Pierre D’Anjou was a great friend and collaborator of Azure. He had been the creative director for Azure’s trade show presentations dating back to the early 2000s, winning us several awards for his creative flair. He was also involved in developing the décor for the AZ Awards galas.
It was with great sadness that we learned of Pierre’s death on Monday, April 30, close to his birthplace south of Quebec City, where he had been in the care of his family since early 2018.
He was born in St. Agapit, Quebec, in 1950 and moved to Montreal to study graphic and environmental design at the University of Québec. For ten years he worked as freelance graphic designer, for a clientele including Mirable Airport and Télémédia. However, it was his work as a photo stylist that cemented his reputation in the Montreal design community. As a frequent collaborator of Quebec home decor publications (Les Idées de Ma Maison etc.), he developed innovative photo reports with talented photographers; he counted them among his many friends.
He was also well-known as a creative director of events, exhibitions and displays (SIDIM, Salon des métiers d’art, Salon du cadeau Montréal), frequently taking a hands-on approach, using his talent for precision along with his creative vision to create exceptional and memorable experiences, often working wonders on a shoestring. As well, he applied his clean aesthetic as a consultant to several furniture manufacturers. In the area of product design, his Alta sofa (2005) and matching armchair (2014) for G_Romano, were both widely covered by the media.
Pierre travelled often to Italy, attending the Milan fair annually to scope out emerging design trends. His close attention to design currents underwrote the fantastic trends display he created, in collaboration with André Caron, for the Canadian furniture manufacturers trade show in Toronto for nearly a decade. Many of his close friends called him Piero, alluding to his love of all things Italian. The best evidence of that was his home, filled with big Italian names from the 1980s onward.
His talent for friendship and his love of design – in particular Italian design – leave the most enduring impression. Pierre D’Anjou was always available to his many friends when they were in need. He gave freely of his time, shared his contacts and professional relationships and was easy to work with. His friends adored him; those who weren’t close remained touched by his warm and engaging spirit. He will be missed by many.
Donations in Pierre’s memory may be made to the Foundation Maison Michel-Sarrazin.