A product by firm millo.design, which will participate in French Design 2010 from Tuesday to Thursday in southern Seoul / Courtesy of organizers

By Ines Min

While the Seoul Design Fair ― formerly the Seoul Design Olympiad ― kicked off earlier this month to bring innovations to the local scene, those looking for something particularly sleek and chic can head toward French Design 2010, a sister program that combines the aesthetics of design with the economic.

The three-day event comprises of a main exhibition of products by 19 design teams from France, seminars hosted by their CEOs, and networking meetings between international and domestic enterprises, opening up the road for future collaborations.

The showcase will feature a myriad of items on view, as the attending firms have worked in a range of fields from car companies to gadgetry. Design seminars will focus on four topics: Innovation, Digital Economy, Sensorial Design and City Design.

Some major companies to look for include Atelier du Sartel, who previously worked with Salvatore Ferragmao, Bulgari and even Monoprix ― a major supermarket chain in France. InProcess has worked with Peugeot and Citroen, while millot.design’s clients include Yves Saint Laurent and Korea’s own Hyundai Motor Co.

Other exhibiting firms are PBM Design Studio, Quatrax, Laurent Lamballais, Groupe Carlin International Paris and Aeiou Designstudio.

The exhibition of design products is open from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, and from 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. Located at the Kring Kumho Culture Complex in southern Seoul, exit 3 of Samsung Station on subway line 2.

All seminars will be conducted in Korean and French. For more information, visit www.frenchdesign2010.com (Korean only).