The list of Interior Design projects and product design collaboration is endless. Stéphane Parmentier started as a fashion designer for ready to wear women’s collection at Lanvin, Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld and Hervé Léger, as well as his own brand under his name before finding his passion for interior design , that now takes his creative strength for the most wanted design pieces and interiors around the world.
We had a chat with him in Munich for the launch of his table wear collection in collaboration with Dragonfly
IRMA: What is the difference between a beautiful designed garment and a well-made piece of interior, if so?
STÉPHANE PARMENTIER: Not that much actually, both require attention in material, manufacturing and details and reflect their owner’s personality, but pieces of interiors need to last longer in term of style and quality.
IRMA: Your designs are always interpreted by different materials. What comes first the material, or the idea?
STÉPHANE PARMENTIER: Often both at the same time : when I make a design, I like to think global from scratch. I also love to “play” with a material as an instrument of music and explore all its potentials, all the melodies that it can produce.
IRMA: How do you take decisions? Is there a ritual, a habit , a thought that comes up before?
STÉPHANE PARMENTIER: No rituals, but very often, my best decisions and intuitions come after sleep. As commonly told sleep is the best adviser.
IRMA: A collaboration can be positive and rewarding or empty and dull. How do you figure out if it is the right one?
STÉPHANE PARMENTIER: The human relation is crucial. It’s essential for me to find some depth, soul and integrity in collaborations. And ideally some playfulness.
IRMA: Is there real renouncement?
STÉPHANE PARMENTIER: Compromise can be good, but renouncement is sad. I try to always avoid having to renounce or have someone renounce around me. There is always a way out 😉
IRMA: What do I have to be aware of, when my finger type faster than I think?
STÉPHANE PARMENTIER: Take a big breath !
IRMA: Would life be easier if beauty was always the good and ugly was always the bad?
STÉPHANE PARMENTIER: No, on the contrary, a nightmare: Beauty can be everywhere and hidden. As ugliness.
IRMA: If you have to give up all your artistic ways to express yourself except for one. Which one would you keep? Why this one?
STÉPHANE PARMENTIER: I would keep the ability to draw, because you can express so much with a drawing.
IRMA: A place that makes a difference, personal and design wise?
STÉPHANE PARMENTIER: This last years : Puglia in Italy, love this place, the architecture, the people, the nature, the sea.
IRMA: Your most used lie?
STÉPHANE PARMENTIER: I’m very frank and direct. I can’t help it and life is so much colourful and simple this way. I don’t make much use of lies.
