Archives

Maxime Dautresme

at the root of maxime dautresme’s story is passion—a family’s passion for creativity and travel. growing up, he was surrounded by asian antiquities and works of 20th-century masters. on his father’s side, a great-uncle, a tireless captain of overseas courier crossings, fascinated by the forgotten treasures of the middle kingdom. his uncle francis, a talented photographer, a renowned aesthete and precursor, was equally inspired by china, and in 1965 decided to revive the millennia-long asian savoir-faire by opening a concept store in paris displaying his 60 years of profound love for the poetry of asian daily life. his mother, the daughter of brazilian painter cicero dias and goddaughter of pablo picasso, lingered in his grandfather’s atelier, submerged by his prolific work and colourful character. this was a place that saw leger, matisse, picasso, miro, and calder come together in sleeplessness. maxime himself had an itinerant childhood in brazil, korea, japan, france, and the usa, which helped him develop a keen eye for beauty and culture.

maxime creates contexts for imaginative ideas. the integrity and detail of his work reflect his professional journey: a technical grounding in architecture and a creative pedigree with agencies working on a diverse collection of accounts. he has a deep understanding of the design process at every stage. his ability to communicate using visual language is uniquely engaging. he started his career joining the prestigious christian de portzamparc atelier of architecture in paris, and later spent several years in new york, miami, shanghai and hong kong with tbwa, ogilvy & mather and ddb. in 2011 he established the branding and design consultancy agency substance in hong kong, now with a presence in paris and stockholm.

the stories he produces have a vibrancy and exoticism and encourage the consumer to participate. as part of the experience, he likes to leave appealing decorative clues and mementos, which hint at an intriguing tale. these visual triggers stimulate the imaginations of the people who see them, helping them engage in their own creative way, by filling in the gaps in the story. a love of research and historical style has given him a deep respect for the past. having lived in hong kong for almost a decade, he has contributed to the revival of its distinct culture by creating nostalgic and authentic pieces with contemporary flair.

awards & honors:
bronze, spikes asia
merit, one show
silver, digital media awards
winner, red dot product design
winner, red dot communication design
winner, perspective’s 40 under 40 award, interior design category winner, most original refit, monocle travel top 50 awards
winner, best hotel interior, international property awards (asia pacific) winner, best new bar, the bar awards singapore 2018
winner, international restaurant branding and interior, restaurant & bar awards
winner, best of the best, professional interior design, hotel & resort, a&d trophy awards 2018

Florian Michaux

florian, started his graphic design career freelancing for local brands in the usa, canada and australia. in 2002, he returned to paris to open his own firm, substance, where he created and produced art shows along with brand identity and online/offline digital interfaces for the likes of cointreau, quiksilver and galeries lafayettes. whilst at substance, he also served as art director at leg, creating concepts and digital brand campaigns for ​google, nike, mtv, eurostar and sfr.

the instinct to again work globally inspired his move to hong kong where supports substance’s expansion into the asian market. he continues to work between paris and hong kong combining his passion for graphic arts and user experiences into the digital landscape. florian currently serves as substance’s founder and digital creative director.

Marcus Foley

with more than 30 years in the interior design industry including owning and operating one of asia’s leading interior design and construction companies, marcus brings all his skills and knowledge to substance after joining in 2020 as a partner.

marcus hails from australia and has lived in various parts of asia for 25 years. with experiences as a pioneer within the industry in late 90’s china, his ability in delivering award-winning projects across asia is a testament to his ability and dedication to design. marcus has a treasure chest of skills having worked in various roles including, interior designer, product designer, project/ client manager and construction manager. after creating and managing 16 design studios that offered a 360 degree project execution across asia pacific as the founding partner, his business was acquired by jll in 2016.

marcus’ role is to work alongside the client from orientation, to help defining a well-formulated project brief, to mapping out the team, and to achieving milestones by working along the dedicated substance team to achieve the delivery of world class services and design, thus ensuring successful project outcomes. marcus is actively working on the management and operational excellence of substance to ensure we provide our clients with the best processes, talent and design outcome. he takes a very hands-on approach and can brings value to any type of project in any location.