovered in a basement.