STEPHAN WOELK HAS AN EYE FOR DESIGN THAT TRANSFORMS AND ENHANCES THE ART OF LIVING.

BORN IN BERLIN IN 1959, CREATIVITY HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF STEPHAN’S LIFE. HIS PARENT’S WORKSHOP WAS HIS PLAYGROUND DURING THE 1970’S AND STEPHAN PRODUCED HIS FIRST DESIGNS THERE WHILE LITTLE MORE THAN A CHILD.

HE STUDIED FASHION DESIGN IN BERLIN AND FOR SEVERAL YEARS COMBINED HIS WORK IN FASHION WITH A CAREER AS AN AWARD-WINNING PROFESSIONAL DANCER.
IN 1986 HE LEFT THE WORLD OF DANCE TO CONCENTRATE ON HIS PASSION FOR HIGH QUALITY DESIGN.

STEPHAN HAS LIVED THE MEDIEVAL VILLAGE OF ST PAUL DE VENCE IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE SINCE 1988. 
A WELL KNOWN HAUNT OF EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY ARTISTS SUCH AS PICASSO, CHAGALL, MATISSE AND BRAQUE, 
ST PAUL OFFERS A RICH CREATIVE HERITAGE AND IS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.

STEPHAN OPENED HIS FIRST SHOP IN ST PAUL IN 1991. 
“L’AIR DU SUD”, HOUSED IN A STUNNING, MEDIEVAL BUILDING, SHOWCASED CREATIVE AND ARTISTIC FURNITURE AS WELL AS UNIQUE, DESIGN-LED HOME ACCESSORIES AND OBJETS D’ART. 
THE SHOP SOON BECAME AN ESSENTIAL DESTINATION FOR INTERNATIONAL INTERIOR DECORATORS, SUPPLYING THEM WITH REFINED PIECES FOR THEIR BESPOKE CLIENTELE.

ANOTHER SHOP, “SOULEIADO”, FOLLOWED IN 1995. 
STEPHAN’S INSPIRED MERCHANDISING WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN REVIVING THE FORTUNES OF THE PROVENCE-BASED SOULEIADO BRAND.

IN 2004, L’AIR DU SUD BECAME “STEPHAN WOELK”. 
THE STORE NOW OFFERS THE BEST IN DESIGN-LED FURNITURE AND FASHION ACCESSORIES TO DISCERNING BUYERS FROM  ALL OVER THE WORLD. 
STUNNING PIECES BY FURNITURE DESIGNERS AND ARTISTS SUCH AS MICHEL HAILLARD, HIERRO DESVILLES, RENATE VON BREVERN AND PATRICK JACOB SIT HAPPILY ALONGSIDE 
FASHION ACCESSORIES FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF CHRISTIAN LACROIX, EMILIO PUCCI, PHILIP TREACY, PHILIPPE FERRANDIS, JAMIN PUECH AND OTHERS.

PARTNERSHIPS

ALTHOUGH STEPHAN NOW WORKS ON HIS OWN, TWO SIGNIFICANT, CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS HAVE INFORMED AND EXPANDED HIS BUSINESS AND CREATIVE SKILLS.

STEPHAN WOELK AND MARION ECKER (1981-1987)

1981   LAUNCHED THE STYLING BUREAU “UNIVOGUE”. COMMISSIONED TO DESIGN READY-TO-WEAR COLLECTIONS, ACCESSORIES, HATS             AS WELL AS TREND-COLLECTIONS FOR MARKET LEADERS IN FABRICS AND FASHION ILLUSTRATION FOR MAGAZINES. 
1983   OPENED THEIR FIRST SHOP ON BERLIN’S MOMMSENSTRASSE, PRESENTING THEIR OWN COLLECTIONS.
1983   FASHION JOURNALISTS CONFIRMED A RARE TALENT WHEN THEY AWARDED UNIVOGUE THE PRESTIGIOUS FASHION AWARD 
            “DIE GOLDENE NASE” 
1984   WITH OTHER DESIGNERS FOUNDED “KAB”(KLUB DER MODE-AVANTGARDE BERLIN), TO PROMOTE THEIR COLLECTIONS AT FASHION             FAIRS ALL OVER EUROPE.
1986   A US-DISTRIBUTER INCLUDED THE LABEL IN HIS 7TH AVENUE SHOWROOM, RESULTING IN THE UNIVOGUE DESIGNER COLLECTION
            APPEARING IN FASHION STORES THROUGHOUT THE USA.
1987 INVITED TO SHOW THEIR COLLECTION AT THE GERMAN PRESIDENT’S TRADITIONAL GARDEN PARTY IN THE GARDENS OF BELLEVUE.             CASTLE

STEPHAN WOELK AND JEAN-ANTOINE HIERRO (1995-2005)

1995  FOUNDED “W&H PROJECT” - AN INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICE AND SHOWCASE FOR THEIR “HIERRO DESVILLES” RANGE OF BESPOKE  
           FURNITURE.
1997 “RIVIERA GALLERY” OPENED IN ST PAUL DE VENCE. THIS UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFULLY PRESENTED VENUE OFFERED HIERRO  
           DESVILLES CREATIONS AND WORKS BY WELL KNOWN ARTISTS SUCH AS ARMAN, HAMISKY, CHADWICK AND INDIANA.
2000  OPENED AN INTERIOR DESIGN BUSINESS IN NICE, WHERE A TEAM OF 12 PROFESSIONALS HELPED TO SERVICE THE NEEDS OF A 
           GROWING INTERNATIONAL CLIENT LIST
2000 - 2005 WORKING ON PROJECTS FOR PRIVATE HOMES AND HOTELS IN SARDEGNA, POLAND, FRANCE, MONACO, USA...