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Tom Dixon is one of the world’s most innovative product designers, a self-styled “Maverick Industrialist” and design nonconformist. His enthusiasm for design encompasses many concepts and materials, from high-end, unique handcrafted originals, through to spearheading collectable, mass-produced objects for popular high street retail.
Born in Tunisia to a French/Latvian mother and an English father, Tom was brought up in the UK from 1963. He dropped out of Chelsea Art School and has since established himself as a self-educated design innovator, whose only qualifications are a one-day course in plastic bumper repair and a welding lesson from a friend. Tom launched Creative Salvage in 1985, using reclaimed materials to create unique pieces of furniture and lighting. He developed the now-iconic S-Chair with Italian furniture design company Cappellini, before founding the plastics company Eurolounge, which produced his Millenium Mark Award-winning Jack Light. In 1998 he collaborated with SCP in launching the Hoop chaise-longue at the Milan Furniture Fair, where he exhibits every year. In the same year he became head of the UK design studio at Habitat, and is widely credited with kick-starting the company’s rejuvenation. Recognition came when he was first made Head of International Design (1999), and finally Creative Director (2001). Since then he has expanded his eponymous design company, and continues to work with Habitat as a non-executive Creative Director. He is currently also Creative Director of Finnish company Artek.
Tom received an OBE in 2000, and acts as a visiting tutor at many European design colleges including the Royal College of Art, Vitra Design Museum and The Architecture Association. He edited the International Design Yearbook 2004, and has contributed to many other design and industry publications. He received critical acclaim for his radical book Rethink (1999), and The Interior World of Tom Dixon, his new book on modern design, has been published by Conran Octopus in September 2008.
Tom produces his own magazine and catalogue called the Tom Dixon Review, and also has a website at www.tomdixon.net .
Recent books:
The Interior World Of Tom Dixon (Conran Octopus: 2008)
Rethink (Conran Octopus: 2002)
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