To mark the centenary of the 1925 International Exhibition of Decorative Arts, Sophie Dries has designed Octa, a contemporary boudoir bar inspired by historic conversation salons. This convivial space pays tribute to the French art of living and a form of diplomacy rooted in hospitality. Traditionally masculine, these salons have been reinterpreted in a feminine and contemporary version.

The space is organised around a central octagon, a true architectural jewel that houses a monumental bar, four exhibition niches and rust-coloured velvet seating designed to invite conversation. The whole space is enveloped in a raw linen canopy, a veil co-created by Sophie Dries and the publisher Issé, which structures and softens the space like a textile case. Suspended above the bar, a monumental central chandelier in raw materials nods to Eileen Gray, a discreet but visionary figure of the time.

The project celebrates the contrasts so dear to Sophie Dries: raw materials (rust, hammered metal, linen, welding) and precious elements (crystal, bronze, precious woods, velvet). It brings together the finest in French craftsmanship : Baccarat (Crystal), Lemarié-Lognon (19M), Rémy Garnier (Bronze), Duvelleroy (Fans), Misia / Issé (Tissue), Ateliers Lison de Caunes (tortoiseshell-effect straws) - along with contemporary artisans such as Atelier Moore, Andrew Erdos and Mycoworks, who develop innovative and sustainable materials like Reishi, a new category of natural sheet grown from mycelium.

A bespoke crystal glassware collection has been created in collaboration with Baccarat. Echoing the Baccarat - Christofle pavilion of 1925, the vintage ‘Jet d’eau’ service was on display. Sophie Dries has created fans by Duvelleroy, enhanced by Lemarié-Lognon pleating.The sensory experience continues with a cocktail and 0.0% mocktail activation created by LEBARPARIS, in collaboration with mixologist Robin Le Texier, inspired by the drinks of 1925 and the space’s design.