STUDIO MARCEL POULAIN: “DRESS ME UP! THE BALINESE WAY”

Images courtesy of Studio MP & CushCush Gallery

When French Design Meets Balinese Craft and Ritual

With the support of the Institut Français, the Embassy of France, the Institut Français d’Indonésie, and Paris Design Week, CushCush Gallery presents:

Dress me up! The Balinese way
Paris Design Week Factory
4 – 8 September 2025
Galerie Joseph
116 rue de Turenne 75003, Paris

How do you “dress” a chair? For French designers Clémence Plumelet and Geoffrey Pascal of Studio Marcel Poulain, the answer lies in Bali’s philosophy of life and architecture. During their residency at CushCush Gallery’s Artist Designer in Residence (ADIR) program, the duo immersed themselves in Balinese landscapes, rituals, and craft traditions — translating this cultural dialogue into a playful design project: Dress Me Up! The Balinese Way.

The result is a lounge chair inspired by Balinese wooden pavilions and the island’s custom of “dressing” both people and sacred objects in textiles. Much like Balinese architecture is understood as a living body — from its foundations as feet to its roof as a head — the chair becomes a character, ready to be “clothed” for different occasions.

Presented by Magran Living

Two outfits were created for the chair:
• Poleng, the checkered textile symbolizing the balance of opposites, for daily use.
• Songket, a ceremonial cloth woven by master artisans in Sidemen, enriched with an original motif honoring Bali’s goddess Dewi Sri and its cosmic orientation of mountains, sea, sun, and wind.

Each piece showcases the artistry of Balinese weavers and dyers, with natural tones drawn from local plants, roots, and barks. The chair itself can be dismantled and reassembled — a nod to the portable looms used by Balinese weavers.

By merging French experimentation with Balinese craftsmanship, Studio Marcel Poulain pays homage to traditions while reimagining them for contemporary design. Dress Me Up! is both playful and profound: a tribute to Bali’s unique way of seeing the world, where textiles, architecture, and spirit are inseparable.