Jaime Hayon at Design Parade 2025 – All photos are by Luc Bertrand, unless stated otherwise.
Design. Each summer, design thrives on the Côte d’Azure as the Design Parade returns to Hyères and Toulon [the main exhibitions are open until September 7 and November 1, respectively], turning the spotlight on emerging talent and innovative design. In this year’s edition, the festival once again makes full use of the architectural gem that is Villa Noailles [Map] and the vibrant city of Toulon [69 Cours Lafayette, Map], weaving together design competitions, exhibitions, and creative dialogues. Here’s what stood out at Design Parade 2025.
- RELATED STORIES: Read more about Design Parade 2025 on Archipanic.
Johan Karrebaek Thun’s installation.
At Villa Noailles, Le Miroir exhibition reflects on 25 years of creative exploration by Spanish designer Jaime Hayon. More than a retrospective, it’s a journey into Hayon’s mind: the first room recreates his studio—chaotic, colourful, alive—while the second space showcases key pieces from across his career. For Hayon, the boundaries between art, craft, and design have always been porous. “It’s not about objects,” he explains, “but about evolution—ideas, hands, purpose.”
Jaime Hayon’s solo exhibition.
In Toulon, Russian designer Harry Nuriev, founder of NYC-based Crosby Studios, presents The Transformist Apartment, a dystopian, immersive setting. Rooted in his philosophy of Transformism, Nuriev’s work invites us to question the shifting nature of objects and their meanings. With shape-shifting furniture and fluid materials, the installation blurs the line between function and feeling.
Harry Nuriev’s solo exhibition.
Villa Noailles showcases projects by emerging talents from France and beyond. French duo Kelly Eng and Marie Piplard reinterpreted hot water bottles as sculptural, sensorial objects in Bouillottes. Danish designer Johan Karrebaek Thun impresses with joinery-free furniture inspired by Egyptian and Japanese ancient techniques.
Bouillottes by Kelly Eng and Marie Piplard.
Queer German designer Gregor Jahner explores body-political perspectives in design, navigating the spectrum between camp and functionalism. At Villa Noailles, he presents Queering Bathrooms, Pierced Stool, and Peach Lamp. Sustainability meets poetry with Paris-based Simon Dupety’s UFO (Unindustrial Functional Object), a poetic collection of light fixtures crafted from upcycled acorn shells.
Gregor Jahner at Design Parade 2025.
A more playful tone defines Petits Mondes, an exhibition dedicated to children’s design. From toys to multifunctional furniture, it draws inspiration from historical pieces and iconic creators—such as Enzo Mari, Bruno Munari, and Katsumi Komagata—celebrating design as a language of wonder and play.
Petits Mondes exhibition at Design Parade 2025.
The Grand Prix Design Parade 2025 Toulon went to Thomas Takada for La Villa des Échos, an evocative installation composed of leaves and branches gathered on-site. In Submergé.e.s., the French-Lebanese duo of Magali Lamoureux and Joanne Riachi celebrates the sea while delving deep into themes of memory and the subconscious.
Joanne Riachi & Magali Lamoureux’s exhibition.
La Vie Aquatique installation by Malo Gagliardini was inspired by the architecture of Jean-Pierre Raynaud and the aesthetics of filmmaker Wes Anderson. Inspired by pilgrimage, the setting by Raphaëlle Lhuillier et Margaux Padrutt features fragments of fabric and elements gleaned from the surrounding countryside. In the centre, a circular hearth symbolises family and togetherness; around it, stories and memories of bygone days are passed on.
Raphaelle Lhuillier & Margaux Padrutt’s exhibition.
Materiality takes centre stage in Mécaniques Granulaires by Valentine Tiraboschi and Sacha Parent. Collaborating with master artisans from Manufacture de Sèvres and CIRVA in Marseille, the duo explores how grains are used to shape glass and porcelain into otherworldly forms.
Sacha Parent & Valentine Tiraboschi’s exhibition.
Anaïs Fernon’s work in the Matière sensible exhibit highlights cork, a humble material with high ecological value, creating objects that link environmental awareness with aesthetic sensitivity.
Anais Ferron’s exhibition.
Lastly, Monoprix teams up with Jean-Baptiste Fastrez, a former Design Parade winner, to present Chroma: a line of vibrant, collectible everyday metal objects—on sale from September 14.
Jean Baptiste Fastrez x Monoprix and Villa Noailles at Design Parade 2025 – Photo by Clément Harpillard.
Design Parade 2025 reminds us that design is not just a discipline—it’s a living, evolving conversation.
Harry Nuriev’s solo exhibition.
- Design Parade 2025 – All photos are by Luc Bertrand, unless stated otherwise.
Malo Gagliardini’s exhibition.
Thomas Takada’s exhibition.
Anais Ferron’s exhibition.
Johan Karrebaek Thun at Design Parade 2025.
