Thomas Dariel is the founder and leading designer behind the Shanghai-based creative agency Dariel Studio. Born and educated as a designer in Paris, Thomas Dariel draws his creativity from different worlds as design, fashion, gastronomy, visual arts and luxury.Dariel Studio is a muti-award winning interior design company founded in Shanghai, China in 2006, and has completed over 90 projects of the highest quality in the main areas of design: hospitality, commercial and residential. 

In 2015, Thomas Dariel created his design brand Maison Dada along with his partner Delphine Moreau in Shanghai. It was born out of a wild dream to inject a does of Dadaism into our everyday life.Focusing on furniture, lighting and accessories, Maison Dada includes iconic pieces such as China cabinets and dressing tables that made up the beauty of the interiors from 19^th and 20^th centuries yet were left behind by time.

Are there special reasons for you to create a brand in China?

I discovered China in 1999 for the first time. I think the Chinese market is very attractive. Today, the Chinese market is about the third biggest market in the world. The first one is the United State. But in term of size and in term of potentials, Chinese market is fantastic because if you have Chinese market, you have different markets inside. You have like north, south, east, west markets during the range of development by cities. So I have all interests to be there in term of professionals, in term of financial, in term of project, in term of designers.

How do you evaluate the impact of the Chinese market on your business?

Here we can do a lot of things, but here we can fail more easily also. I opened Dariel Studio 10 years ago, we have only 20 people, 6 survived from this period. Today, there are a lot of new design companies, like Neri&Hu, Design Republic, and Design MVW, all these big names. Last 10 years I did a lot, I failed, I succeed, I created a lot of opportunity, and these are very grateful because that China market helps me, I think it fit with my personality. After is a very difficult time, a lot of people closed their business, because market outside is a jungle, it’s very difficult. People don’t know about their design much of the time, so it is a very young market. But I think t worths to fight and effort and it worth a lot.

 N 621 Changde Road, Shanghai

Do you have some suggestions for people who want to have a try to get into China?

I think the success of a foreign brand, is only on finding good people, because most of the people in china sometimes they are not very competence for a foreign brand. As to be in china, all the brands have the same chance. Not because you are Chinese, French or America, you don’t have any difference. Here Chinese brands they can grow faster because they understand the logic of the market faster. But the problem is the most of the foreign brand, they closed, because they don’t understand really what has happened here, they don’t understand the right people to hire, the business opportunity, the politician, because most of the politicians have a lot of taxation. So if I was a foreign brand, I think I would do joint venture with other brands, with Chinese brands.

What do you think of plagiarism?

I think if you want to succeed, you have to be very niche. Honestly, for me it doesn’t exist, it’s difficult to copy, but after 6 month or in one year, my product will be copied, if it’s working well. My point is copy is good, because they push you to always renew, renew, renew. And Maison Dada is, here a market is difficult now, it is a very difficult market to be able to survive. You need to be super strong; you need to be a dragon. If you are not a dragon, you will die very easily because outside is very difficult..

Are there any other Chinese designers you appreciate?

I think in china you have great architects, and great product designers coming, like Pingwu, Bamoo, Benwood Studio, Design MVW, Young Studio, Shangxia etc. It’s fantastic because they know how to do it. And in architect, you have great Architects in the world, you have PEI, you have Wangshu, the one in Hangzhou. Anyway, you have great architects.

Do you have any cooperation or events this year?

We will do like cooperation with big brands. We did a shooting last week with CHANEL. We’d like to invite Cappellini from Italy for some cooperation. We will also participate the fair, in Paris, in Milan, we do Maions Object in January, we do Milan salone del mobile in April next year, we do Design Shanghai. So we have a lot of events actually.

What’s your plan for the future?

A lot, we will open Maison Dada in Paris next year. We will do in Shanghai and Paris. We invited a lot of young Chinese designers to design for us. You know because I want to design creative things. I also invited very famous designers to join this brand. They will design like three four five pieces.

Can you introduce your favorite product here or project?

My favorite one is a lamp, I like it because I designed this lamp when my son born five years ago. I developed it for Maison Dada one year ago. I call it LITTLE ELIAH, it’s the name of my son Eliah. And I like this not only because it is a beautiful object, but to find that my son is very proud to have a lamp with his name, so I am very happy. Last week, we sold two lamps to clients. I said to my son” Oh, it’s funny because someone buy two of your lamps” and he said” No daddy I don’t want him to take my lamps because it’s my lamp”. I think it’s very cute.

 LITTLE ELIAH TABLE LAMP

Find more at : http://maisondada.com/

(Source: JJGLE.com  Author: Amber Wan)