Hugo Macdonald
Hugo is a design critic, curator and the co-founder of Bard, a gallery in Edinburgh dedicated to Scottish design and craft. A long-serving member of the Wallpaper* family, he has also been the design editor at Monocle and the brand director at Studioilse, Ilse Crawford's multi-faceted design studio. Today, Hugo wields his pen and opinions for a broad swathe of publications and panels. He has twice curated both the Object section of MIART (the Milan Contemporary Art Fair) and the Harewood House Biennial. He consults as a strategist and writer for clients ranging from Airbnb to Vitra, Ikea to Instagram, Erdem to The Goldsmith's Company. Hugo has this year returned to the Wallpaper* fold to cover the parental leave of Rosa Bertoli as Global Design Director.
Latest articles by Hugo Macdonald
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C-Next Designers Europe hosted by Cosentino is forging the future of the interior design industry
220 interior design professionals from 30 countries attended the invite-only event in Almeria for two days of factory tours, workshops and panel discussions
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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Spain meets Speyside at the Roca Brothers’ new restaurant for The Macallan distillery
For its 200th anniversary, The Macallan commissioned David Thulstrup to design TimeSpirit, the Roca Brothers’ first restaurant outside Spain
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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First Look: ‘It’s a chair that smiles at you,’ says designer Bruce Hannah
Knoll reissues the Morrison Hannah office chair from 1973, bringing a welcome dose of comfort to working life and simplicity to complex times
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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A landmark show by ‘the godfather of the modern collectible design movement’ opens at Ralph Pucci, New York
Parisian designer Hervé Van der Straeten unveils a large new collection at Ralph Pucci, celebrating his 20 years of collaboration with the New York master
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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Out of office: from Loewe loafers to volcanic views, the Wallpaper* editors' picks of the week
What the Wallpaper* team have been eating, seeing, wearing and crucially, enjoying, this week
By Bill Prince Published
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PAD London’s 16th edition is a blisteringly optimistic case for human achievement
At PAD London, collectible design is more than rarefied furniture; it is a compelling case for the uplifting power of craftsmanship at the dawn of the AI revolution
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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‘Natural gold’ straw weaving by Hanny Newton wins the inaugural QEST Sanderson rising star award
'I have been passionate and driven to champion straw embroidery as an exquisite, sustainable “natural gold”’: rising star Hanny Newton on winning the inaugural award
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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Gordon von Steiner’s furniture-design debut tightropes between classic and contemporary
Fashion photographer Gordon von Steiner steps into the shoes of a product designer with ‘Chair #1’, a collaboration with House of Léon. He tells us the thoughts behind his design process
By Tianna Williams Published
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A new exhibition looks at preparing for a post-apocalyptic landscape (and other catastrophes)
‘We Will Survive' at Mudac in Lausanne, introduces us to the ‘prepper movement’, and demonstrates that we are a resilient species. Or we are doing our utmost to be as prepared as is humanly possible for disasters of all scales
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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John Pawson on his perfect restaurant experience
Architectural designer John Pawson – invited to share his thoughts by Wallpaper* guest editor Laila Gohar – tells us of his ‘simple tastes’ and what makes or breaks a memorable meal
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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Exclusive first look: the Eriksberg collection, by Bernadotte & Kylberg, is a royally sumptuous Swedish affair
A new furniture collection by Bernadotte & Kylberg takes its cues from Swedish craft and countryside
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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Postcard from Helsinki Design Week 2024
The Finns lead the way when it comes to integrating design into everyday life, as they deftly demonstrate during Helsinki Design Week 2024
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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Fashion designer Simone Rocha on her perfect restaurant experience
Simone Rocha, among creatives invited by Wallpaper* guest editor Laila Gohar to share meaningful dining memories, recalls happy evenings at a mountainside haunt near Nice
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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'To My Ships' is a new personal care brand with a clean conscience
We interview founder Daniel Bense and designers Formafantasma to hear how the brand came to life
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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First Look: a domestic idyll by Lucy Stark and Fabien Cappello at the Blunk Space
Inspired by the life and times at JB Blunk's haven of a house in Inverness, a new exhibition of paintings and objects has us dreaming of California
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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Exclusive first look: Katajanokan Laituri sets a new standard for timber architecture
Katajanokan Laituri, a new building in the historic Kauppatori market district of Helsinki, is made from around 7,500 cubic metres of wood, cementing Finland’s position as leader in sustainable architecture, construction and urban development
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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London Design Festival announces the recipients of the 2024 London Design Medals
This year’s London Design Medals have been awarded to Pat McGrath DBE, Natsai Audrey Chieza, Harry Blakiston Houston and Rei Kawakubo
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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‘You should not take yourself too seriously or you risk becoming boring’: Luca Guadagnino and Nicolò Rosmarini on Homo Faber 2024
As the design and film worlds flocked to Venice at the weekend for Homo Faber and the Venice Film Festival, Wallpaper* sat down in a cool salon with two men in hot demand to take their temperature on craft, interiors and gold leaf cable covers
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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First look: Homo Faber’s 3rd edition ‘The Journey of Life’ opens in Venice
We review the groundbreaking new exhibition, art directed by Luca Guadagnino and Nicolò Rosmarini, of more than 800 crafted objects from around the world at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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First Look: The Orjola collection of rugs by Nice Projects for Tigmi is a meeting of minds, hands and hearts
A collaboration between Australian sisters and Nepalese weavers celebrates the power of the human hand in a collection of rugs that feel wonderful under foot
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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22 bird houses come home to roost in ‘Dwellings’ at South London Gallery
As a new show opens this weekend in London, exploring the concept of the bird house, we interview one of its curators, Andu Masebo (not via Twitter)
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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First Look: Remsen reframes ageing through design. ‘As you age, you should want the things you need’
New brand Remsen is on a mission to shift perspectives on ageing, re-envisioning “geriatric products” as luxury home goods.
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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Alain Delon’s forgotten fling with furniture
A giant of French cinema and a man of many talents; as the world mourns Alain Delon, we revisit his 70s furniture collection which showcased a deft talent for design
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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Exclusive first look: Knoll brings the mighty Tugendhat Chair back to life
Knoll is reissuing Mies van der Rohe’s Tugendhat Chair, and they took it back home to the Villa Tugendhat in Brno to celebrate its resurrection.
By Hugo Macdonald Published