What’s New? In Retail - Past, present, future: François Delclaux rewrites the language of retail
Published on 21 November 2025
Amid a shift in paradigms, contemporary creation is questioning the forms of the past while embracing the language of technology. Materials express themselves differently — from the shop window to the boutique interior. François Delclaux decodes these new retail codes through his curation What’s New? In Retail at Maison&Objet, January 2026.
PAST REVEALS FUTURE — How do you interpret the theme of Maison&Objet January 2026? How does it resonate in the retail world today?
Within Past Reveals Future we hear several words — roots, past, influence, novelty. Together they form a meaningful alphabet through which tomorrow’s modes of consumption begin to take shape.
The What’s New? In Retail space I’m designing at Maison&Objet reflects these echoes. Between the lines, new trends begin to emerge: forms from the past are updated, hybridisations appear between past and future, and raw, recycled materials are revealed in their purest form.
How does this vision come to life in your space?
Every object carries a story — and that brings us back to the very question of what is “new.” The What’s New? In Retail space is a manifesto of this liberated vision of avant-garde thinking, built around resonances of use, material and appearance.
Wood, for instance, transforms when it meets glass. Strong, honest materials take centre stage. The shop window reinvents itself, breaking the codes of the past to imagine new ones. Some displays are opaque or monochrome; others feature bold, graphic identities. The message behind brand identity takes on a renewed, more expressive role.
The scenography invites visitors to draw inspiration from a variety of concepts and creative solutions. Designed for both large-scale buyers and independent boutiques, the experience unfolds through a series of spatial installations and a curated selection of exhibitors’ objects. The fair’s central theme is expressed through a collection of ready-to-source, ready-to-apply ideas for tomorrow’s retail spaces.
What brands and products can we expect to discover in January?
My selection embodies, above all, the trend of Minimalism, and it’s structured around four thematic “ages” of material: Stone Age, Wood Age (plant-based and wood materials), Metal Age, and Tech Age. Transparency also plays its part in this narrative.
What does the boutique of tomorrow look like to you?
The boutique of tomorrow is a place where we dream.