Troels Holch Povlsen and husband and wife Rolf and Mette Hay founded Hay in 2002 with the idea of making well-designed products available and accessible at affordable price points. Since then, the Danish design firm, which offers everything from glassware to stationery, has attracted a global following. A year-and-a-half ago, they launched the first Hay Mini Market in Milan, garnering the attention of retailers like Le Bon Marché in Paris and Selfridges in London – which both hosted subsequent Hay Mini Markets of their own – before the platform went to Tokyo.
The pop-up caught the eye of Museum of Modern Art merchandising director Emmanuel Plat, who invited Hay to hold a Mini Market at the MoMA Design Store when he visited Copenhagen last February. 'I said, "Yeah let's do it right now!",' recalls Mette. 'And now we are here.'
The MoMA Design Store x Hay Mini Market, which launches this week, doubles as Hay's introduction to the American commercial scene, offering aisles filled with more than 230 items, 42 of which are totally new. 'Most of the products are new here in New York, but there's a new clock in our collection, which is in retail for the first time here,' says Mette. 'We have some bedspreads, and a pinboard by Inga Sempé, and then there's a lot of the small things which are new.'
Other items at the store include bright graphic tote bags that Hay collaborated on with Memphis Group member Nathalie Du Pasquier, illustrator Jody Barton and fashion designer Bernhard Willhelm; the angular Volet Hook by Dimitri Bähler; a deck of cards; and paper fans, perfect for cooling off in the unbearable New York summer heat.
'To be here at the MoMA Design Store is very special because it's the best place that we could open here in New York,' concludes Mette. 'It's a very good beginning.'
The basement floor of MoMA's Soho boutique is filled with Hay products – including several new objects available worldwide for the first time
Left: clever storage solutions courtesy of Hay's Box Box Rectangle Set. Right: Inga Sempé's Pinorama boards
Cover designs from Hay's Scribble notebook collection, also available in store
Hay's Mini Market at the MoMA Design Store will be open through to the holiday shopping season. A limited selection of products are also ready to buy online
ADDRESS
MoMA Design Store
81 Spring Street
New York, 10012
-
Six brilliant bars for your 2025 celebrations, hot off the Wallpaper* travel deskWallpaper’s most-read bar reviews of the year can't be wrong: here’s inspiration for your festive and new year plans, from a swanky Las Vegas lounge to a minimalist London drinking den
-
Misfires and Monstrosities: three vehicular design disasters that show taste is in retreatFrom a multi-million dollar piece merchandise to a wretched Rolls-Royce, these are the low points of the year in transportation design
-
Thirty years after Dog Man Star, Brett Anderson looks back on Suede's album coversBrett Anderson talks cover art, photography and iconic imagery
-
From migrating elephants to a divisive Jaguar, was this the best Design Miami yet?Here's our Design Miami 2024 review – discover the best of everything that happened at the fair as it took over the city this December
-
Design practice Astraeus Clarke is inspired by cinema to tell a story and evoke an emotionIn a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. Here we speak to Chelsie and Jacob Starley the creative duo behind Astraeus Clarke
-
California cool: Studio Shamshiri debuts handmade door handles and pullsLos Angeles interior design firm Studio Shamshiri channels the spirit of the Californian landscape into its handcrafted hardware collections. Founder Pamela Shamshiri shares the inspiration behind the designs
-
Is Emeco's 'No Foam KNIT' a sustainable answer to synthetic upholstery textiles?'Make more with less' is Emeco's guiding light. Now, the US furniture maker's new mono-material textile, the 'No Foam KNIT', may offer a sustainable solution to upholstery materials
-
Smooth operator: Willett debuts new furniture at Design Miami 2024, with a playful touch of retro allureLA furniture designer Willett turned heads in the design world with the launch of his eponymous brand earlier this year. Ahead of his Design Miami debut, he told us what’s in store for 2025
-
Hella Jongerius’ ‘Angry Animals’ take a humorous and poignant bite out of the climate crisisAt Salon 94 Design in New York, Hella Jongerius presents animal ceramics, ‘Bead Tables’ and experimental ‘Textile Studies’ – three series that challenge traditional ideas about function, craft, and narrative
-
One to Watch: designer Valerie Name infuses contemporary objects and spaces with historical detailFrom vessels to furnishings and interiors, New York- and Athens-based designer Valerie Name finds new relevance for age-old craft techniques
-
First look: Matthew Fisher opens the doors to his first gallery in ManhattanHistory, design, and environmental consciousness converge at M. Fisher in New York City, offering an experience that is as meaningful as it is visually striking
