Apple Unveils the 2026 Designers of Tomorrow Exhibition
Curated by Rodman Primack, Apple's Designers of Tomorrow showcase returns for a second year in partnership with Design Miami, highlighting next-generation designers at the Hôtel de Maisons in Paris.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
Exhibition Overview and Theme
Apple has officially launched its second annual showcase celebrating next-generation global creators. Detailed in the official Apple Newsroom announcement, the exhibition focuses on the central theme of presence to explore what captures public attention amid a hurried modern world.
Curated by Rodman Primack, the former longtime creative director of Design Miami, the program features handpicked emerging designers whose works invite reflection, engage the senses, and challenge physical environments. The exhibition officially opens today at the Hôtel de Maisons in Paris.
Selection Process and Creative Integration
Participants for this year's showcase were handpicked by a diverse global jury consisting of design voices such as Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, Fabien Cappello, Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher, Minjae Kim, Hun Chung Lee, Marion Mailaender, Nifemi Marcus-Bello, Jennifer Roberts, and Apple's Molly Anderson. The selection focused heavily on storytelling, material innovation, and craft.
Throughout the creation of these physical pieces, Apple products served as a unifying through line across distinct cultures, disciplines, and processes. Creators integrated tools such as MacBook Pro, iPhone, and iPad Pro to capture, refine, and visualize their concepts prior to physical fabrication.
Salem S. Charabi and The Eminence of Light
Egyptian-Danish architect Salem S. Charabi contributed a piece titled The Eminence of Light, blending old-world practices with advanced digital tools. The lantern design incorporates banana paper constructed using Japanese methods applied to Egyptian palms, resting upon a limestone base featuring a delicate skeleton of date palm fronds.
To achieve the precise engineering required for the interlocking components and carved stone, Charabi relied on digital modeling tools. He noted that every component was meticulously mapped out using his MacBook Pro during the complex prototyping phase.
Isabel Rower and Padded Chair 1860
Brooklyn-based designer Isabel Rower presented Padded Chair 1860, drawing inspiration from 18th- and 19th-century papier-mâché furniture. The high-gloss chair features a contrasting beaded fringe that creates auditory feedback when brushed, encouraging a mindful sensory encounter for anyone sitting down.
Rower incorporates various Apple devices extensively into her daily studio workflow. She uses iPhone to document ideas, AirPods Pro for music, MacBook Pro to manage her visual archive, and Keynote to explore conceptual relationships between images and text.
Yoonjeong Lee and New Form
Seoul-based designer Yoonjeong Lee focused on overlooked structural elements by transforming worn-down pencils into nail-like forms in her piece New Form. The base is constructed by stacking roughly 5,000 thin sheets of veneer, supporting a lampshade made of paper sheets that softly diffuse light.
Lee maintains a seamless workflow by leveraging the ecosystem connectivity between her devices. She utilizes iPad Pro and Apple Pencil for sketching, alongside iCloud, AirDrop, and Notes, to organize and transfer her thoughts efficiently.
Parafernalia and MonoAmbiente 1
Mexican design studio Parafernalia, founded by Genki Matsumura and Sebastián Zorrilla across Monterrey and Mexico City, presented MonoAmbiente 1. When closed, the acid-etched stainless steel surface resembles a vast landscape, but expanding it reveals an intimate setting complete with a table and stools designed for conversation or play.
Because the studio operates across two cities without a physical shared office space, the duo relies heavily on continuous digital collaboration. They use FaceTime, iPhone, and iPad Pro to trade sketches and track real-time design progress.
For readers and media outlets wishing to cover the event, additional visual assets are available via the official media package download. You can obtain all press materials by accessing the Download all media link, or view moving imagery through the Download Video link.
Sources
- Apple NewsroomApple unveils the 2026 Designers of Tomorrow
Continue chronologically
Related entity coverage
Related stories
Apple Embraces Gadget Experimentation With New Screens And Touch
Apple enters a period of unabashed gadget experimentation featuring multiple screens, touch panels on MacBooks, and new smart home displays.
Apple Prepares for 'Pro and Tell' Event with Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Apple announces its 'Pro and tell' event for October 28th, where it is expected to unveil a long-rumored touchscreen MacBook Pro and an OLED iPad Mini.
Why Your AirPods Keep Disconnecting and How to Fix It
Discover why your AirPods keep disconnecting or swapping devices without warning, and learn how to adjust your settings to fix the issue.
Apple Reports Fiscal 2026 Fourth Quarter Financial Results
Apple announced its fiscal 2026 fourth quarter results, posting a September quarter revenue record of $114.5 billion and all-time highs for Services.
