Emerging Talents in the World of Design

The world of design is constantly evolving. Without claiming to be exhaustive, we’ve chosen to highlight a few emerging talents who, in our opinion, are standing out thanks to their unique approaches and remarkable projects. We've grouped them into thematic categories, each offering insight into the diverse facets of contemporary design research and how these talents are shaping the future.

Innovative Materials and Biodesign


Mathilde-Wittock_© Olympe

MATHILDE WITTOCK is a bio-designer who graduated from Central Saint Martins in London. Her research focuses on regenerative materials derived from waste or biological processes, exploring how design can stimulate all our senses. With Soundroot, a wall tapestry made from the roots of herbaceous plants that naturally intertwine as they grow, she creates flexible, organic, and acoustically effective surfaces. The texture of these tapestries varies according to the plants' growing conditions and post-harvest treatments, resulting in works that are constantly evolving.

WHY WE LOVE HER: She doesn’t just use sustainable materials—she lets them grow and change. She doesn’t create static objects, but pieces that tell stories of transformation, embracing imperfection and welcoming change.


Sander Nevejans

SANDER NEVEJANS, a Belgian designer based in Glasgow, works with byssus, the natural filament—also known as the "beard of mussels"—that mollusks use to cling to rocks. Through his Byssus Tech project, developed with his studio Sane and alongside the founding of Seastex Ltd., Nevejans transforms this marine fiber into sound-absorbing surfaces and artistic installations, redefining acoustic aesthetics through regenerative materials and light forms.

WHY WE LOVE HIM: He turns an unexpected material into surfaces that blend material research with sustainable design. His aesthetic is quiet yet intense, showing how even what is discarded or invisible can become form, function, and poetry.

Contemporary Craftsmanship and Cultural Research


Kazuki Nagasawa

KAZUKI NAGASAWA, a young Japanese designer and founder of Super Rat studio, won the 2025 SaloneSatellite Award with the Utsuwa-Juhi Series, a collection of vases that reinterprets Japanese craftsmanship using fibrous palm shuro bark and natural dyes, with a focus on reducing ecological impact.

WHY WE LOVE HIM: He delicately fuses tradition and innovation, creating vases and containers that not only tell stories of Japanese culture but bring them to life in a contemporary context.


Larry Tchogninou

LARRY TCHOGNINOU, originally from the Republic of Benin and now based in Chicago, reinterprets everyday objects through his cultural roots. With GBÊHANZIN, a riveted steel egg holder inspired by King Béhanzin of Benin, he explores the boundary between object and symbol, blending memory, function, and identity.

WHY WE LOVE HIM: His work is an act of reclamation and celebration, intertwining symbolism and utility. His radical approach reimagines familiar objects through a unique lens, translating his cultural heritage into contemporary forms.


Emma-Cogné_© Olympe

EMMA COGNÉ, a French designer based in Brussels, explores textiles as poetic and social mediums, combining craft techniques, salvaged materials, and vernacular references. With Piège à Soleil (sun trap), she transforms plastic sheathing—normally used to cover electric cables hidden in walls—into a vibrant, ornamental material for textile furniture like rugs, redefining the boundaries between function and play, and between private and public space.

WHY WE LOVE HER: She sparks dialogue between ancient weaving techniques and industrial waste, creating unique textile furniture and installations that seamlessly integrate indoor and outdoor environments.

Inclusivity and Social Design


Mara Bragagnolo

MARA BRAGAGNOLO, originally from Genoa and trained at the Glasgow School of Art, places inclusivity at the core of her practice. She designs with careful attention to accessibility and sensory experience, as seen in Nook, furniture for children on the autism spectrum, and Doyenne x Nike SB, a skatewear collection featuring inclusive details like magnetic buttons.

WHY WE LOVE HER: She approaches design with empathy and precision, transforming inclusivity into a daily, tangible gesture. Her projects don’t aim for universal solutions but offer specific answers to real needs.


Alexia Audrain

ALEXIA AUDRAIN is a French designer, a graduate of the École de Design Nantes Atlantique, who works on the intersection of design and neurodivergence. Her OTO Chair is a therapeutic chair designed for people with autism: through a controlled compression system, it offers a hugging sensation that promotes relaxation and concentration. The design was developed with experts in the field and tested at the EXAC-T center in Tours, France.

WHY WE LOVE HER: it translates a real need into a sensitive and intelligent solution, combining functionality, comfort, empathy and care.

Experimentation, Multifunctionality, Conceptual Design


Cyryl Zakrzewski

CYRYL ZAKRZEWSKI, a Polish designer who studied at the University of the Arts in Poznań, creates objects with a strong organic and futuristic presence. His work stands out for combining techniques such as generative design, CAD, and CNC with traditional sculptural craftsmanship. In collections like Organoid Cabinet, he intertwines wood and recycled plastic; in Nexus Collection, he explores fluid forms that evoke movement; and with Flow Collection, he captures the essence of dynamism in minimalist furniture.

WHY WE LOVE HIM: He transforms material into expression, crafting works with a strong organic and futuristic impact that seem to evolve naturally through space, evoking movement and transformation.


Swedish Girls

SWEDISH GIRLS – the duo formed by Mira Bergh and Josefin Zachrisson – explore relationships between public spaces, bodies, and society through a pop, tactile, and conceptual language. Based between Milan and Stockholm, the duo investigates the potential of public space and human connection through design. Projects include Utomhusverket, an urban secret garden in Stockholm, and Seats System, a modular seating system developed with Adidas and Juventus.

WHY WE LOVE THEM: For their way of communicating—fresh, youthful, and irreverent. But also for the attention they bring to rethinking open and public spaces, transforming them into inclusive, playful, and always surprising environments.


Emeline Ong

EMELINE ONG, originally from Singapore and a graduate in Industrial Design from the International University of Singapore, combines design and curatorial practice in a strong and reflective visual language. Highlights include the Pastille Collection, pastel-colored monolithic tables made from a pulp and plaster composite; and the Twinkle Collection, luminous sculptures made of molded paper, where folds and imperfections become poetic elements.

WHY WE LOVE HER: Entering her world is like moving through a sensitive landscape where theory, material, and imagination meet.


Ruya Akyol

RUYA AKYOL, a Turkish designer who studied at Istanbul Technical University, Politecnico di Milano, and Domus Academy, launched her first collection at SaloneSatellite 2025 after working with Claudio Bellini and Philippe Starck. Her multifunctional furniture, including the Baia sofa and Signe armchair, blends comfort, design, and functionality with a sculptural touch. Her approach is marked by careful study of materials and form, and elegant detailing.

WHY WE LOVE HER: She translates multifunctional needs into refined furniture, enriching each piece with a cultural narrative that blends Turkish tradition and contemporary style. Her ability to balance aesthetics, functionality, and craftsmanship is evident in every creation.


Pepijn Fabius Clovis

PEPIJN FABIUS CLOVIS, from Utrecht and trained at the Design Academy Eindhoven, works with recycled materials and an instinctive design approach. His Piecefull Intuition collection—eight unique pieces in collaboration with Homestock—includes chairs, tables, and lamps with organic forms. Projects like Practice Briefcase and Practice Semi-open Cabinet Dresser reflect his free-spirited, spontaneous, and sustainable style.

WHY WE LOVE HIM: His design feels raw and poetic at the same time, speaking its own language. We’re struck by the boldness of his pieces—unconventional forms that reflect a deep consideration of reuse and material identity.

Technology, 3D Printing, Innovation


Ignacio Martinez Todeschini

IGNACIO MARTÍNEZ TODESCHINI, an Argentinian designer specializing in lighting, explores the use of eco-friendly materials—such as corn-based biopolymers, wood treated with natural oils, and jute fabric—to create 3D-printed lamps. In Bilu, inspired by tree roots and 3D-printed, and Orbita—a collaboration with FENIX®, featuring an ultra-matte and resilient surface—he experiments with new materials and technologies.

WHY WE LOVE HIM: His constant experimentation leads to projects that tell stories of innovation and future vision, such as his lamps made of biopolymer and FENIX®.


Riccardo Toldo

RICCARDO TOLDO, an Italian designer, has a deep and personal relationship with light, which he explores as an emotional language. With Fil Rouge, a minimalist lamp, he investigates the concept of invisible energy, merging aesthetics and function in an intimate and surprising object.

WHY WE LOVE HIM: His exploration of light as invisible energy takes shape in an object that is more than a lamp—it's a sensory experience.


Luis Marie

LUIS MARIE, a design studio founded in 2024 in Rotterdam by Fenna van der Klei and Patricio Nusselder, brings together Dutch textile designer Fenna and Spanish-rooted product designer Patricio. Their work blends attention to color, form, and material experimentation. Their latest project, Plissade, is a freestanding textile divider made without binders or adhesives.

WHY WE LOVE THEM: Their ability to combine textile tradition and innovation in such a contemporary way makes their projects an elegant and intelligent expression of design.