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"Chic ! meets" : Christian Astuguevieille - "A potted history" of the post-it - "Rising trends" : Sound design - "What to do with" chick-pea flour ? - "Insights" : The "Fifteen Amsterdam"

"Chic ! meets" : Christian Astuguevieille
This plastic artist / explorer lives in Paris in a Haussmann-style apartment, filled with his furniture, his sculptures, paintings and art objects. He is inspired by raw materials - arched chestnut wood, painted cotton rope, hemp or linen rope. He also appeals to our sense of smell, with the Comme des Garçons brand, for whom he has created perfumes. He enjoys playing with objects and materials, to make us question our senses and shake up our rituals. Christian Astuguevieille is so intent on provoking our imaginations, he defines himself as a "dream detonater".

"A potted history" of the post-it
The Post-it was invented by a researcher, Art Fry, who, sick and tired of little pieces of paper falling out of his songbook, had the idea of creating a sticky bookmark. He worked for 3M, the American adhesive specialists, and relaunched a project that had been abandoned in the 1970s - to find a glue that sticks and unsticks without leaving any traces. The Post-it was launched in 1980.
The first Post-it came as a surprise and created its own demand, rapidly becoming the quintessential reminder. Functional and pale until the mid 90s, the Post-it then took on pop colours. Post-its also changed their shape - into arrows, hearts, teddy bears... there is something to suit all tastes, whether they be good or bad! A leader on the market, the 3M brand had to innovate to attract clients. In keeping with sensory marketing, the brand launched the scented Post-it in 2003.
But the current trend is for sustainable development. With its millions of pieces of paper stuck around the world, the Post-it was ecologically incorrect. A range using 100% recycled paper was therefore released in 2008.
So Post-it addicts can ease their conscience!

"Rising trends" : Sound design
What do we notice when we discover a new product? Its shape, of course, and its colour. But also its smell, its feel, and ... its sound. To the point that a new discipline is acquiring increasing importance - sound design. Its aim is to find the least disruptive sound, or even the most appealing to the user's ear. The endeavour is facilitated by the latest techniques of sound synthesis and analysis. Chic ! presents a few explanations by sound designers.

"What to do with" chick-pea flour ?
Immediately spotted while she was working in the kitchen at Ledoyen, Flora Mikula today has her own restaurant ressembling a boudoir. A true woman of the South, her cooking has also retained its meditteranean influence. We visited her restaurant "Les Saveurs de Flora" not far from the Champs-Elysées. That's where we sampled the pleasant chef's chick-pea flour.

"Insights" : The "Fifteen Amsterdam"
Star of British kitchens, young chef Jamie Oliver recently created an original concept - to teach cooking to youngsters who are trying to adapt to the professional world.