The esteemed 10 recognises influential voices in the multidisciplinary design community in 2025. Criterion is based on approach, notable achievements and completed and anticipated projects.
This piece originally appeared in est magazine issue 55: ‘Faces of Design’.
Marion Mailaender
Marseille & Paris, France
My design work is best summed up as:
Fun follows function.
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
The aspect of my work that sparks the most curiosity lies in the absolute freedom with which I mix things without prejudice, opening the way to an infinite creative exploration. This bold, unconstrained approach captures attention and intrigues those who encounter my work.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
Throughout my career, encounters have acted as catalysts, constantly pushing me to evolve how I approach design. My recent collaboration with artist Yto Barrada has particularly enriched this perspective, encouraging me to fully embrace the instinctive side of my process and the absolute necessity of creating from the existing.
What person, building, product or art piece has had a lasting impact on your work?
The Fluxus art movement and artists like Sophie Calle have had a lasting impact on the way I see things, inspiring me to approach the world with humour and joy.
American minimalists, such as Donald Judd and Carl André, have profoundly influenced me.
I am influenced by things that are very different and, at first glance, seemingly opposing.
The three words I would most like people to attribute to my work are:
Originality, humour, displacement.
"Originality, humour, displacement"
– Marion Mailaender
What is the one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
The advice I would give to the younger generation is to cultivate themselves as much as possible in order to create new things and bring fresh ideas to the world.
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
Musée des Arts décoratifs à Paris.
Something you want to see more of in 2025? And less of?
More ideas, less copying.