For nearly a decade, Paris-based studio MØM has built a reputation for finding beauty and meaning in the ideas everyone else overlooks. Creative director Willy Berquier talks about staying independent, designing beyond aesthetics, and why the best work starts with curiosity and conviction.
There’s a certain irony in the fact that MØM – short for Matter of Mind – has spent almost ten years building a creative practice rooted in doing what nobody else is doing. However, creative director and co-founder Willy Berquier explains how that was the whole point from the start.
“We founded the agency almost 10 years ago with my associate, Céline Aznar. At the time, the idea was simple: not to do what everyone else was doing,” he says. “That might sound cliché, or too good to be true — but really, it was nothing more than that.”
That mindset of instinct and rebellion was there long before MØM was even a name. For Willy, it’s about chasing the kind of ideas that don’t necessarily scream ‘innovation’ but feel inevitable once they exist.
“What I had felt deep inside since I was a child turned out to be something others actually called a profession. So I thought, ok, let’s head in that direction,” he recalls. “And the whole team shared the same gut feeling.”
That same feeling has defined the agency’s ethos ever since. Everyone at the studio believes in creativity, not for its own sake, but for its power to reveal something meaningful.
Creativity with conviction
If there’s a thread that runs through everything MØM does – from branding and cultural projects to film and editorial work – it’s the power of ideas that feel obvious after the fact. “We’re fascinated by ideas that feel so obvious once they’ve been revealed – the ones everyone walked past without noticing – and then finding the most powerful and beautiful way to bring them into the world,” says Willy.
That means the studio thrives on clients willing to take risks and value substance over surface. “We’re not artists creating for ourselves,” he adds. “Our role is to listen, to understand, and to channel creativity into clarity, impact, and relevance.”
It’s a philosophy that feels especially vital in a world saturated with noise. “The projects that drive us are those where bold choices and meaningful intentions come together – whether in design, culture, or beyond – to create something that can really resonate.”
Staying independent – and staying awake
The biggest challenge of building an agency like MØM, Willy says, hasn’t been creative at all – it’s been holding onto independence. “It’s to resist the call of the sirens, particularly in the times of crisis we’ve all been going through over the past few years,” he explains. “The greatest wealth of creativity lies in independence. No doubt about it.”
For MØM, independence isn’t just a business decision. It’s an engine that keeps the team ambitious and restless. “It’s both freedom that opens doors and keeps us awake, but also daily pressure to do far better than others,” Willy says. “Because if we only do just as well, it’s not enough. We have to raise the bar higher in order to make a difference, and to do it our own way.”
That ambition shows up not only in the work MØM takes on, but also in the work it doesn’t. “Sometimes, that means having the courage not to accept every project, knowing when to say ‘No’ to our clients, recognising that there’s still another mile beyond what others call the extra mile,” says Willy. “Once again, for many this might sound like effort, but for us, it’s a mindset.”
Agility as a superpower
That mindset was put to the test during the pandemic and became one of MØM’s proudest chapters. “From the very first day of lockdown until the ‘end’ of Covid, we never stopped delivering for our clients, even much more than in normal times,” Willy recalls. “We were even shooting a TV commercial in Belgium, right in the middle of confinement, when contagion rates were still high.”
It was a baptism of fire for the studio’s lean and flexible structure, built around a network of independent talent around the world. Ten years ago, Willy says, that model “felt like a risky bet” in France. “Today, it has become the norm, even a trend.”
That adaptability – the ability to stay small, nimble, and deeply engaged – has become a defining strength. Willy sees it as a reminder of why independence was worth fighting for. “Maybe that’s our biggest highlight as a team: staying true to our path, no matter what.”
Design as a driver of change
Beyond craft and cleverness, MØM is driven by a deeper belief that creativity has a role to play in shaping culture and shifting boundaries. The studio’s project Le CerCle, produced by Silvera, is a perfect example. “We felt we were helping to build bridges between two worlds: on one side, the luxury design market – often seen as untouchable and outside the usual codes – and on the other, ambitious yet essential ecological thinking,” Willy explains.
“Le CerCle has a very clear message: stop going around in circles and move the circular economy forward. It’s far from being ‘anti-design’. Quite the opposite – it’s exactly what design should be about in a few years.”
The same thinking underpins In Talks, MØM’s series of intimate conversations with some of the world’s most celebrated designers. Through hours of discussions with figures like Patricia Urquiola, Faye Toogood, Ron Arad, Tom Dixon and GamFratesi, Willy noticed the same pattern emerging.
He says: “No matter the origins, influences, personal style, or methods, the common thread is the same: how do I create something for others that I deeply believe in, starting from my own inventiveness?
“Whether it’s defending women’s voices, reducing humanity’s impact on the planet, breaking free from one’s own condition, or simply improving people’s everyday lives, everyone has their own driving force. It’s fascinating.”
A mindset built on curiosity
Spend any time with the MØM team and you’ll quickly sense what fuels their creativity. “We’re fascinated by the idea of uncovering the kind of ideas everyone should have noticed – those little tilts, those sparks that people walked past without ever seeing or giving weight to,” Willy says. “The kind of ideas we’d be jealous of if someone else had spotted them first.”
That obsession with clarity and simplicity shapes the work, but also the studio’s culture. MØM thrives on unusual pairings, unexpected collaborations and a deep love of craft, language and music.
“From people’s point of view, I think that if you ask them when we’re not in the room, they would say that we love craft, we love music, we love the beauty of words, we love combining unexpected things or unusual profiles,” Willy says. “That’s a bit of our signature. At least I hope so.”
Always looking forward
As for what’s next, Willy and the team aren’t slowing down. A new collaboration with Philippe Starck is on the horizon, alongside the launch of a branding and art direction department dedicated to artists, athletes and public figures. MØM’s international work is also ramping up – a development the team is “really proud of”.
Perhaps most telling is Willy’s attitude to the future, where he sees a balance of ambition and openness. “Even as an eternal curious mind, I’d rather not know exactly what the future holds,” he says. “What excites me most is simply the chance to keep exploring new things.”
This spirit of exploration is what MØM was built on and it’s what will keep it evolving in the years to come. “Our goal isn’t to be excellent at one thing we already know how to do,” Willy says. “Our goal – and my job – is to excel at creating the right conditions and connecting all the dots so that we can be good at things we’ve never done before. And that’s the best wish I can make for us.”
