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"Design should delight all the
senses."
 That
notion may seem self-evident, but it
is also why it is the source and the
heart of how Michel Dallaire approaches
his profession. For this exceptional
creator, the work of a designer cannot
be limited to resolving technical problems;
its purpose must be to create products
that have a soul, products that are
capable of stirring emotions.
Born in 1942, Michel owes to his father,
the artist Jean Dallaire, the fact that
he was surrounded by art from his childhood.
First he wanted to become an architect,
but since his father did not want him
to attend a classical college, that
road closed to him. He then turned to
studying furniture and interior design
at the Institut des arts appliqués,
but was always to keep a very "architectural"
view of his work.
Before starting to practice his profession
in Montreal, Michel Dallaire took postgraduate
studies in industrial design at the
Stockholm Konstfackskolan, one of the
premiere design showcases of that time.
Although he has always enjoyed working
with team members, he nevertheless decided
to establish his own design studio so
he could spend all his time creating.
As early as 1976, Michel Dallaire signed
his name to a major work—the Olympic
Flame for the Montreal Games. Over the
years, a great many remarkable creations
have punctuated the designer's career
path. Among others, we mention the Plasticase
briefcase, the Boston metro cars, the
amphitheatre seating at the École
des Hautes Études Commerciales
and the outdoor signage for the Old
Port of Montreal.
In 1999, Michel Dallaire achieved worldwide
success with the infant movement and
sound monitor Angelcare, a product that
has earned, among other awards, the
Grand Prize at the Geneva International
Exhibition of Inventions, Techniques
and New Products. Prior to that, Michel
Dallaire had the honour of receiving
the Prix Paul-Émile Borduas,
awarded by the Quebec government for
outstanding achievement in the visual
arts. He is only the second designer
to have ever received this award, the
first having been his former professor
at the Institut des arts appliqués,
Julien Hébert.
Recently, Michel Dallaire has been sought
out for projects as diverse as the furniture
for the reading rooms at the Grande
Bibliothèque du Québec,
the urban furnishings for Montreal's
Quartier International and the new tableware
for the Air Canada fleet.
"When I work on a project, I first
establish a geometric order," says
the designer, who remarks that, for
centuries, this has been the way artists
have started building their works. As
proof of this, relationships with painting
and other arts can often be perceived
in Dallaire's creations.
For many years, Michel Dallaire shared
his experience with students from Switzerland,
France and Canada. For the present,
however, along with his small studio
team, he is narrowing his focus to that
which is essential for him: the quest
for beauty and quality. "Everything
we achieve in our lifetime is the product
of what we give of ourselves,"
says the designer. Obviously passionate
about each of the projects he undertakes,
Michel Dallaire has certainly not finished
giving of himself.
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