Premiere Classe

If there's one thing all the exhibitors we spoke with during our visit to the latest edition of Premiere Classe seem to agree on, it's that this fair offers a unique opportunity not only to connect with international buyers and many industry players but also to bring their projects to life. In a world where being digital is increasingly important and getting social media impact is essential, creatives emphasise the importance of being able to share more about their projects in real life, showcase their pieces and invite all those who approach their stands to touch them in what they call “an incomparable experience.”

From brands that champion craftsmanship and manual processes to others that experiment with materials, making use of the infinite tools offered by technology, Premiere Classe is a unique showcase for creators from all over the world, who over four days have been able to build new professional connections and strengthen their businesses. Among all the designers we spoke with and projects we learnt about, there were some that particularly caught our attention. Today we bring you some of the most interesting proposals from this latest edition, which we recommend you keep an eye on.

With a clear goal, “to make the best hats for everyone,” this Japanese brand has spent almost three decades making these pieces a symbol that transcends functionality, adding a unique meaning to each of its creations. Since 1997, CA4LA (pronounced "kashira"), which is born from excellent “Made in Japan” craftsmanship, has worked to offer options for everyone, understanding that its pieces should be an extension of the personality of the individual who wears them.
We must highlight its all-handmade line created by designers and craftspeople at their manufacturing base, CA4LA ATELIER. Uniting different ways of understanding hats under a common name and localised production in their own factory in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, and at partner factories across Japan, they are committed to transparency and the vindication of legacy and tradition. However, they are fully aware that it is important to enter new markets and consolidate their presence, and that is what they are seeking with their participation in this fair, as they tell us. “We are trying to gain a new customer base in Europe; that’s why we saw it as a chance for us to exhibit in Premiere Classe.”

Offering innovative combinations such as aluminium with leather, or others that we are more used to but that continue to dazzle the audience year after year, such as gold with silver, Kitesy Martin Studio champions the search for unconventional material pairings in the world of jewellery, which has become their great passion. Having been a designer for nearly ten years and after working for Balenciaga and Balmain, among others, the creative director decided to launch her own brand in 2018. Upholding the power of difference and demonstrating that the world of jewellery still has much to say and explore, this is the first time they’re showcasing their work in Premiere Classe.
“We have a very playful and original collection mixing a lot of colours,” the brand's team tells us when we visit their stand, where we take the opportunity to learn more about their most iconic piece, Le Corbusier, which has become their main identifying symbol. They, like CA4LA, see the fair as a very interesting business opportunity to continue expanding their brand. “We’re just starting to develop wholesale; at the moment we only sell online and in our shop atelier in Paris. So here we want to meet a lot of international buyers, of course.”

Architecture is the starting point for this French designer's creative vision, which she transfers to fashion through a vision in which sustainability and the desire to reconcile essential polarities are fundamental pillars. Strongly inspired by the art world and making colours and prints her best allies, Christine Phung offers clothing, bags, and accessories. “The aim is to give energy to the people who wear it and to build a sustainable wardrobe that you can mix and match,” the brand's founder told us when we asked her about her collection at Premiere Classe.
Taking advantage of this opportunity to learn what different industry players think about her work and receive honest feedback from professionals, her artistic universe combines extravagance and elegance. When we visited her stand, the designer showed us one of her most iconic pieces, the Cabas bag, which is available in electric blue and orange, among other colours. “This is the item that best represents my brand; it’s huge and very architectural. It’s very colourful and functional.”

Founded by Colin Keane in New York City in 2017, this glass sculptor champions the value of uniqueness, exclusivity, and craftsmanship in jewellery in a world saturated with brands where mass production and continuous launches fill a market where there seems to be no room for new projects. “A lot of buyers don’t travel to New York anymore, so finding a place with niche brands in a beautiful location in Paris really helps,” they, who for almost a decade have worked on a mission to spread the beauty of handmade glasswork in a wearable art form, explain.
All of their jewellery, which includes necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings, among others, are made to order and handcrafted by artisans and small independent New York-based jewellers in their studio. Among their latest releases, we must highlight the Ribbed Mini Hoops and the Circle Necklace and Ring, unique signature pieces that offer something different in the current jewellery scene.

Emerging at a very difficult time, back in 2021 when the global pandemic was raging and undertaking new projects was especially risky, Kiska Lab is the project led by designer Ruslan Leon. Promoting an underground style, as the brand explains, they are especially excited to be part of this fair in Paris, the city where they are based, as it allows them to connect with their audience more closely and take the project off social media for a few days to showcase the brand's full potential. “I think it's important for people to go back a little bit to how it used to be and feel the pieces, see the pieces,” they add.
Their bold silver jewellery and accessories blend edgy aesthetics with age-old techniques, and all their pieces are handcrafted by Italian artisans using sterling silver with gold or platinum coating. Having presented its creations in Shanghai during Shanghai Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2024 and featured in quite a lot of fashion editorials in international magazines, this gender-free jewellery brand, which has been worn by artists such as Katy Perry in her music video I'm His, He's Mine, pays attention to every detail through a creative and artistic direction full of personality.

As one of the leading authorities on gloves, Maison Agnelle's pieces have walked the runway in many fashion shows, including Lanvin, Jacquemus, and Rick Owens. Offering gloves for both women and men since 1937, this brand has remained family-owned across three generations. A curious fact is that Azzedine Alaïa, loyal for twenty years, asked Agnelle to make the pair of gloves that Lady Gaga wore at the Oscars in February 2015.
The list of designers they've collaborated with, including Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, and Christian Lacroix, is immense and confirms the quality of their products. They also offer limited collections, and on their website, they show us the laborious creation process of their gloves, a very special way to get closer to the brand's values ​​and learn more about the work behind each piece.

With a background in design, art, and the world of clothing, Mariana Méndez decided to launch her accessories brand six years ago and has received very positive feedback from the industry since then. Entering one of the most emblematic places, such as Corso Como 10, Takashimaya NY, Joyce Hong Kong or Liberty London, she has also been called on by different fashion or design houses throughout her artistic career to work as a creative or art director, including Yohji Yamamoto – Y's, and Mandarina Duck.
Very connected to the Japanese market, it has collaborated with brands such as HP France and Tot_Hom Barcelona, ​​and the three-dimensional and useful object has become the point of departure for handbag design, which has also expanded to offer bracelets and necklaces. Available in colours like Dark Pumpkin, Mustard, and Taupe, and in various sizes, its iconic Bilvada Shoulder Bag perfectly encapsulates the brand's aesthetic and identity.

“We’re from Indonesia and we’re coming from Talent Indonesia here,” the founder of Gelap Ruang Jiwa https://gelapruangjiwa.com/ told us when we spoke with her at her stand at Premiere Classe a few days ago. This contemporary artisanal jewellery brand focuses on abstract shapes and textures to create items like the Merekah Choker, one of its statement pieces.
With a polished and dark aesthetic, its creations mix fear and desire, experimentation and tradition. From the Ayal Ring, designed with exploration and recycling methods and made in bronze, to the Angan Runtuh Necklace, a spectacular piece inspired by everything around us and then translated into jewellery, we recommend you follow this very interesting project. “I am very happy to be here because I am seeking new opportunities to showcase Indonesian handcraftsmanship. I hope I can meet a lot of buyers,” the designer told us.

Having learnt more about the brands participating in the latest edition of Premiere Classe, and while the interviews and panels led by METAL were taking place, we also took the opportunity to visit MATTER and SHAPE. The first-of-its-kind design salon in the heart of Paris, unveiled during Paris Fashion Week in the Jardin des Tuileries, hosted some of the best offerings from the current international design scene, presenting exceptional projects and products in an elevated setting, celebrating the culture of global design today. Here are our three favourites:

Featured in The Face, Vogue, and AnOther, among many other international publications, HEVƎN offers unique products that elevate design to the next level. From its glass pieces to its furniture, lighting, and clothing, this project has carved out a well-deserved place on the international creative scene under its slogan “Creating HEVƎN on Earth through films and design.”
The brand of handblown glass and homeware objects founded by Peter Dupont and Breanna Box and based out of Brooklyn, New York, has collaborated with brands such as Louis Poulsen, Coperni, and Marc Jacobs. When we visited their stand at the fair, they showed us some pieces that were not yet available for sale. We can tell you that the bridal world will play an important role; keep an eye on their social media.

Bulgarian-born London-based Kiko Kostadinov presented his new collection yesterday at Paris Fashion Week, and some days earlier he had unveiled a very special project at MATTER and SHAPE in collaboration with Soft Baroque, featuring a series of hooks and wall hanging pieces made from aluminium profiles. Through this alliance with the project led by Nicholas Gardner and Saša Štucin, who work simultaneously in object design and art and are keen to blur the boundaries between acceptable furniture typologies and conceptual representative objects, they have joined forces in an artwork that leaves no one indifferent.
Playful and unusual forms emerge from standard rectangular profiles through an artistic practice in which union, form, and raw materials connect to create a living ecosystem. But that's not all. Additionally, a new colour of Kiko Stools and a low table, using the same plywood module, were also on view.

Founded by Sébastien Gschwind in 2023, this sculptor and interdisciplinary visual artist, driven by object culture, a love of materials, and the invention of form, manufactures objects engaged in a long process of ownership and transmission. “Fassen was born in my head, shaped by my hand, but your kind presence made it real,” said the designer after taking part in the fair, thanking all those who trusted his creative vision and helped him get to where he is today.
Following three premises in his creative process: “taking the object by hand through an initiatory tale,” “craftsmanship inspired by the genesis of design,” and “art is formative long before it is beautiful…” Fassen revives archetypes from the history of shapes from antiquity to the present day. Connected to that vision is 26 Avenue d'Antin, an armchair designed by couturier Paul Poiret. “This chair features the geometric motif of the garden trellis, a recurring motif in the festive scenes orchestrated by the couturier and attended by the Tout-Paris of the Belle Époque,” ​​reads the manifesto that comes along with it.