International Women’s Day Spotlight on 20 Pioneering Designers
Throughout history, women have played a pivotal role in developing and preserving artistic and craft traditions, yet their contributions have often been marginalized within systems that favored male creative expression. This International Women’s Day (March 8th), we honor their legacy and celebrate those who create by their own rules—refusing to be confined by outdated notions of ‘feminine craft’ or ‘masculine trade.’
The Bauhaus school, one of the 20th century’s most influential—and notably progressive—design institutions, offers a striking example. While women were admitted in significant numbers, they were often steered away from ‘masculine’ disciplines like architecture, furniture design, and metalwork, funneled instead into the textile workshop, deemed more ‘feminine.’ This division mirrored ingrained societal expectations about gender and creativity.
Despite these constraints, the textile workshop under Gunta Stölzl’s leadership became a groundbreaking space of innovation. Stölzl and her students, including Anni Albers, Otti Berger, and Benita Koch-Otte, developed radical approaches to textile design that rivaled the formal experimentation in painting studios. Still, their work was overshadowed by male-dominated departments, relegating their contributions to the periphery of avant-garde discourse.
This historical myopia reflects systemic frameworks that determined which creative forms were deemed worthy of critical attention. The categorization of textiles as “craft” rather than “art” or “design” marginalized women’s work, excluding it from recognition despite its formal and technical complexity. Even in a progressive space like Bauhaus, gendered expectations shaped the trajectory of women’s creative expression.
This International Women’s Day, ADORNO proudly presents 20 remarkable women designers whose work challenges these outdated boundaries. By dissolving the artificial divide between ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ disciplines, they prove that creativity knows no gender. Their work celebrates innovation and progress, forging a future where design and craft are free from the limitations of gendered expectations.
Elis Monsport
Elis Monsport is a multidisciplinary artist and designer whose work celebrates the intricate beauty of glass engraving. Her work is deeply personal and poetic; each object, whether a vase or a coffee table, is a unique, unrepeatable creation. Elis’s process is as distinctive as her designs: she visualizes her ideas while traveling, often in the mountains, and oversees every step of production, from designing and molding to engraving. Her Jack’s Vase, inspired by the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, twists and grows like a living form, capturing light and shadow in its dynamic lines. Similarly, her Blown Glass Coffee Table evokes the dappled shade of summer gardens, with an engraved plate resting atop a massive, hand-blown glass base.
Ōmbia Studio
Founded by Cristina Moreno in Los Angeles, Ōmbia Studio is a celebration of Colombian heritage and artisanal tradition. Drawing inspiration from her roots, Cristina hand-sculpts each piece, embracing the organic imperfections and individuality of handcrafted design. The Mare Dining Table, for instance, is a masterful blend of artisanal skill and contemporary design, hand-carved from solid white oak and finished with a rich chocolate stain that highlights its natural grain. Similarly, the Muisca Dining Chair pays homage to pre-Columbian artistry, with its fluid, organic silhouette crafted from oiled walnut, blending ancestral inspiration with modern sophistication. Each piece from Ōmbia Studio is designed to evoke moments of pause, transforming spaces into sanctuaries of thoughtful craftsmanship and timeless beauty.
Ieva Gudelaitytė
Ieva Gudelaitytė is a Lithuanian designer and artist whose work bridges the symbolic and the material, drawing inspiration from the body’s historical and spiritual significance. Ieva’s designs are deeply rooted in medieval perspectives, where physical imperfections were seen as divine, and materials like salt carried ritualistic meaning. Her commitment to material innovation leads her to develop custom textures and mediums, crafting each detail from scratch. The Vox Wall Lamp, for instance, transforms marble dust into an ethereal, translucent form, using light as a metaphor for knowledge and perception. Similarly, her Inter Side Table draws from childhood totemic figures, blending personal memory with mythological symbolism to create a piece that transcends functionality.
Victoria Dabdoub
Victoria Dabdoub is an object-maker and cultural manager whose work is deeply rooted in community collaboration and regional craftsmanship. Born in Palestine, and based in Jordan, Victoria holds a master’s degree in architecture and has spent over a decade developing projects within the cultural and creative industries. Her work prioritizes networks of artisans, designers, and creatives, fostering bold and meaningful collaborations that celebrate the remarkable heritage of the region.
Her Brass Incense Holders, for example, are whimsical, organic forms that resemble sea creatures or video game characters, each one a product of close collaboration with local workshops in Amman. Similarly, her Stone Candleholders invite playful interaction, with hand-shaped stone pieces connected by brass, allowing users to create their own combinations.
MILA ZILA
Ľudmila Žilková, the creative force behind MILA ZILA, is a visual artist and glass designer based in Northern Bohemia. She combines traditional craftsmanship with an unconventional approach, creating pieces that balance aesthetics and functionality. Her Mind Collection explores the interplay of form, perception, and memory, with subtle asymmetries and unexpected details inviting viewers to pause and reflect.
Persona x Photography series fuses hand-blown glass with photographs, transforming personal memories into ethereal, multidimensional compositions. For Ľudmila, glass is a living material—responsive, dynamic, and deeply connected to light and space. Her work, rooted in sustainable, local production, celebrates the soul of the material and the stories of those who shape it, offering timeless pieces that redefine how we perceive and interact with our surroundings.
Studio Kloak
Studio Kloak is a zero-waste design studio redefining sustainability through innovative furniture and functional objects. Founded by award-winning designer and educator CoCo Ree Lemery, the studio combines education, experimentation, and craftsmanship to create sculptural, bespoke pieces that challenge conventional materiality. Using everything from biomaterials to reclaimed wood, Studio Kloak transforms waste into collectible design, prioritizing both environmental responsibility and aesthetic innovation. The Blueprint Collection, for instance, features fluid wood designs inspired by water ripples, blending serene beauty with eco-conscious functionality. Similarly, the Mycelium Cocktail Table showcases the studio’s commitment to sustainability, with table tops crafted from mycelium—a carbon-negative material grown from woodshop scraps—paired with sleek, contrasting bases.
Alex Roby Design
Alexandria Roby is a multidisciplinary artist whose work celebrates the raw beauty of clay, inspired by the textures and colors of the natural world. With a background in art and design, she uses ceramics to explore themes of imperfection, sustainability, and reconnection. Her pieces, often wheel-thrown and intentionally distressed, challenge the constraints of perfectionism, embodying a liberating embrace of raw edges and weathered textures.
The Ribbed Onyx Vessel No. 1 showcases her mastery of form and texture, with its cracked surface and bronze glaze creating a striking contrast between ruggedness and refinement. Similarly, the Distressed Sandstone Ikebana Vessel No. 1 reflects her experimental approach, combining delicate cracked textures with torn edges and bronze accents. Alexandria’s commitment to sustainability drives her to work with wild clay sourced from the Pacific Northwest, grounding her practice in the earth’s natural resources.
Nassi Lamps
Since 1960, Nassi Lamps has been rooted in the Puglia region of Italy, where the dry, sunlit landscapes influence every piece created in the family’s workshop. Francesca De Giorgi, the current designer and an architect by training, brings a thoughtful perspective to her work. The Sonora Collection features terracotta bases crafted using ancient wood-burning techniques, paired with hand-stitched rattan shades that evoke the warmth of a seaside holiday.
The White Travertine Lamps combine natural stone bases with nickel-plated brass details, offering a sleek, mid-century modern aesthetic. With customizable lampshade colors and sizes, NASSI Lamps brings sophistication and timeless charm to any space, celebrating the beauty of artisanal techniques and sustainable materials. Francesca ties her approach deeply to her surroundings and her family’s legacy. She grew up watching her grandmother and mother work with fabric, learning techniques that reflect a slower, more deliberate time.
Mitimeth
Based in Nigeria, Mitimeth is an award-winning materials and artisan studio founded by Achenyo Idachaba-Obaro. The studio transforms invasive water hyacinth, agricultural residues, and non-timber resources into elegant, eco-friendly home décor and lifestyle products. Achenyo, a celebrated social entrepreneur and TED speaker, has garnered global recognition for her innovative approach to sustainability.
The Harmony Bloom Mirror collection, a collaboration with designer Marta Giardini, exemplifies Mitimeth’s mission. Handcrafted from water hyacinth stems, upcycled textile waste, and papier-mâché, each mirror is a unique fusion of natural textures and vibrant colors, reflecting both environmental preservation and artisanal skill. Mitimeth’s work not only beautifies spaces but also empowers communities, proving that sustainable design can be both impactful and inspiring.
Elena Yakimushkina
Born on the Baltic Coast, Elena Yakimushkina draws inspiration from the serene beauty of northern nature, infusing her ceramic work with a deep connection to the organic world. A lifelong passion for ceramics drives her exploration of diverse forms, materials, and firing techniques, particularly raku and wood firing, which embrace serendipity and unpredictability.
Her Interweavings series, featuring raku-fired vases inspired by birch bark weaving, showcases her ability to transform delicate, flexible forms into sturdy, elegant designs. Similarly, her On the Rocks collection, including the sculptural lidded vessel, highlights her mastery of the kurinuki technique, where each piece is carved from a single block of clay and wood-fired to reveal raw, organic textures and vibrant glazes. Elena’s work celebrates imperfection, blending functionality with artistic expression to create pieces that tell stories of nature, fire, and craftsmanship.
PIA GLASSWORKS
PIA GLASSWORKS, founded by an experimental Argentine artist based in Barcelona, is a celebration of flame-worked and blown glass that explores dreamlike, otherworldly realms. Born in 1992, Pia uses innovative techniques and a multidisciplinary approach to challenge conventions and reflect on themes of identity, diversity, and the coexistence of multiple realities.
Each piece, from the Sip of Dreams Tea Cup to the Romance Glass Sculpture, embodies fragility and resilience, transforming everyday objects into portals of imagination. The Sip of Dreams collection, for instance, turns the act of sipping tea into a transcendent experience, while the Myths and Legends collection series evokes enchantment, drawing inspiration from magic and myth. Handcrafted with meticulous care, every creation is unique, blurring the lines between art and functionality, and inviting viewers to connect with the unseen and the extraordinary.
Iyo Hasegawa
Iyo Hasegawa is an artist and designer based in Japan, whose work redefines the value of everyday materials, transforming their function and appearance through experimentation and innovation. Her Wrench Collection exemplifies this approach, repurposing offset aluminum wrenches, screws, washers, and nuts into modular, transformable furniture and art pieces.
The wrenches, traditionally used solely for tightening nuts, are liberated from their singular function, becoming flexible components that can be twisted, turned, and reshaped at will. This playful reinterpretation not only highlights the inherent beauty of the tools but also challenges conventional notions of utility and permanence. The pieces can be folded flat for storage or disassembled entirely, returning the materials to their original state.
Mariadela Araujo Studio
Mariadela Araujo is a Venezuelan-Spanish artist, designer, and educator whose work bridges art, design, and traditional craftsmanship. Based in Barcelona, her studio serves as a laboratory for experimentation, where she explores textiles, bold color palettes, and techniques like weaving, embroidery, and textile assembly.
Recognized by AD Magazine Spain as one of the country’s top designers, Araujo’s creations elevate artisan traditions into contemporary art and functional objects. Her Colors Tapestry plays with optical effects and material perception, creating vibrant, dynamic wall art. Similarly, the Ring Mirror draws inspiration from the cosmos, layering color, texture, and form into a sculptural piece that feels both celestial and deeply personal.
Clemence Josephine Touzet
Clémence Joséphine Touzet is a French architect, designer, and professor renowned for her pioneering work in sustainable materials and bioregionalism. After a decade in Berlin, where she honed her expertise in eco-friendly construction, she founded CENSIS RUBLISS in 2020, a research laboratory and design studio dedicated to innovative, ecological materials. Her groundbreaking creation, VEGETAL GLASS®, a 100% bio-sourced, hot-compostable material, has positioned her as a leader in sustainable design. Her Mother of Pearl collection, crafted from recycled oyster and mussel shells, exemplifies her commitment to zero-waste practices.
The Nix Side Table, for instance, transforms discarded materials into a sculptural dialogue between nature and craftsmanship, while the Normandy Lamp, winner of the 2024 Métiers d’Art de France prize, blends geometric elegance with ambient light, entirely made from VEGETAL GLASS® and recycled mother-of-pearl. Touzet’s work is a testament to the beauty and potential of sustainable design, merging functionality with poetic, eco-conscious artistry.
Viktorija Kuliavaitė
Viktorija Kuliavaitė is a textile designer whose work is deeply rooted in nature, biomimicry, and sustainability. Growing up in a small Lithuanian town surrounded by art and textiles, she developed a passion for crafting tactile, functional designs that bridge fashion, furniture, and interior design. With degrees in Experimental Fashion Design and Textile Art and Design, Viktorija’s work explores organic forms and patterns, often using eco-friendly materials like recycled and natural fibers.
Her textured rugs and poufs, such as the Arresø Landscape Rug and Le Sentier Des Ocres Rug, are inspired by natural landscapes and designed to evoke sensory connections to the outdoors. Each piece, crafted from 100% wool, combines intricate detailing with playful, 3D effects. Viktorija’s work is a celebration of nature’s beauty, sustainability, and the power of tactile design to connect us to the world around us.
Studio Kallang
Founded in 2021 by Faezah Shaharuddin, Studio Kallang is an independent design studio that bridges Singapore and Seattle, exploring the physical expressions of nostalgia and culture. Drawing from the experience of living between two worlds, the studio creates playful, thoughtful designs that blend traditional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics.
The Onde Table, crafted from solid teak by Indonesian artisans, reimagines modernist forms with a two-toned motif, infusing familiarity with a touch of whimsy. Similarly, the Coklat XL Side Table combines solid teak and sungkai wood in a checkerboard pattern, evoking midcentury nostalgia while showcasing meticulous artisanal skill. Each piece reflects Studio Kallang’s commitment to cultural storytelling, proportion, and color, creating designs that are both functional and deeply evocative.
Lia Raquel Marques
Lia Raquel Marques is an Angolan-Portuguese designer and maker based in Lisbon, whose work bridges cultural narratives, materiality, and contemporary design. With a master’s degree in Design Products from the Royal College of Art, Lia explores the dialogue between function and forgotten traditions, using ceramics to reimagine artifacts and everyday objects.
Her Twisted Willow Basket No. 3 reinterprets traditional oak and willow basketry in brown clay, blending robust structures with delicate textures. Similarly, her AOA 003 Basket reflects on the intersection of tradition and modernity, merging the forms of raffia baskets and plastic basins to comment on cultural shifts and material colonization. Through her work, Lia creates a poetic dialogue between the past and present, offering a fresh perspective on the stories embedded in everyday objects.
Laura Kjær Studio
Laura Kjær is a Danish designer whose work explores the emotional power of color, texture, and surface in design. With a background in interior, furniture, and product design, she creates pieces that are both functional and deeply evocative, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques. Her Super Superficial Lounge Chair exemplifies this approach, combining bold colors, marquetry, and laser-cutting to transform sitting into an immersive, empowering experience.
The I See You Grow Collection celebrates circularity and personal expression, using Kvadrat Really’s Textile Board and Danish maple veneer to craft stools that are durable, tactile, and joyful. Inspired by her journey into motherhood, Laura’s designs challenge conventional norms, celebrating ornamentation as a way to connect people to their spaces and to each other.
Around the Studio
Founded in 2021 by Tika Shelia and Ano Jishkariani, Around the Studio is a Tbilisi-based interdisciplinary collective that explores cultural, social, and political themes through design, art, and community engagement. Their work spans object design, installations, and relational art, transforming materials and ideas from collective actions into functional, everyday items.
The Barricade Daybed No. 3, for instance, reimagines police barricades—symbols of protest and control—into a sculptural stainless steel daybed that balances industrial rigidity with intimate comfort. The Public School Chair revives a Soviet-era relic, pairing it with a silver bird sculpture to create a poetic dialogue between memory, resilience, and cultural heritage. By reimagining public symbols as domestic objects, Around the Studio fosters a connection between personal spaces and broader societal movements, inviting reflection and collective action through their thought-provoking designs.
Sai.E Studio
Founded by Chaeeun in Amsterdam, Sai.E Studio blends spatial design with everyday living environments, creating works that are deeply personal yet universally resonant. Inspired by form and shaped by her experiences, Chaeeun’s designs communicate rich narratives through a diverse visual language, using a wide range of media and materials.
Her TPF Series (The Parasitic Factors) exemplifies this approach, exploring the symbiotic relationships in nature through a coffee table, and series of chairs, crafted from carved beech wood and aluminum mold casting. The series reflects on how parasites and hosts coexist and adapt, symbolizing growth and interconnectedness in an ever-changing world. Through her work, Chaeeun invites us to see the beauty and complexity of relationships, both in nature and in design.
