MISIA Paris: Florence Vermelle on Sophisticated, Bold and Sensual Design
people • MAKERS
MISIA Paris was born from a desire to redefine luxury through emotion and artistry. Founded by Florence Vermelle, the French fabric house is celebrated for collections that are sophisticated, bold and sensual, embodying craftsmanship, sustainability and artistic storytelling.
At its heart lies the spirit of Misia Sert (the legendary muse of Paris’s avant-garde). A patron of the Ballets Russes and confidante of Picasso, Ravel and Coco Chanel, Misia epitomised freedom, creativity and timeless beauty. Her world of salons, art and daring ideas continues to inspire the maison’s textiles, which weave together Parisian elegance and modern expression.
Each collection is a dialogue between past and present, artistry and innovation, capturing the same spirit of audacity and refinement that once made Misia Sert the soul of Paris.
In this exclusive interview, founder Florence Vermelle shares the origins of MISIA Paris, the influence of its muse and how the brand continues to honour luxury, craft and conscious design in the modern world.
Words: designeers
OCTOBER 2025
WEBSITE: misia-paris.com
INSTAGRAM: @misia_paris
DESIGNEERS
What inspired the birth of MISIA Paris? Was there a defining spark that set the brand in motion?
MISIA
The brand was born from a longing for freedom, the freedom to imagine a more intimate, personal expression of luxury. From the very beginning, we envisioned interiors where refinement meets boldness, where every fabric becomes a canvas of uncompromising taste, and where beauty is crafted with intention. MISIA is, at its core, a celebration of artistry and precision, shaped for those who seek something rare, timeless and truly exceptional.
DESIGNEERS
Why did you choose to name the brand after Misia Sert? What part of her story still guides your vision today?
MISIA
The name Misia felt inevitable. It is sensual, elegant and unmistakably feminine, evoking the joie de vivre that defined Paris at the turn of the 20th century. Misia Sert was more than a muse, she was a patron, a confidante, and a creative force at the heart of the Parisian avant-garde. She inspired Coco Chanel, Serge Diaghilev and countless artists, and her salons became crucibles of artistic freedom, places where modernism was not only imagined but lived.
For us, “Madame M” embodies that same spirit of creativity, charm and daring. These qualities continue to guide our vision today. Each MISIA collection echoes the glamour and audacity of her world, reinterpreted for the present in a contemporary, ultra-modern way, a reminder that true elegance is never static, but always evolving.
DESIGNEERS
How did those early days of MISIA feel, more like artistic freedom or like crafting a world from scratch?
MISIA
They felt like a blend of artistic freedom and the challenge of crafting a world from scratch. Every choice, every detail was an opportunity to shape an intimate vision of luxury, to define a language of textures, colours, and forms that felt entirely our own. It was a moment of pure creativity, where imagination met precision, and where the joy of designing became inseparable from the thrill of building something wholly new.
DESIGNEERS
MISIA collections always seem to carry a mood. What’s your creative process when beginning a new story or collection?
MISIA
Every collection begins with a story, a feeling, or a fleeting emotion that sparks curiosity. I immerse myself in that world, exploring colours, textures, and materials that bring it to life. From there, the process becomes intuitive yet precise, sketches evolve into fabrics, materials are tested, and details are refined until the story takes form. For us, design is about shaping an atmosphere, crafting an experience that can be seen, touched, and felt.
“I’m always searching for a delicate balance between matte and sheen, softness and structure, and quiet elegance and unexpected boldness.”
MISIA
DESIGNEERS
Is there a material, weave, or palette that feels like a personal signature for you at MISIA?
MISIA
At MISIA, I blend materials with their own distinct character, velvets with a depth that catches the light like water, bouclés that embrace you in softness, and silks that whisper as they move. I’m drawn to weaves that invite the hand and to palettes that feel both timeless and daring. Our signature colour, MISIA Bleu, was created to give a unique character and depth to interiors. I’m always searching for a delicate balance between matte and sheen, softness and structure, and quiet elegance and unexpected boldness. Over time, I believe this harmony has become part of MISIA’s unmistakable signature.
DESIGNEERS
How does the brand approach sustainability without losing the luxury and tactile beauty MISIA is known for?
MISIA
For us, sustainability is a form of refinement. True luxury interior design must respect both beauty and responsibility. We work with mills and artisans who share our values, sourcing ethically and minimising waste. Most of our suppliers are based in Europe, reducing our carbon footprint, and we ensure every partner meets strict environmental and social standards. Many hold certifications such as OEKO-TEX®, GRS, European Flax, and Masters of Linen®.
DESIGNEERS
MISIA fabrics often reference art, architecture, and travel. Where do you most often find inspiration these days?
MISIA
Inspiration is everywhere. In the fragment of an art exhibition, in unexpected encounters, in the intricate details of a façade fresco, or in the gentle rhythm of the seashore. I’m drawn to the intersections, where cultures, eras, and disciplines meet and spark something new. Travel fuels my curiosity, offering colours, textures, and stories to bring back, but I also find beauty in the quiet details of everyday life. For MISIA, these moments are gathered like treasures, then reimagined into fabrics that carry both memory and discovery.
DESIGNEERS
What is one thing most people don’t know about MISIA?
MISIA
One detail that few people know is that MISIA’s colour universe is deeply inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper. His work, with its masterful interplay of light and shadow, captures moments that are both intimate and cinematic. The tones he created, nuanced, harmonious, and charged with atmosphere, became a touchstone for our own palettes. In MISIA’s fabrics, you can sense that same search for mood and emotion, where colour is never just decorative but an essential part of storytelling.
DESIGNEERS
What’s currently pinned to your moodboard or saved in your phone camera roll, a texture, a building, a light, a dress?
MISIA
At the moment, my moodboard is alive with fragments of inspiration, textures that feel almost sculptural, fleeting plays of light, silhouettes of architecture and fashion. These images are quietly shaping the story of our next collection. I can’t reveal the theme just yet, but all will come together when we unveil it at Paris Déco Off this January, where every detail will speak to the atmosphere I’m building now.
DESIGNEERS
And lastly, in just three words, how would you describe the essence of MISIA Paris?
MISIA
Sophisticated, bold and sensual.
MISIA Paris is more than a fabric house; it is a story of freedom, artistry and timeless elegance. Inspired by Misia Sert’s avant-garde spirit, the brand continues to weave collections that marry craft and modernity, reminding us that true luxury is always evolving.
