What MATTER and SHAPE does

MATTER and SHAPE is a Paris-based design salon and retail platform founded in 2024 and operated by W.S.N DÉVELOPPEMENT, a SAS subsidiary within the COMEXPOSIUM group (RCS Paris 410 589 337). Its flagship product is an annual curated design exhibition held in the Jardin des Tuileries during Paris Fashion Week, gathering more than 50 exhibiting brands across collectible design, furniture, lighting, and craft. The 2026 edition is the third and introduces a redesigned pavilion by JA Projects, expanded programming including JIL SANDER Design Talks and Latency music programming, and collaborations with Birkenstock 1774, Villa Hegra, and the Reading Room.

The company's business model combines several revenue streams: exhibitor booth fees for the annual salon, consumer sales through a transactional e-commerce shop, retail partnerships (including a Galeries Lafayette pop-up), and, starting in 2026, a year-round Club membership that converts the annual event into a recurring engagement. With a small core team of five employees and headquarters at La Casern (sic, La Caserne) in the 10th arrondissement, the operation is lean and relies heavily on the parent group's event infrastructure, exhibitor pipeline, and venue relationships. A 2026 'hors les murs' activation at Milan Design Week marks the brand's first international expansion.

Strategically, MATTER and SHAPE positions itself as a selective, design-week-anchored alternative in the European collectible-design market, leveraging COMEXPOSIUM's distribution and the legacy WSN platform to build a defensible curatorial brand. Its competitive positioning rests on venue prestige, calendar placement, and curatorial selectivity rather than on technology or scale, and its near-term growth thesis depends on monetizing the Club membership, expanding retail partnerships, and replicating the Paris model in other design capitals.

Name

MATTER and SHAPE

Legal name

W.S.N DÉVELOPPEMENT

Website

https://matterandshape.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MATTER and SHAPE is a Paris-based design salon and curated retail platform, operated within the COMEXPOSIUM group, that hosts an annual Tuileries exhibition of 50+ design brands and sells collectible design via e-commerce, retail partnerships, and a new year-round Club membership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Events and Trade Shows

NAICS

Art Dealers (45992)

SIC

Retail-Furniture Stores (5712)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM), Event Tablescapes & Centerpiece Styling (HSACAOAF)

Keywords

• Design salon
• Annual design exhibition
• Contemporary design objects
• Designer furniture marketplace
• Collectible design event

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Exhibitor Fees: Charges design brands and studios to exhibit at the annual salon in the Jardin des Tuileries. Exhibitor applications are processed through wsn.community platform.
2. E-commerce Shop Sales: Operates an online shop selling design objects, furniture, and decorative items from exhibited brands. Products include tables, seating, lighting, tableware, textiles, and decorative objects.
3. Retail Partnerships: Ephemeral retail partnerships such as the Galeries Lafayette pop-up shop from November 2024 to January 2025 featuring curated international brands.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MATTER and SHAPE operates an annual contemporary design salon in the Jardin des Tuileries, Paris, held during Paris Fashion Week, where curated international design brands exhibit object design, interior design, fashion, and decorative arts. It also runs a year-round e-commerce shop selling design objects across seven categories (Textiles, Decorative, Tableware, Lighting, Seating, Tables, Storage), and offers a year-round membership program (club) opening in 2026.

Product overview

MATTER and SHAPE is a design salon and e-commerce platform that combines an annual design exhibition with a year-round online marketplace. The core offering centers on the flagship salon held at Jardin des Tuileries in Paris, featuring curated exhibitors across contemporary object design, interior design, fashion, and decorative arts. The product portfolio includes the annual Design Salon (2024, 2025, 2026, 2027 editions), an Online Shop offering products across seven categories (Textiles, Decorative, Tableware, Lighting, Seating, Tables, Storage), a Year-Round Club membership, and experiential programming including JIL Sander Design Talks, curated playlists by Latency, SHASHA Movies screenings, a Reading Room, and the Hors les Murs off-site activation program. Notable products include the OFF-CUT PUZZLE TABLE by SolidNature x Marte Mei, BARAAHP Shelf by BOTHI, LUCA Coffee Table by Umberto Bellardi Ricci, CLAUDIA Lamp by Marta Sala Editions, and various lighting pieces from exhibitors like GRAU, Ark Kollekt, and Studio Ymer&Malta. The platform also offers dining experiences through restaurant partnerships and operates an ephemeral retail shop at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Design Salon (MATTER and SHAPE) Annual contemporary design salon held in Jardin des Tuileries, Paris, featuring curated exhibitors across object design, interior design, fashion, and decorative arts, alongside design talks, film screenings, and dining experiences. For international design brands and design professionals.
• MATTER and SHAPE Online Shop Year-round e-commerce platform offering curated design objects across seven categories: Textiles, Decorative, Tableware, Lighting, Seating, Tables, and Storage. For luxury consumers and design enthusiasts.
• MATTER and SHAPE (Club) Year-round membership program offering ongoing access to MATTER and SHAPE events and content beyond the annual salon. For design professionals, collectors, and brand partners.
• JIL SANDER Design Talks Annual design talks program featuring cross-disciplinary conversations between architects, designers, and cultural voices. For design professionals and attendees of the salon.
• LATENCY Playlists Curated musical playlists by independent record label Latency, embodying the spirit of Paris and sound as material. Hosted on Spotify for ongoing engagement.
• SHASHA Movies Film screening program featuring short film projections from an independent streaming platform for SWANA film and video. For salon attendees and design culture audiences.
• Reading Room Cultural space within the salon for exploring independent magazines, design books, and periodicals among presented brands.
• Scale by Balbosté Restaurant Culinary dining experience at MATTER and SHAPE (2026) exploring plays of scale, texture, material and form with seasonal ingredients from committed producers.
• MATTER and SHAPE Shop at Galeries Lafayette Ephemeral retail shop at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann featuring curated international design brands in dialogue with fashion brands for the holiday season.

Quantifiable outcome

• The hors les murs program has extended visibility for exhibitors through Milan Design Week 2026, Galeries Lafayette retail partnership (Nov 2024 - Jan 2025), and ongoing brand activations throughout the year

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Villa HegraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Saudi-French bilateral cultural institution (part of Villa Medici global network) supports the MATTER and SHAPE Reading Room, commissioning Saudi artist Badr Ali and Swiss design company USM to design the space. The partnership extends cultural programming with independent magazines and design publications.
• BIRKENSTOCK 1774coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026The BIRKENSTOCK 1774 private studio in Paris hosted a hors les murs activation (March 27-29, 2026) extending the salon's dialogue beyond Jardin des Tuileries. The activation featured artist Serban Ionescu's sculptural work alongside the brand's design philosophy in an intimate architectural setting.
• JA ProjectscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026London and New York-based studio led by Jayden Ali designed the two pavilions for MATTER and SHAPE 2026, spanning 4,000 sqm in the Jardin des Tuileries. The architectural concept relates to the cultural and geographic history of the Tuileries, embodying the theme of scale for the third edition.
• BalbosteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Culinary partner curating the Scale by Balboste restaurant at MATTER and SHAPE 2026, exploring plays of scale, texture, material and form in each plate. The cuisine is rooted in seasonal ingredients from committed producers, conceived as sculptural culinary approach.
• MonoclecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Monocle on Design provides ongoing support for the MATTER and SHAPE (talks) program, with talks recordings broadcast on Monocle's Design Radio platform. The partnership positions the salon's programming within Monocle's broader design media ecosystem, extending reach to their global audience of design professionals and enthusiasts.
• LatencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Paris-based independent record label curates dedicated playlists for the salon's atmosphere throughout the event day, from morning to evening energy levels. The sound as material concept positions music as integral to the spatial experience. Playlists are made available on Spotify for ongoing engagement.
• WE ARE ONAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025London-based restaurant concept curated the culinary experience at MATTER and SHAPE 2025, featuring a 6-course lunch and 8-course dinner menu designed by chef Imogen Kwok with beverages by founder Luca Pronzato. The restaurant operated at the Western end of the Concorde Pavilion.
• KoozArchminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Milan-based architectural platform and research studio powered the JIL SANDER Design Talks 2025, with sessions recorded as podcasts for the first time. KoozArch distributed the audio series through their platform and Spotify/Apple Podcasts.
• Willo Perron / Perron RoettingercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024LA-based studio designed the ephemeral pavilion spaces for MATTER and SHAPE 2024 and 2025 editions. The 2025 design featured two facing pavilions occupying 4,000 m² with custom reflective screens and curated spatial experience.
• Galeries LafayetteminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024First ephemeral MATTER and SHAPE shop at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann (2nd floor) from November 13, 2024 to January 6, 2025, featuring 15 curated international brands in dialogue with fashion brands for the holiday season.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Art Basel: Global art fair brand with showrooms in Basel, Miami, Hong Kong, and Paris. Comparable as a curated collectibles marketplace with strong parent-group infrastructure (MCH Group) and similar luxury collector audience.
• Frieze: Global art and design fair brand with multiple annual editions (London, New York, Los Angeles, Seoul). Comparable as a multi-channel art/design marketplace with year-round content and club-style programming.
• Design Miami: Global marketplace for collectible design held alongside Art Basel in Miami and Basel. Comparable as a curated design fair targeting collectors, gallerists, and museum buyers with similar exhibitor economics.
• Salone del Mobile / Milan Design Week: The dominant global design week held annually in Milan, featuring furniture and product design exhibitors worldwide. MATTER and SHAPE explicitly extends into Milan Design Week via hors les murs activations, positioning against it as the principal design week incumbent.

Direct peers

• Maison & Objet: Paris-based biannual trade fair for design, décor, and lifestyle brands, also organized under the SAFI/SALONS Group umbrella. Directly comparable as a curated French design exhibition targeting the same exhibitor and buyer audience.
• Collectible: Brussels-based annual design fair focused on limited-edition and collectible contemporary design, directly overlapping with MATTER and SHAPE's collectible design positioning and exhibitor base of independent designers.
• Design Parade (Villa Noailles, Hyères): French design festival in Hyères curated in partnership with MATTER and SHAPE. Directly comparable as a curated contemporary design showcase targeting emerging designers and the same media ecosystem.
• PAD Paris (Pavilion of Art & Design): Paris-based fair for historical and contemporary design held in the Tuileries, overlapping with MATTER and SHAPE on venue, timing, and collector audience.

Emerging players

• Sight Unseen: Independent design media and OBJECTS fair platform for independent designers, overlapping with MATTER and SHAPE's emerging designer ecosystem and editorial approach.
• Wallpaper* Design Awards / Handmade events: Design media and curated exhibition platform with Handmade showcase and Wallpaper* Design Awards. Overlaps with MATTER and SHAPE's editorial/publishing-style programming and design media audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/matterandshape
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matter-and-shape
• Instagraminstagram.com/matterandshape/?hl=fr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MATTER and SHAPE