Marc Newson: designer extraordinaire

Sydney native Marc Newson has had a penchant for svelte design ever since he was a young boy traveling Europe and Asia with his mother. Born in 1963, he studied jewelry and sculpture at the Sydney College of Arts; by the time he was 23, he had transitioned his knowledge to the application of furniture. Seeking to create a “fluid metallic form,” his first wonder was the Lockheed Lounge, a smooth metal chaise-lounge that gained him renown. He moved to Tokyo soon after, where he continued to design furniture pieces. In 1991 he relocated to Paris, where he attained commissions from Flos for lighting and Cappellini & Moroso for furniture. He created Ikepod, a watch company, designed aluminum furniture, and even a series of restaurants in England, France and New York. 

In 1997 he moved to London, where he set up Marc Newson Ltd, a company focused on industrial product design. He has since created kitchen and bathroom appliances for Alessi; glassware for Iittala; and furniture, lighting and household objects for Magis as well as other elite Italian companies. Also on his ever-growing list of accomplishments have been a concept car (the 021C) for Ford (his first large endeavor that attained him renown); a bicycle for Denmark’s Biomega; and the interiors of a Falcon 900B private jet. In the subsequent years he designed the Lever House Restaurant in Manhattan, New York, as well as a Skybed for Qantas, a cookware range for Tefal and a bathroom collection for Ideal Standard. To top it off, he then opened a second studio in Paris.

In 2004 Newson received a commission from Qantas Airways to design the interiors for the new A380 airplane. Meanwhile he designed the uniforms worn by the Australian Olympic team at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games; the Talby, a Japanese cellphone; a range of luggage for Samsonite; collections of clothing for G-Star; a shoe for Nike; and a limited edition champagne container for Dom Pérignon. He designed a good part of the Hotel Puerta America in Madrid; a jewelry store in Tokyo and a haute-couture shoe boutique in Paris.

As well as winning numerous awards, including six Good Design Awards from the Chicago Atheneum, Newson has participated in exhibitions the world over. His designs can be seen in many permanent international museum collections, including the MoMA in New York, London’s Design Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum.