We love discovering new and different places to sleep around the world and it’s not often you have the chance to sleep on a boat in Paris. Located right next to Cité de la Mode on the river is OFF Paris Seine, a 4 star hotel where you will find comfortable rooms with river views. You can enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet and brunch as well as a cocktail on the pool terrace.

Mauritzio Galante and Alain Ducasse on OFF Paris Seine

The main reason for our visit was to see the two suites designed by Maurizio Galante and Tal Lancman. You might know Galante as a fashion designer showing during the Haute Couture weeks in Paris. Part of his creative universe is also interior design, architecture and art. On OFF Paris Seine, this design duo has created two suites with Paris in mind. The orange Sunset Suite represents the golden hour in Paris and the Horizon Suite in silver represents the buildings and the rivers in Paris. We had a chat with Mauritzio Galante during his presentation on the boat.

M: You worked for Haute Couture before. Now we are here on the OFF Paris Seine boat. A few weeks ago I was here to film the rooms you designed. Here today you have a show, you have a presentation and you have your clothes here.

MG: I have boleros, clothes and design objects. It’s really a transversal presentation, because my work is really between design, architecture, fashion and art. It’s really transversal. It’s very supple, it’s not hard. It’s to live with your body, it’s soft architecture.

M: Could you tell us about the rooms you designed?

MG: For the hotel and the two rooms, we decided to work around the experience. The clients come here to Paris just to have an experience. We don’t travel anymore for shopping etc. we travel to live a beautiful experience. That’s it. We decided to stick with two colors, silver and orange, because these two colors really describe Paris. Because sunset in Paris is really orange and the grey is from the buildings, that’s it. The most important thing is the water around the boat, with the reflection, with the light

M: So let’s talk about the clothes today.

MG: The clothes is a collection around the subject of a dragon. The dragon, because it’s shape is triangular. It’s the same with the skin of the dragon. For me it’s really important to make the clothes frame you and at the same time help you. Give value in terms of gesture. Head. It helps you in conversation. It’s a piece of conversation. The day after the clients call me and say “Yesterday I went to the dinner and the people came to me and asked what is this”. That is the start of a conversation.

M: Tell me about the textures here that we are looking at.

MG: The texture is a simple organza and I like the way of working with a simple material and transform it into something very rich.

M: I love the fact that you designed the two suites here and that you have the presentation here. Why this boat?

MG: Because we designed part of this boat and because in Paris you have two parallels in terms of up, when the people live the reality and the river is the dream, that’s it. Because the people come to the river when they want to dream, when they need something special.

M: Have you stayed in the rooms personally yourself?

MG: Yes, I slept in the orange one the first night, I like it.

M: Thank you so much for talking to us today.

MG: Thank you.

By Maiken Lorentz

Photography by Edouard Lombard

Camera and edit by Franck Renoir