Sylvain Willenz launched his design office, SWDO, just 10 years ago in Brussels. The designer, graduated just a year before from the Royal College of Art in London, started very soon to make his own way through the design industry. In 2009 the Design Museum of Gent and the Museum of Grand-Hornu nominated him as “Belgian Designer of the Year”. From that moment on the important collaborations with Established&Sons, Freecom, Hay started to get him known on both national and international level. Amongst those well-known brands, Designspeaking had the opportunity to interview Sylvain in 2013 at the Cappellini booth during Milan Design Week. At this moment SWDO is working on 25 projects, diversifying the different partnerships and also the products designed. SWDO works on projects ranging from limited edition, to high volume production through medium range production. One of the latest products presented to the public during Interieur at Kortijk is the “Standard” light for the Danish firm MENU. Sylvain, contacted by the firm who was familiar with his work, created this industrial light used in a domestic landscape. Blown from glass and produced in three different colours, “Standard” will also be soon available in a smaller size for suspension and as a table lamp. Sylvain Willenz is ready to move forward, keeping in mind the economic aspect when he designs. In fact his own website has an e-commerce platform, called SWS, Sylvain Willenz Shop, enabling those who want to shop his items to get their hand on them. Another ambition of this young husband, father and designer is to start working with French and American brands, which have in his mind a positive relation and understand the potential of the designers in an industrial and economical sense. Meantime we suggest you to visit his new projects with Retegui and Ligne Roset at Maison-Objet in January and with Karimoku New Standard at Salone del Mobile in April.
