Like Marcel Wanders’ design or not, the middle ground is difficult. An extrovert and out of the ordinary design characterized by floral elements, redundant decorations and bright colours, such that it is almost considered an anomaly in the world of contemporary design. Wanders’ goal is to make us feel like children again and to “create an environment of love, live with passion and make our most exciting dreams come true”.
Born in Holland on 2 July 1963, he briefly attended the Design Academy in Eindhoven, from which he was expelled, and then graduated with honors from the art institute. His rise began in 1996 with the iconic Knotted Chair designed for Droog design and the opening of his studio in Amsterdam. To date his team has more than 50 collaborators and the fruitful collaboration with various companies, many of which are Italian such as Alessi, B&B Italia, Bisazza, ceramic Bardelli, Moroso and Magis, has led him to sign over 1900 products.
Stone stools, Kartell, 2006
Le Roi Soleil chandelier, 2016, Baccarat
With his products he tries to bring a human touch back to design, helping to give life to what he calls “the new age” of design where the hand of the designer, the experience of the craftsman and the end user are brought together in a perfect balance.
The Knotted Chair is an example of this, in fact it combines a familiar and manual construction technique, macramé, with technologically advanced materials typically used in the aerospace industry. To create it, the synthetic fibers are knotted by hand and injected with epoxy resin which gives it three-dimensionality. The result obtained is an imaginative, light and resistant weave that seems to defy the laws of physics.
Knotted Chair, 1996, for Droog design now in the Cappellini catalog (credits Cappellini)
The “fear” of decoration with Marcel Wanders is cleared through customs, even considered “a precious resource, which represents the first level of knowledge of an object through sight and touch”. In his creative process the designer prefers the holistic approach to the formal cleanliness that characterizes his contemporaries. The coldness of industrialization is replaced by the poetry, fantasy and charm of different eras that are brought to life in today’s world.
Skygarden pendant lamp, 2007, Flos
One of the best known projects remains the Cyborg seat for Magis which synthesizes two concepts: the natural and the artificial, translated into a plastic shell and a backrest made with natural products. Designed since 2012, over the years it has evolved into different models all characterized by the duality of materials or finishes: in the “stick” version the backrest is in natural ash while in the “club” it is in wicker.
Cyborg Stick, 2012, Magis (credits Magis)
Cyborg Club, 2012, Magis (credits Magis)
Ornament and love for textures are also found in unusual objects, such as the set of pots and accessories Dressed for Alessi. The refined relief decoration and the name of the collection itself indicate a decoration conceived as a beautiful dress, useful for highlighting the contents without ever having the upper hand.
Dressed Service, 2011, Alessi (credits Alessi)
Dressed Service, 2011, Alessi
Dressed Service, 2011, Alessi
There are several objects that express a childish irreverence inspired by fairy tales, cartoons and the world of circus, such as the Circus collection for Alessi made up of various objects rich in geometric patterns, dynamic colors and extreme humor combined with functionality.
Set Circus, 2016, Alessi (credits Alessi)
In 2001 Marcel Wanders founded the Moooi brand of which he is also creative director and designer. Conceived as a platform aimed at hosting talents from all over the world, today the company is present in 79 countries and works with around 30 international designers.
A tireless planner, the Dutch designer also deals with architectural and interior design projects, making him synonymous with excellence in the field of international design and an expression of a more human-scale design.
Crochet coffee table, 2001, Moooi (creditist Erwin Olaf)
