Bespoke displays

For retail and brand activations: three projects in Milan and Paris

A bespoke display is made for one brand, one space and one moment, and it has to look exactly like the design on the day doors open. NOVU is the production partner that makes that happen: we take a designer's or agency's concept, fabricate every piece and install it on site.

This year we produced three activations designed by Garance Vallée: a steel dining installation at Milan Design Week, a pop-up for Samsøe Samsøe and a bar for Campari, both during Paris Fashion Week.

Milan Design Week 2026: a steel dining installation for Flash Art Volumes and Converse

For Milan Design Week 2026, NOVU produced an installation by Garance Vallée for Flash Art Volumes and Converse. It set the stage for a brand activation dinner with Ruinart.

  • Long stainless steel dining tables with woven steel chairs under a vaulted ceiling, installation by Garance Vallée for Flash Art Volumes and Converse, Milan Design Week 2026
  • Woven steel strip chairs and a polished steel table with amber resin centrepiece, produced by NOVU for Flash Art Volumes and Converse
  • Checkered polished and brushed stainless steel tabletop with amber pendant lights at the Flash Art Volumes and Converse dinner, Milan
  • Table setting on a stainless steel tabletop with blue menus, glassware and flowers at the Converse and Ruinart dinner, Milan Design Week 2026
  • Guests at the evening dinner on the steel tables designed by Garance Vallée and produced by NOVU, Milan Design Week 2026

Photography by Matteo Viti. Courtesy of Flash Art.

The tabletops are stainless steel, laid out in a checkered rhythm of polished and brushed finishes. Across a series of long dining tables, the two finishes catch the light differently, so the surface shifts as guests move around it.

The chairs are woven from interlocking steel strips. They bring a tactile counterpoint to the flat tables, with a structure that reads almost like a textile.

Paris Fashion Week SS27: Samsøe Samsøe's denim pop-up

During SS27 Paris Fashion Week, NOVU produced the sculptural centrepiece, bespoke walls and front desk for Samsøe Samsøe's pop-up. Garance Vallée designed and art directed the space for Franck Pellegrino's all-denim collection.

  • Mirror-polished steel centrepiece with folding panels and white garments on rails at the Samsøe Samsøe denim pop-up, Paris Fashion Week SS27
  • Side view of the folding steel centrepiece holding white garments at the Samsøe Samsøe pop-up, produced by NOVU
  • Bespoke brushed steel walls with niches displaying denim jackets at the Samsøe Samsøe pop-up, Paris
  • Curved steel front desk with wooden shelves and a denim coat in a wall niche at the Samsøe Samsøe pop-up
  • Franck Pellegrino denim jacket and white garments displayed in a steel wall niche at the Samsøe Samsøe pop-up

Photography by Emma Vermaase.

The centrepiece is a set of mirror-polished steel panels that fold out from a central column, like the pages of a book. Rails on the panels hold garments, and the column carries shelves, so one object works as display, storage and sculpture at once.

Our role ran from bespoke fabrication to on-site execution. We translated the design into the physical space, then built and installed it for the week.

Paris Fashion Week: Campari at Bertrand Grimont Gallery

For Campari's activation at Bertrand Grimont Gallery during Paris Fashion Week, NOVU built the furniture for the whole space. Garance Vallée designed and art directed the activation, and We Love Art produced it.

  • Polished steel mini bar with integrated seating on a red platform at the Campari activation, Bertrand Grimont Gallery, Paris
  • Detail of the polished steel mini bar with Campari red seat, made by NOVU
  • Long brushed steel bar running through the red Campari space with pendant lights, Paris Fashion Week
  • Red table wrapped around the central column of Bertrand Grimont Gallery at the Campari activation
  • Red benches with matching small round tables at the Campari activation, Bertrand Grimont Gallery

Photography by Romain Moriceau

Our team produced:

  • a long bar running through the entire space
  • high stools
  • a table wrapped around the gallery's central column
  • four brushed-metal sculptures in the speaker room
  • a mini bar with integrated seating
  • red benches with matching small round tables

The mini bar shows how far a bespoke piece can go. Bar and seat are one object in polished steel, with the seat in Campari red.

What does bespoke production for an activation involve?

NOVU takes a project from the designer's concept to the moment the last piece leaves the venue. On a typical project, that means five steps:

  1. Design development. We translate the designer's or agency's concept into buildable pieces, with 2D drawings and 3D visualisations where needed.
  2. Sampling. We test materials and finishes, such as polished against brushed steel, before anything goes into production.
  3. Fabrication. Every piece is made to measure for the brand and the space.
  4. Installation. Our team delivers and installs everything on site.
  5. Build-down. When the event ends, we take it all down and clear the space.

An activation is photographed, shared and remembered as a single image. Pieces made for the brand and the space are what make that image its own. If you are planning a pop-up, an installation or a brand activation, get in touch.

FAQ

What is a bespoke display?

A display, piece of furniture or installation made for one brand and one space, rather than bought off the shelf. It can be anything from a single centrepiece to every table, bar and seat in a venue.

What does a production partner do for a brand activation?

A production partner turns the designer's or agency's concept into finished pieces. That covers design development, sampling, fabrication, delivery, installation and build-down.

Can NOVU work with our own designer or agency?

Yes. All three projects here were designed by Garance Vallée, and the Campari activation was produced together with We Love Art. NOVU can also handle spatial design if a brand comes without a designer.

What materials do you work with?

The projects here use stainless steel in polished, brushed and mirror finishes, including steel strips woven into chairs. We also work with wood, glass, metal, and more. Each project starts with sampling, so finishes are tested before production.

Do you work outside Paris?

Yes. NOVU works globally.