Inaugural Design Miami Paris - Photo by James Harris, courtesy of Design Miami Paris 2023.

Inaugural Design Miami Paris – All photos by James Harris, courtesy of Design Miami Paris 2023.

Design – DesignMiami, the world’s most influential platform for collectible design, has finally opened its first fair in Paris. Expected to debut last year in Place de la Concorde during the first edition of Paris+ by Art Basel, the event was cancelled at the last minute due to safety reasons. This year, organisers secured a safe location: the Hôtel de Maisons, a mini-Versailles and Karl Lagerfeld’s former home, a stone’s throw from the Musée d’Orsay. The inaugural DesignMiami Paris is on show through Sunday, October 22, at 51 rue de l’Université, 75007 Paris, Map.

Hostler Burrows at Design Miami Paris 2023 - Photo by James Harris, courtesy of the inaugural Design Miami Paris fair.

Hostler Burrows.

11,000 square feet of gilded and panelled interior space and a vast formal garden host exhibitions by 27 of the world’s leading design galleries present historic and contemporary furniture, lighting and objets d’art. Friedman Benda and R & Company from New York City, Sarah Myerscough from London, and Galleria Rossella Colombari from Milan joined the event, along with major Parisian galleries, including Galerie Patrick Seguin, Galerie Mitterrand, Galerie SCENE OUVERTE, and more.

PAULIN PAULIN PAULIN at Design Miami Paris 2023 - Photo by James Harris, courtesy of the inaugural Design Miami Paris fair.

PAULIN PAULIN PAULIN.

American entrepreneurship, the exquisite French touch and cultured imprint mark a new exhibition format reflecting the growing influence of Paris in the international luxury design scene. All of this also “with the help of Brexit,” writes Caroline Roux in The Financial Times.

Ketabi Bourdet presents Paire de Chaises La Villette by Philippe Starck at Design Miami Paris 2023 - Photo by James Harris, courtesy of the inaugural Design Miami Paris fair.

Ketabi Bourdet presents Paire de Chaises La Villette by Philippe Starck.

Indeed, the British capital thrived as a key design hub until Brexit landed a 20% import tax on goods from Europe. This caused an inevitable shrink of business that Paris, with its powerful infrastructure and appetite, can absorb, Simon Andrews, a design expert who worked at Christie’s for 26 years, told FT. It doesn’t surprise that New York-based leading gallery Friedman Benda is set to inaugurate its first gallery in the Marais district in 2024.

Friedman Benda presents Veiled in a Dream by Wendell Castle at Design Miami Paris 2023 - Photo by James Harris, courtesy of the inaugural Design Miami Paris fair.

Friedman Benda presents Veiled in a Dream by Wendell Castle.

Breaking news! DesignMiami/ has just been acquired by Basic.Space, a curated digital marketplace that sells a blend of pre-owned/vintage and new, exclusive products. In addition to creating a robust e-commerce strategy for Design Miami/, the US e-commerce platform hopes to grow its digital presence and harness its cultural cache while tapping into new collectible sectors… And targeting Gen Z and Millennials, the largest group of consumers increasingly investing in collectible design from their laptops.

Lebreton at Design Miami Paris 2023 - Photo by James Harris, courtesy of the inaugural Design Miami Paris fair.

Lebreton.

All photos by James Harris, courtesy of DesignMiami Paris 2023.

Sarah Myerscough Gallery at the inaugural Design Miami Paris - Photo by courtesy of James Harris, courtesy of DesignMiami Paris 2023.

Sarah Myerscough Gallery.