Today and everyday, we celebrate the women of modern design—visionairies who have pushed boundaries and reshaped the future of the field. From Hella Jongerius to Nika Zupanc, discover the designers whose work continues to inspire how we live today.
Faye Toogood
A British designer working in a diverse range of disciplines, Faye Toogood has conquered the world of fashion, sculpture, and architecture with her keen eye for materiality and experimentation. Focused on the unique qualities and rawness of materials, all of her pieces are handcrafted by small-scale fabricators and artisans for a truly imaginative design. Showcasing self-expression through sculptural, honest renderings, her partnership with contemporary furniture brand Driade, helped establish herself as an interior designer favorite with her sought-after best-sellers the Roly Poly Sofa and Roly Poly Armchair.
Patricia Urquiola
If there's such a thing as a superstar of contemporary product design, Patricia Urquiola qualifies. The Spanish-born architect and designer, whose award-winning studio is based in Milan, has a resume replete with ravishing products—furniture, rugs, lighting—in addition to a global roster of architectural and interior design projects. Urquiola's best-selling Caboche Chandelier for Foscarini is amongst her most recognizable creations, featuring a dazzling circle of polycarbonate beads that illustrates her penchant for tactile richness; while her collaborations with Spain's GAN Rugs have elevated the art of rug design to lofty new heights.
India Mahdavi
For India Mahdavi, design is an exercise in optimism—a sensory "antidote" to the monochromatic. The Iranian-French architect and designer is a master of "everyday joy," known for transforming interiors into immersive landscapes through a fearless and sophisticated use of color. Mahdavi blends a nomadic sensibility with a "pop" aesthetic that feels both nostalgic and entirely avant-garde. Whether she is exploring the graphic, candy-colored geometry of the Criss Cross Rug or the continuous, sculptural fluidly of her Loop Lounge Chair, her work prioritizes the emotional impact of a space.
Rossana Hu
Rossana Hu, along with her partner Lyndon Neri, heads Shanghai-based Neri & Hu, a wildly sought-after design practice, expert at almost every creative discipline, from architecture and interiors, to art installations and product design. A Princeton-trained architect, Rossana Hu's cross-cultural experiences help inform Neri & Hu's work, yielding meticulously researched projects of refined beauty. Neri & Hu's lighting designs for Artemide—like the NH1217 Table Lamp, a pure composition of blown glass sphere and brushed brass ring—exemplify the designers' talent for distilling an object down to its very essence.
Maria Bruun
For Danish designer Maria Bruun, furniture serves as a piece of "everyday scenography", bridging the gap between sculptural art and functional form. Operating from her Copenhagen studio, Bruun navigates the intersection of heavy, tactile silhouettes and the minimalist precision of classic Danish craft. Whether she is refining the rounded oak columns of her Islets Dining Table for Fredericia or exploring stackable geometry of the Pioneer Bar Stool, her work is defined by a deep, material-led dialogue. Bruun creates objects that feel both hauntingly familiar and strikingly architectural—inviting us to not just use our furniture, but to truly inhabit the spaces they define.
Hella Jongerius
For Hella Jongerius, design is a continuous experiment in the "unpolished," where the industrial meets the artisanal to create objects with a soul. Operating from her Berlin-based Jongeriuslab, the Dutch designer rejects the sterile perfection of mass production, instead championing the "imperfections" that reveal the human hand. Whether she is reimagining the ergonomic comfort of the iconic Polder Sofa for Vitra or exploring the tactile, multi-layered narrative of the Twain Lounge Chair for Magis, her work is a masterclass in color theory and textile innovation.
Nika Zupanc
A Slovenian designer celebrated for her distinctive style that blends playfulness, elegance, and a touch of nostalgia, Zupanc's design aesthetic is characterized by its whimsical yet sophisticated approach, often featuring feminine undertones, unexpected details, seen in the Knitty Lounge Chair and Lolita Table Lamp for Moooi. She draws inspiration from diverse sources, including retro glamour, fairy tales, and everyday objects, infusing her creations with a sense of charm and personality. With her distinctive style and innovative approach, Nika Zupanc continues to captivate audiences and push the boundaries of contemporary design.
Trine Andersen
After training as a graphic designer, and following stints in advertising, Trine Andersen, founded Ferm LIVING, the whimsical Danish design brand whose accessibly priced, high quality offerings exemplify imaginative, unfussy Scandinavian design. Andersen's eye for pattern was key to her first wallpaper collection, which helped launch the Ferm LIVING brand in 2006. While the company has expanded considerably, Trine Andersen continues to be integral to the company's product range, consistently creating some of the company's more eye-catching designs—like the versatile Ferm Living Plant Box, and the new Horse wallpaper motif.
