MiND #6 - The Paris Issue Issue

This issue of MiND pays tribute to Paris and its outspoken inhabitants, a combination that has been radiating beauty, refinement and elegance for centuries.

Meeting Florence Kuntzel and Olivier Deygas in their charming Parisian studio The artistic duo, whose shared career spans almost 20 years, claimed their way to international fame with a trailer for Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can and the lovably amusing Caperino & Peperone – Cap & Pep for those in the know – a pair of perky pets born at Colette in 2004.

The right display fittings can refresh the most unexpected of locations.

Belgian Studio Arne Quinze (SAQ) gave the high-brow, courageous French boutique L'Eclaireur in Le Marais a brave new face with crudely collaged structures, maze-like shelving, hammered-together slats and randomly embedded video screens.

José Ronez, cofounder of Bill Tornade, explains what rock glamour is doing in the Marais and why white is the colour of choice: 'You need to be able to breathe.'

Paris is a city whose streets are alive with exchanges, where a glance is returned with a smile. Retailers watching these silent conversations have taken flirting to heart, and Parisian window displays seem to wink at the passerby, catching her eye. Elegant? Desirable? Moi? they imply.

Snake your way up a tiny alley in the historical heart of Amsterdam and into ALU's bright, character-laden Dutch showroom.

Three excited kids, litres of paint and a blank canvas in the form of Mobile, Ombelico and Autopole. In the blink of an eye, ALU systems take on a personalized flavour. If only makeovers were always this simple . . .