27 May 2026
Hella Jongerius has been one of the world’s most influential designers since she emerged as part of the Droog collective in 1993. Fascinated by the relationship between craft and industry, old and new technologies, by materials and colour, she has worked closely with a handful of manufacturers and companies, including Vitra, KLM, Camper, IKEA and Maharam.
She has also emerged as one of the field’s critical thinkers, taking careful aim at the design industry’s obsession with newness and over-reliance on marketing.
Earlier this year, the first major retrospective of her career opened at the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein.
In this episode we talk about: having studios in the Netherlands and Germany; the early years with Droog and her relationships with the likes of Jurgen Bey and Marcel Wanders; why materials are political; the culture of craft and avoiding the ‘path of nostalgia’; working with industry and trying to change it from within; her love of clay and textiles; colour as a communication tool; developing her critical voice; being ‘tough and sweet’; her fascination with animals; and exploring her spiritual side.
Find out more about Hella Jongerius