The hottest interior designer of the moment : Sophie Dries
In the list of the AD 100 best designers of 2022, Sophie Dries is the hottest interior designer of the moment on the Parisian scene.
Text by SIMONE VERTUA
Sophie Dries likes to combine essential lines with the strength of raw materials, creating powerful aesthetic clashes. After studying at the ENSA Paris-Malaquais architecture university in Paris and a master's degree in furniture at the Alvar Aalto University in Helsinki, she founded her own architecture, interior and design studio in Paris in 2014 and in Milan in 2017. Decorator of private residences, hotels, luxury boutiques and exhibition areas, she juxtaposes modern antiques from the 80s and 90s to her pieces, because as she says: «it's always my generation» . She is a perfectionist at the same time fascinated by the imperfections of the apparent disturbing elements that develop during the artisanal creative process: «I almost never work digitally, what I do is tangible and physical and my greatest satisfaction is seeing people's pride who commissioned me to do the work, because the house is the extension of one's self."
L'OFFICIEL: When did you start feeling attracted to design?
SOPHIE DRIES: Even at a young age, I remember that I continued to want to do things with my hands, perhaps for this reason I decided to study architecture as an adult. It was the most complete course but I have always been extremely curious to the point that when I went to study in Scandinavia I decided to focus on craftsmanship and savoir-faire, to pursue more unique and special designs.
LO: What is the most challenging thing about your job?
SD: I always try to rethink creations with interesting twists. This is important for my work, especially on the study of furnishing elements also because carrying out commissions for homes is like taking a portrait of the people who will live in those spaces. And then I travel, see exhibitions and am connected to the art system. Most of my audience comes from that sector, they are curators, artists, collectors, gallery owners and creative people.
LO: Who were your life teachers?
SD: The architects of the 20th century, when I was in Scandinavia I learned a lot from Alvar Aalto, just as in Italy I was enchanted by Carlo Scarpa . I realized that these figures were also interested in something else and not just pure and hard architecture, they designed objects and designed houses in their entirety; they dealt with urban planning. I always say that the scale ratio is not a constraint and creativity works in the same way if you are designing a small piece of a door or a concrete house.
LO: Where do your design inspirations come from?
SD: I am influenced by strong women, among them Miuccia Prada , she is very powerful in her field and I admire her connection with art and with Rem Koolhaas. I live in Paris, a city where you find incredible exhibitions, but Fondazione Prada is the most beautiful museum in the world.
LO: You are passionate about Art Deco and Arte Povera, are you also a collector?
SD: In my apartment in Paris I have some works by Giulia Andreani, a friend and figurative artist, then I have some photos by Ryan McGinley and drawings by Nathalie Du Pasquier which maintain a connection with design. I also have works of classical art such as Albrecht Dürer, which meet more contemporary pieces such as photographs by Ari Marcopoulos and Martin Parr . Then I have works by Laurent Grasso , Izumi Kato, David Douard, Nico Vascellari , Antoine d'Agata, prints of the radical architecture of the 19th century and recently I added to the collection a pair of sculptures by Hélen Alix Mourier and an etching by Domenico Gnoli.
«I like minimal design with clean lines and creating contrasts with raw materials that are transformed and reinterpreted» Sophie Dries
LO: Who are your favorite artists?
SD: Among my favorites is Matthew Barney , his art is all-encompassing, he creates objects, initiates storytelling, uses performance, sculpture and music, combining everything in a film. I also like artists like Pierre Huyghe and Philippe Parreno who, with the Relational Art of the 90s, introduced observers to the comparison with experience. They are not collectible, their works merge with real life and must live in a museum or at the Venice Biennale. And then there is my husband, Marc Leschelier, who is inspired by architecture with an approach more linked to sculpture.
LO: What is their relationship between aesthetics and functionality in your works?
SD: I'm interested in the non-functional, not everything has to necessarily have a function, but it can't just be aesthetic, there must also be quality, the physical characteristics of the object, its insertion into the space and how people relate to the objects. objects. I like minimal design with clean lines and creating contrasts with raw materials that are transformed and reinterpreted.
LO: You said: “I always try to push the boundaries of materials.” How important are raw materials to your creative practice?
SD: They are extremely important, sometimes I start right from the materials. I experiment a lot with new techniques, I combine Murano glass and mineral dust, as in the case of the collection for Nilufar Gallery in Milan in which we produced lamps, vases and mirrors. I try to transform my research and creative process into attractive and functional objects. For interior design I love surfaces that people like to touch or perceive with all their senses. I also play with matches, such as precious marbles with brass, or leather with natural materials that have imperfections such as wood.
LO: You often work with artisans..
SD: I collaborate with people who create amazing things with their hands and this work must be preserved, they are activities that could disappear at any moment if no one values them or learns these professions. They use natural materials and therefore it is also a personal way to approach sustainability. I refuse the use of plastic and resins because they are not part of my education, I prefer materials that age or are dated because they constitute added value. During the Show I presented a collection of carpets made up of ten tencel fibers which resemble silk but are much more resistant and there is also a fiber called Euronyl made of nylon recycled from fishing nets and materials from the oceans. It is important to think about sustainability.
LO: What excites you about the fashion system?
SD: I respect the world of fashion and there are points in common with design in the creative process. I like to say that I collect it, I often wear Prada , I like the analysis of the fit of the female posture inspired by the male one and I see myself in Miuccia's “ugly chic” spirit. In some ways it is far from trends but has a strong style that is not easy to grasp. I find very interesting the clothes by Alaïa which are close to sculpture, Celine by Phoebe Philo, the more conceptual pieces by Demna for Balenciaga which for me is the Marcel Duchamp of today and some pieces by Rick Owens.
LO: Are there still differences between men and women in the world of design?
SD: In furniture and interior design, yes, there are still many men such as electricians and plumbers who are super respectful towards my work, but I happen to suffer a lack of respect from some customers. It's not easy being a boss and being a woman inserted in a universe dominated by masculinity. Sometimes I think that there is still a lot of work to be done on these issues.
LO: Would you like to describe the environment in which you live and what are the essential elements of your home for you?
SD: My house in Paris is a classic Haussmanian bourgeois apartment. There are furnishing elements by Max Lamb, Gaetano Pesce , Starck from the 80s and 90s, Noguchi by Tom Sachs, BBPR, FormaFantasma, Konstantin Grcic , some furniture by Rick Owens Furniture, the next pieces I want to add are a lamp by Anne Holtrop and a console by Vincent de Cotiis. These are essential contrasting elements to define my "Manifesto", as I like to call it.
LO: What are you working on?
SD: The Giustini/Stagetti gallery in Rome asked the designers it represents to reflect on the concept of Roman antiquity, I wanted to interpret my idea by developing a scented column/candle. In October, during Paris Design Week, we will show a collection of tables. I am interested in business to business projects in the hospitality sector, I like to create experiences with architecture and interior design by connecting locations with spas and hotels.
