28/05/2026
A special and important theme for Marcel; the meaning of gifting & giving and how this grew into his entire design philosophy.
Long before design became his profession, Marcel was already making gifts. As a child, in the back room of his parents’ shop, broken objects became his small inventions, improvised sculptures and thoughtful gestures for family and friends. What stayed with him was never his creation itself but the moment it changed hands. What fascinated him was never ownership, but what happened in the moment of giving. The object disappeared and something invisible appeared in its place: affection, recognition, connection. This unique feeling stayed with him. And not just stayed, but years later, after becoming a Designer the same instinct showed through designs created for clients.
From playful worlds imagined for Target, to many collections for Marks & Spencer where gifting became ritual, to the festive theatre of Alessi Circus and the poetic beauty of the Decorté Holiday Coffrets for Kosé. Different materials, different moments, one special idea. Design, for Marcel Wanders, begins when imagination is offered to another person. Not as a possession, but as an act of generosity. Not to fill a space, but to enrich a moment, a life. Every piece carries a question that still guides his work today: will this make someone feel loved, recognised, celebrated or remembered.