people&OPINIONS
Emilie Paralitici
CREATIVE AND IMAGE DIRECTOR of MÉTAPHORES
text by Veronica Orsi
THE FINE FABRICS OF MÉTAPHORES, THE BRAND BELONGING TO HERMÈS’ TEXTILE DIVISION, EMBODY ALL-AROUND SENSORY EXPERIENCES. AN ALCHEMY OF MATERIAL, SPIRIT AND GESTURE. THE MAISON MIXES VALUES OF INNOVATION WITH AGE-OLD EXPERTISE, THANKS TO ARTISANS WHO CARRY ON THE FRENCH HERITAGE, SELECTING NATURAL FIBERS WHICH ARE INTERPRETED THROUGH REFINED VISUAL AND TACTILE INVENTION: FABRICS FOR INTERIOR DECORATION THAT ADORN VOLUMES, ENLIVEN SPACES AND MAKE US REDISCOVER THE ROOMS IN WHICH THEY ARE DEPLOYED. TWO YEARS AGO, WITH EMILIE PARALITICI AS CREATIVE AND IMAGE DIRECTOR, THE EVOLUTION OF MÉTAPHORES TOWARDS AN INTERNATIONAL POSITION AND A STRONG IDENTITY BEGAN, IN TUNE WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES OF THE COMPANY
You are organizing a true regeneration around Le Crin. What are the qualities of its fabrics? Horsehair has long be utilized for its natural beauty and intrinsic qualities. When woven, it offers delicate luster and remarkable strength, two qualities that seduce many interior decorators from all over. Only one workshop in the world continues to weave horsehair, in keeping with a rare ability that Métaphores sets out to preserve. The technique requires great precision and care, and only small amounts of the fabric can be produced every day. Mixed with cotton, linen or other fibers, horsehair is often chosen by interior designers for furniture and other uses, including paneling. It is also perfect for upholstery and seating, because it is strong and durable.
What does it mean for a textile company to respond to the needs of contract projects and tailor-made creations? What is your experience in this area? Our fire-retardant fabrics have to stand up to strict regulations in contract projects. Taking these technical constraints into consideration, our selection is able to offer materials and weaves with very natural finishes and touches, designed for harmonious coordination with other items from the collection. Personalized support for our clients allows us to offer custom service to complete their projects.
You have one of the largest fabric archives in France: to what extent is the history of the company interwoven with that of the territory? And how does this archive “live” in the present? For me, the archives are a precious resource and an infinite source of inspiration, because they allow me to draw, to reinterpret or rework already existing motifs, covering a very
Photo © Stephan Julliard
Métaphores & Pierre Gonalons exhibition, Paris Design Week 2020
Which major trends are you seeing in the world of decorating? I think the present situation is creating a very ambivalent context in the world of decoration. On the one hand, spending more time than usual inside the home is making people seek values of refuge, pale colors, natural materials that are enveloping and reassuring. On the other, frustration prompts people to develop imagination and daring. Interiors are stage sets, so the graphic effects and colors narrate stories we want to bring to life, making them evolve over time. NÉOLYMPIQUE collection
ÉLÉMENTS TERRE collection
IFDM 36 April 2021
Photo © Jean-Marc Palisse
You have launched the new Elements Terre, what are the inspirations? The ‘Earth Elements’ often play a central role in my creative approach. They are naturally enlivened by vibration, movements, offering a rich palette of grains, graphic effects or structures. Their abstract beauty inspires me to design
wide historical period. The latest addition to the Verel de Belval line Grandiflora is based, for example, on a 19th-century document in the Hermès textile division archives. Its stylized floral pattern has been slightly streamlined, while retaining a quite exceptional attention to detail. Woven in the French workshops of the company on a warp of cotton viscose, it perpetuates the traditional know-how of Lyon silk with fine threads and a wealth of sophisticated patterns. In the field of special projects and custom creations, the archives are also open to clients as part of an interactive process, enabling us to respond to all individual needs.
Photo © Gaëlle Le Boulicaut
The project of ‘renovation’ of the corporate identity began two years ago: not just a supplier, but also a brand in the fullest sense of the term. How are you pursuing this objective? When I arrived, I found myself in a very rich, complex universe that already existed: there was no need to add new elements, but a need existed to express the reality at its best, bringing out its harmony. The desire to combine heritage and avant-garde is the leitmotif I have utilized to bring new energy to Métaphores. Building bridges inside the collections, especially with the Le Crin and Verel de Belval lines, I have tried to stimulate eclecticism and uniqueness, to make Métaphores the promise of an unprecedented sensorial experience. We pursue this objective through each new collection, gathering references of the three lines around a shared theme.
games of light, effects of texture, patterns that we then transcribe into exclusive textile materials. For each interpretation, it has been very important to underscore the sensorial qualities and richness of every fiber. Our magnificent Everest cashmere bouclette, for example, brings to mind the foam of the seaside, or clouds. The inspiration becomes a starting point for the creation, but also permits detours or very imaginative interpretations. The mineral grain is transformed into a soft, comfortable material, and the botanical compositions are channeled in a multitude of sparking and unexplored colors.
