Interview with Didier Gomez
How do you bring the spirit of the district and its history into this hotel?
I would define Sofitel Paris le Faubourg as a strong identity site, a very precise architectural universe: a 18th century style jostled by more modern decorative elements. I started from the classical base and then I placed a contemporary piece, then another one, as in a private home.
My intention was to create the atmosphere of a Parisian mansion, with its entrance and its different rooms, living room, library etc … with actually the base of the 18th century architecture and some piece of the furniture in this style, juxtaposed, as it would have been done by a family, with modern elements.
What’s the main design concept of Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg? How do you define Sofitel style crossing fashion, interior and lifestyle here?
Sofitel offers the very best of modern luxury, bringing French flair to the most sought-after destinations around the world. For Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg, the idea was to reflect the fashion and luxury of the Parisian Golden Triangle. The location of the hotel in the heart of the great signatures of Haute Couture was from the beginning at the base of my reflection: the fashion, the femininity, I would even say the history of the representation of the woman, and the memory that is to say, the great couturiers: YSL, Chanel…, this memory must be transmitted as a precious heritage.
The hotel evokes a fashion house and the world of fashion through the decades. It can be moving, this return to memory is like finding the smell of a woman’s perfume. Moreover, it is true that there is a feminine touch quite present in the hotel.
In the corridors, black and white fashion photos from the 30s to 50s signed by famous names such as Irvin Penn or Horst P. Horst. The photo that wraps almost the entire wall above the headboard in the bedrooms is a beautiful photograph of Cecil Beaton, made for Vogue in 1948. It represents very elegant ladies, getting ready for a ball, wearing amazing Haute Couture evening dresses.
I wanted to get into a mansion built over time, that makes you think that an object was added, then another one, depending on the travels, meetings, discoveries, always with the idea of confronting classicism and modernity. I wanted eclecticism.
Regarding the interior design of the hotel, what main materials have you chosen and why? What are the color schemes?
The strong influences of design, arts and culture at Sofitel are both seen and unseen. Couture, a key pillar for the brand and the hotel, is also evoked by the basic black and white colors that are the classic codes of fashion design with a touch of color or gold. Finally, I wanted to celebrate the fabrics. For example adding custom embroidered cushions on the sofas of the lobby or with the wide range of fabrics in the rooms and suites.
What do you consider the design highlights of this hotel property?
The mixture of 18th and contemporary style: I had never done that before. I wanted to place myself in the situation of a foreign customer wondering in which kind of hotel I would like to stay and I imagined this hotel. My design anchors Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg it in its close Parisian environment. At the end of his experience at the Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg, the client should feel a strong DNA, Parisian and chic, having a representation of what France is with the riches of its history not in nostalgia, but in its continuity, its modernity.
What kind of furniture style have you integrated into the rooms and the public spaces?
A mix of 18th century furniture and touches of modern design, with a focus on the preciousness and diversity of beautiful fabrics. Haute Couture truly lies at the heart of the décor.
What atmosphere were you trying to create in the hotel rooms?
The atmosphere of a very chic but true Parisian apartment, which is in line with the brand’s spirit of French Art de Vivre. There are many high-capacity hotels in Paris, including palaces, some very gleaming, imposing. For me, the Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg of tomorrow will be the antithesis of this: a hotel on a human scale with men and women who will help write the story. Luxury is not what shines, which imposes. For me, luxury is to access a privileged address; and I think that’s what the customer will feel when they walk through the door of Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg.
