COVETED MAGAZINE PAGE 21.
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For Hubert, inspirations come from people. The people we love, the people
who aren’t afraid to stand up to what they believe it’s right, the people
whose work touches us in ways that normally we wouldn’t even notice.
The people who peacefully revolutionise, the way technology brought us
closer and has dramatically eased up our lives. Hubert invites the uber-
talented people of his office to be a part of this revolution, an open-minded,
dynamic and creative uprising. In his accomplished opinion, we own
nothing but our forefathers’ heritage. Now add that same heritage to a
sophisticated equation of a new design and you get true creation, as so
remarks Hubert. Alluring people with design is a strong force that drives
him. It’s not truly important if they are the owners of a business society, a
restaurant, a hotel or even an entertainment hub. What does matter is the
feeling that they get when the project is finished. The experience they get
when going to a retail business.
‘’I think nowadays the heritage is very
important, it’s what the people seek, the
French heritage design.’’
In retail design, there is an element that is often left to oblivion, states
Malherbe. And that element is love. Hubert expertly claims that love is a
powerful force that drives people, as love is strongly connected to desire
and the desire of creating long-lasting memories. The desire to own objects
that make you feel something, the desire to go to places where you’ll
reminisce blissful times. For Hubert, people are driven by love, and the
retail business, like hospitality, it takes full advantage of it. Furthermore,
he theorizes that a good retail service provides you with not only your
mundane and pragmatic needs but also with an unforgettable experience.
‘’Love is what drives us, and it’s a positive
thing. And love is something connected
with desire, and memories. Objects that
bring you memories, places that bring you
memories. People are driven by love and
hospitality takes advantage.’’
As for challenges in his prestigious line of work, Hubert emboldens
Europe’s chronic pessimism and design delay in comparison with other
places and individuals. Hubert states that, when he started working,
Asia had an unfortunate complex of inferiority to the Western World’s
creativity and modernity. A complex of inferiority that has come to slowly
dissipate courtesy of completely different hands. The emergent South-
Eastern Asian countries such as Vietnam and Philippines are following
their more developed brothers’ footsteps and becoming major harbouring
hubs of sophisticated design. And for Hubert, Europe and the USA are
becoming a sort of plan b regions.
‘’I think Europe’s very delayed in terms
of design. When I started working, Asia
had a complex of inferiority regarding
the creativity and the modernity in the
Western world. Nowadays that’s over.’’