Marcel Wanders is a keynote speaker at the Dwell on Design in LA on May 29
Dwell on Design welcomes Marcel Wanders as the keynote speaker for the 10th annual Dwell on Design Show. A visionary thinker and designer, Wanders often speaks to the importance of open-mindedness and the responsibility of bringing humanity into the design industry’s work. Wanders’ goal — to “create an environment of love,” and inspire a life filled with passion — embodies a desire to connect, communicate and push boundaries, all of which align with Dwell on Design’s unconventional approach to the traditional design show.
First as a member of the famously irreverent design collective Droog, and later through his own studio Moooi, Marcel Wanders has earned international acclaim for his eclectic designs, which often marry industrial processes with meticulous handcraft. He has produced chandeliers for Flos, stools for Magis, pillows for B&B Italia, tableware for Alessi, and, more recently, hotels and retail spaces from Bahrain to Miami. Now in the third decade of his prolific career, Wanders will appear as keynote speaker at Dwell on Design Los Angeles 2015 to discuss his unique definition of functionalism and his lifelong desire “to make real things, not just conceptual objects.”
Wanders won the world’s attention in 1996 with his Knotted chair for Droog, the group he calls “the Memphis of the 1990s.” The lightweight seat, which appears flimsy but is in fact rigid thanks to special thread made of aramid and carbon fibers, embodies the joy Wanders takes in playing with expectations. Other examples of his distinctive approach include the Egg vase, a blooming vessel for flowers, and the cocoon-like Zeppelin chandelier for Flos.
In 2001, Wanders co-founded the furniture brand Moooi (the Dutch word for “beautiful,” but, says Wanders, “with an extra o for extra beautiful”). As art director, he’s retained the firm’s original focus on furnishings, while expanding his horizons to interior design. In 2008, he designed both the Mondrian South Beach hotel’s dreamscape interiors and Villa Moda’s richly textural flagship store in Bahrain. Last year, a major retrospective of his work was held at Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum. The designer is presently bringing his modern touch to the new Quasar Residences in Istanbul.
Wanders has ambitions to match those of his idol, Philippe Starck, and they continue to grow. “Where I used to think in terms of chairs and vases, now it’s big concepts like quality of life,” he explains. “If I have any basic motivation, it’s to inspire people to make their life a masterpiece.”
Dwell on Design, America’s largest design event, returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center May 29-31, 2015. Curated by the editors of Dwell magazine, the three-day celebration brings together the best and brightest products, services, and thought leaders in modern design today for a series of conversations, demonstrations, tours, and much more. In addition to featuring over 350 exhibitors on the show floor, Dwell on Design encourages an ongoing design dialogue, showcasing over 70 presentations on three separate stages. LEARN MORE
Show Hours
Friday, May 29 10:00am – 7:00pm
Saturday, May 30 10:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday, May 31 10:00am – 5:00pm