The Woods Gallery and Stromboli Design: a concept store born from a vintage shop

Ms. Seilles was impacted by the different way of work of the Mexican people, tied to craftsmanship and natural materials and brought it back to Europe with her

A new concept store in the Montmartre district of Paris

At the front of the Sacré-Coeur cathedral in the Parisian quarter of Montmartre dwells The Woods Gallery, run by Simon and Lauren Lecoy. In 2017 the couple took over a vintage store, in Rue André del Sarte – known for its clothing and art shops – to install their own concept store.

Mr. and Mrs. Lacoy met in Montmartre, where they later made the decision to open their shop and settle. Mr. Lecoy had a background in digital, design, and art, while Mrs. Lecoy had spent ten years working in the luxury sector as a fashion designer. Inside The Woods Gallery, they merged universes to create a new lifestyle for their community.

Nestled in a seventy-square meter shop, the gallery has become more than a design showcase. Perhaps, the two managed to create an art hot spot for emerging artists of the district and the city of Paris. They now have a calendar of events where different artists have the opportunity to take over the gallery. Eventually, this is what happened with Stromboli Design, run by the designer Clémence Seilles.

The Woods Gallery universe

The Montmartre’s gallery is a combination of the passion of its owners, bound by the same thread of thought. Mrs. Lecoy brought her fashion collection. In fact, before opening The Woods Gallery, she used to display her previous work in different temporary stores and pop-ups. The common feature driving her entire production has been focusing on techniques and searching for more upcycled materials.

On the other side, Mr. Lecoy was keener on design. He created his selection inside The Woods Gallery, merging French designs with international – mainly from Italy. Their selection ranges from furniture, art pieces, accessories, and magazines. Besides those objects, they added a vintage selection that begins with the goods which belonged to the previous shop, and which continues to be fueled by Mr. Lecoy’s search.

Their common goal is not to be a traditional gallery, starting with the store location and going on with their assortments, since they believe that «art is for everybody».

Stromboli Design taking over The Woods Gallery

Ms. Seilles and The Woods Gallery’s owner first met in 2010 on the set of La Ventura, a science-fiction film set in the contemporary art museum, Palais De Tokyo. On this occasion, Mrs. Lecoy worked as a stylist while Mrs. Seilles was the director. After that experience, both women made different choices career-wise.

Ms. Seilles first moved to New York, where she landed a job in the fashion industry. She joined Sandro, wherein her duty was to design the retail experience. She then moved to Mexico City, where Stromboli Design was eventually born. At this moment in her life, Ms. Seilles was impacted by the different way of work of the Mexican people, tied to craftsmanship and natural materials. This environment inspired all her ongoing projects, leading her to return to Europe and settle in Milan, where she is currently researching new materials for her works.

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From Milan to Paris Design Week

Since before opening The Woods Gallery, the owners had always been attracted by the innovation of the Milanese and Parisian Design Weeks. That is why this year the collaboration with Ms. Seilles was brought back.

Just in time for Paris Design Week, The Woods Gallery has become a blank space for the artist. She took the decision to combine her set and furniture design experiences to recreate a cozy atmosphere inside the gallery. The protagonist of the installation is a type of foam created by Stromboli Design, that originates from recovered materials. This was the primary material for the Buena Onda sofa and the walls.

The Buena Onda sofa is a low-height couch that recalls the American lobby-style sofa, with the addition of patterns and shapes inspired by the Italian Radical Architects. The piece represents the focal center of the collaboration.

The Woods Gallery’s community

The Woods Gallery’s community holds the same values and visions as the owners. Despite being outside the traditional circle of concept stores, they were able to attract Montmartre’s locals and tourists. The shop was flooded by mainly European travelers who were surprised by the artist’s presence, during Design Week.

Clients wanted to meet Mrs. Seilles and learn more about her work. As people were entering The Woods Gallery, they were fascinated with the surrounding atmosphere of the event and drawn to the sofa. They laid on the couch, discovering the foam that Stromboli Design created during their research.

Overall, Mrs. and Mr. Lecoy created a community of people around them who shared their same vision.

Looking forward to new artistic collaborations

Stromboli Design’s collaboration during Paris Design Week was the pilot project for a new series of artists’ collaborations that will now take over their Montmartre gallery. Together, The Woods Gallery owners have decided to provide more freedom of creation rather than simple exhibitions of works.

Moreover, Mrs. and Mr. Lecoy are working on expanding their network and The Woods Gallery both physically and virtually. Since the beginning of the pandemic, they have started building their online shop, which now features their catalogs and where people from all around the world can buy their selection. Eventually, they are also planning to expand with a new concept store in Paris, outside the quarter of Montmartre, with the aim to share their universe and philosophy with a growing community.