TOUS Talks, series of lectures by Elisava and TOUS

Elisava and TOUS organize the TOUS Talks cycle of conferences within the framework of the TOUS-ELISAVA Chair: a series of talks with leading personalities of design, creativity and culture that we premiere with Dana Thomas, one of the most influential voices in the intersection between fashion, culture and sustainability.

Catalina Martínez-Bretón is the project manager in cultural mediation at the Palais de Tokyo, the largest center for contemporary creation in Europe and a one-of-a-kind exhibition space. After working at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and various Parisian institutions, she chose to focus entirely on transforming the museum into a more accessible and inclusive place by developing strategies that bring together artists and the public through shared artistic creation.

The Palais de Tokyo is a vibrant, experimental, and radically contemporary space. Open to all disciplines—from performance and craft to fashion—its current artistic direction seeks to amplify the work of women artists and reaffirm the social and transformative power of art. Avant-garde, poetic, and transgressive, it is a place of experience, learning, and emotion.

In this talk, Catalina Martínez-Bretón will take us through the history and evolution of this singular space within the Parisian art scene: from its construction for the 1937 World’s Fair as a symbol of progress to its current identity as a beacon of creative freedom. Together, we will explore how its architecture—made of concrete, brutalist and full of light—allows multiple narratives shaped by artists, curators, and designers alike.

Julien Sebban is the founder of Uchronia, a Paris-based architecture and design studio known for its bold use of color, material innovation, and playful spatial compositions. With a background spanning fashion, interiors, and experiential design, Julien blends influences from art, pop culture, and historical references to create immersive environments. His work has been showcased in international design fairs and high-profile hospitality projects.

For the past five years, Julien Sebban, founder of the multidisciplinary studio Uchronia, has been reshaping the landscape of interior architecture with a bold, joyful, and immersive approach. From private residences to vibrant restaurants and ephemeral installations for Design Weeks, his work thrives on color, scale play, and a hint of psychedelia. Each project is an invitation to experience spaces in an uninhibited, sensory-driven way.

As the creative mind behind Uchronia Julien continues to redefine the art of hosting through spaces that inspire emotion, interaction, and delight. In this talk, he will share his vision of hospitality, where design transcends aesthetics to become a tool for storytelling, community, and experience. Join us for a conversation on how architecture can craft moments of joy and wonder.

Dana Thomas, Wednesday December 11 (7 p.m.)

In this inaugural TOUS Talk, Dana Thomas, award-winning journalist and author of Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes and Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster, will explore the ethical and environmental challenges facing the fashion industry today. From the fast fashion crisis to redefining luxury, she will discuss how innovative design and conscious practices can pave the way to a more sustainable future.

Dana is also the creator of The Green Dream, an award-winning sustainability podcast, and the screenwriter of Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams, a documentary directed by Luca Guadagnino. With a career spanning decades, she has contributed to major publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker and British Vogue, where she was European sustainability editor.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to talk with a leading figure who is shaping the dialogue around fashion, sustainability and the transformative power of design.