THE PRODUCT DESIGNERS
Matthew McCormick
Vancouver-based McCormick started as a graphic designer, but discovered a passion for lighting, and established his eponymous label in 2013. Known for his minimalist, industrial aesthetic, he loves the unique challenge that creating lighting presents – it must be a beautiful object that can also light a space in a beautiful way. 2017 has been his year. So far, he has won a European Product Design Award, presented at the Rossana Orlandi Gallery in Milan, and had an installation at The London Design Festival. “Canada is a young and vibrant country that is constantly changing, and our open and diverse culture allows for the formation of new ideas. In the past 10 years, the international success of some Canadian designers has instilled confidence, and encouraged the blossoming of a new breed of designers,” he says.
Zoe Mowat
This Montreal-based designer originally intended to be a sculptor, before turning to furniture and homeware – she likes the “humanness” of them. Her clean designs often use pops of colour and unusual combinations of materials, such as her Ora mirror, which combines glass, brass, marble and wood. Where does she think Canadian design is going to go? “We don’t really have a definitive aesthetic to follow or react against, and I think that gives us a lot of freedom. The design community here is small yet strong, and there’s a lot of potential and possibilities for Canadian design right now,” she says.