Apple has launched the second annual Designers of Tomorrow exhibition in collaboration with Design Miami. The showcase opens today at the Hôtel de Maisons in Paris and features four emerging designers who have integrated Apple products into their creative workflows. This year’s theme, presence, examines how objects can hold attention in a fast-paced world.
The program is curated by Rodman Primack, the former creative director of Design Miami. He noted that the theme emerged from a recognition of how busy modern life has become. Primack stated that the selected designers demonstrate how physical objects can shape environments and transform human experiences.
Designers of Tomorrow Jury Selection
Participants were chosen by a global jury including Fabien Cappello, Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher, and Apple’s Molly Anderson. The selection criteria focused on storytelling, material innovation, and craft. The exhibition aims to highlight Apple’s role in empowering designers to capture and refine their ideas.
Primack described Apple products as a common thread among the featured creators. He explained that these tools integrate seamlessly into diverse workflows across different cultures and disciplines.
Salem S. Charabi and Isabel Rower
Egyptian Danish architect Salem S. Charabi created a piece titled The Eminence of Light. The work is a lantern constructed from banana paper and date palm fronds. Charabi used a MacBook Pro to sketch and perform 3D modeling for the project. He noted that mapping out every component was essential to ensure the stone carving and paper molds fit correctly.
Brooklyn-based designer Isabel Rower presented Padded Chair 1860. The piece features a high-gloss finish and beaded fringe that creates sound when touched. Rower uses an iPhone to document her process and a MacBook Pro to build her visual archive. She also utilizes Keynote to explore the relationship between images and text in her designs.
Yoonjeong Lee and Parafernalia
Seoul-based designer Yoonjeong Lee created New Form, a piece that transforms worn pencils into nails. She stacked approximately 5,000 thin sheets of veneer to build the wooden base. Lee relies on an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil for sketching. She credited iCloud, AirDrop, and Notes for keeping her workflow connected.
Parafernalia, a studio founded by Genki Matsumura and Sebastián Zorrilla, presented MonoAmbiente 1. The object expands from a stainless steel landscape into a table and stools. The duo works remotely and uses FaceTime and Procreate to collaborate. Matsumura described their studio as iCloud, noting that Apple products help them cultivate presence despite the geographic distance.
Source: Apple
