For Joan Bebronne, creativity has never belonged to just one discipline. After 25 years in the lingerie industry, the Belgian designer turned her long-standing passion for architecture, materials and objects into her own design practice, Mademoiselle Jo. Today, she works across glass, wood, stone, metal and leather, creating distinctive pieces that are made to last, adapt to different interiors and invite people to use them in their own way.

At the heart of her current work is glass, particularly Murano glass, whose changing reflections and shadows make her objects evolve with the light throughout the day. We spoke to Joan about the influence of fashion on her design process, working with craftspeople across Europe, the importance of timelessness and why being different does not necessarily mean being loud.

Your years in lingerie were very different from designing furniture. What has stayed with you from that time?

A very strong sense of detail. When you design a bra, for example, a piece of just 15 by ten centimetres can contain more than 25 different materials. Everything has to be precise: the colours have to match, the materials have to work together. If they don’t, the result isn’t beautiful and it isn’t successful.

I still work with that level of attention today. Sometimes production doesn’t turn out exactly as you imagined, but I always try to get as close as possible to the original idea.

Where do your ideas usually begin?

Most of the time, they come from a material or from an everyday situation. Visiting an artisan can also trigger a lot of ideas and emotions. Very often, it’s the material itself or a technique that inspires me.

That’s also why I don’t start with a completely blank page and say, “I’m designing a chair.” I start with an idea, but then I follow where the process takes me. When I discover a technique, I think about what I can create with it.

You discovered Murano glass through a rather unexpected encounter. How did that come about?

A woman I met at Maison & Objet had seen what I was doing and told me that, if I ever wanted to work with glass, she could introduce me to people in Murano. So I went there to visit the artisans.

Originally, I wanted to create something quite different, but the technique and the people I met gave me many new ideas. I became particularly interested in cast glass and the way the material reflected the light. At the same time, I wanted to work with different shapes and colours without relying too heavily on expensive moulds.

You also develop your ideas physically, rather than relying on digital 3D modelling. Why is that important to you?

Because I need to see the shape and the proportions in real life. I don’t work with a 3D design programme. I create my designs in 3D, but physically, using cardboard, foam or similar materials.

That comes from my fashion background. When I was designing clothes, I often worked directly on the body rather than drawing everything flat on paper. That allows you to understand the volume and proportions much better. It’s also important because development costs are high. I need to be quite sure about a project before I start developing it.

You work with craftspeople in Belgium and across Europe. What does that collaboration mean to you?

First of all, the artisans have to believe in the project. They have to like it and want to work on it. Otherwise, it’s not possible to go further.

My products are very different, so I need different specialists for glass, stone, metal, wood, leather and painting. There isn’t one factory that can do everything. Everyone has their own speciality.

I usually meet people directly in their ateliers. I explain the project, what I expect and why the small series mean that everything has to be very precise. I really enjoy meeting people who work with materials, whether they use their hands or machinery. I’m not interested in just one field. I like discovering what different materials and techniques can become when you use them in a different way.

Is there one piece that is particularly close to your heart?

It’s difficult to choose, but I would say the Toupy.

It’s a suspended table that comes down from the ceiling and gives you a place to put your keys, glasses or whatever you want. There is really nothing else like it on the market, at least as far as I know. I hope I stay the only one doing it.

What I like about it is that it structures a room in a different way. Most tables come from the floor, so we already have a lot of things occupying the floor. Sometimes it’s good to structure a space from the ceiling instead.

You can use the Toupy next to a bed, beside a sofa, in an entrance, in a shop window or at an office desk. It’s a very flexible object.

Design that brings people together: Faktum Design

With its brand verember, Faktum Design transforms fire pits into striking design objects for outdoor spaces. Developed in Brno, the designs combine clean geometries, high-quality materials such as Corten steel and stainless steel, and precise craftsmanship to create durable companions for gardens and terraces. More than simply providing warmth, the fire pits create a place for gathering, conversation, and shared moments. Their pared-back aesthetic and thoughtful construction demonstrate how functional design can create atmosphere and enrich outdoor spaces in a truly special way.

Sustainable play: TOTEMO

The Czech label TOTEMO develops modular creative construction sets that combine play, design, and learning. The durable elements are made from recycled materials and developed in collaboration with educators and psychologists. The result is a world of play that encourages creativity, confidence, and free exploration – sustainably produced and designed to be enjoyed for many years.

Poetry in paper: PORIGAMI

Behind PORIGAMI is architect Tereza Hradilková, who transforms simple sheets of paper into unique works of art. Using laser cutting and handmade stamps, she turns paper into poetic objects inspired by the Japanese art of GAMI. Her creations are timeless pieces that celebrate the beauty of the material and demonstrate just how delicate and intricate design can be.

Fashion with soul: Eiri

Founded by Klára Holanová, Eiri stands for timeless fashion with clean silhouettes that can feel both minimalist and sculptural. The label’s characteristic muted colours and fascinating material textures give its garments a sense of poetry, mystery, and tension. The materials are sourced primarily from Japan, as well as Italy and the Czech Republic, with quality playing a central role in the label’s philosophy. Eiri sees fashion as a storyteller – each garment is designed to resonate with the personality of the person wearing it.

Luxury Space Punk: Lucie Marková

With her distinctive style somewhere between minimalism, surrealism, and sci-fi, Lucie Marková has made her mark on the Czech fashion scene. She describes her aesthetic as “Luxury Space Punk”. Since 2024, she has increasingly focused on digital pattern-making and artistic projects that explore fashion as an expression of inner beauty. Sustainability and innovation go hand in hand throughout her work.

Feminine strength in clean lines: Josefina Bakošová

Designer Josefina Bakošová combines feminine elegance with bold cuts and an intuitive approach to design. Her collections are driven by a desire to empower women in their everyday lives, creating clothing that offers freedom of movement alongside confidence. Clean shapes, high-quality craftsmanship, and a distinctive artistic signature give her designs a particularly expressive character.

A family label from the Czech Republic: GRAZIA

GRAZIA is a Czech family label creating timeless designs for women of all ages. Its garments are produced in small series using high-quality natural materials such as linen and silk, with great care in local workshops. Sustainability, a resource-conscious zero-waste approach, and honest craftsmanship are just as central to the label as its ambition to create clothing that combines comfort, elegance, and individuality.

Tailored sustainability: Mikela da Luka

The label Mikela da Luka demonstrates how closely sustainability and individuality can be connected. The designer began with graphic T-shirt designs and has since developed a fashion label for women, men, and children. Production takes place exclusively in small workshops using locally sourced fabrics. The result is timeless fashion with clean cuts, distinctive prints, and durable materials.

RUND Biomodular Design

With RUND Biomodular Design, BLICKFANG welcomes a label that literally lets design grow. Founded by Max and Andy in Berlin, the studio develops modular furniture and interior objects made from mycelium and industrial by-products. Instead of conventional manufacturing, the focus is on a biological growth process.

The material is based on tinder fungus mycelium and hemp residues, creating a fully biodegradable composite that is lightweight, sound-absorbing, and surprisingly robust. This living material is used to create seating, acoustic panels, and other objects that bring together research, craftsmanship, and contemporary design.

RUND rethinks materials from the ground up and demonstrates how the principles of a circular economy can be both functional and aesthetically compelling. The label operates at the intersection of architecture, interior design, and material innovation, opening up new perspectives on the future of living.

Wontek

The Warsaw-based label Wontek, founded in 2025 by designer Staś Stupkiewicz, combines traditional weaving techniques with digital manufacturing. Inspired by the patterns, colours, and textures of handwoven fabrics, the studio sees 3D printing as a contemporary form of weaving: layer by layer, ornamental surfaces emerge that are both precise and surprisingly vibrant.

The collection includes customisable lighting and interior objects, all designed and manufactured in Warsaw. The label is characterised by the interplay of craft-inspired techniques, playful ornamentation, and machine precision. The result is a collection of objects that feel familiar while speaking an entirely new design language.

Wontek impressively demonstrates how digital technologies can carry traditional design ideas into the future – not as a replacement for craftsmanship, but as its creative evolution.

Ida Westrick: One Surface, Many Functions – “LOU”

With “LOU”, Ida Westrick has developed a wall-mounted object made from a single sheet of metal. A precise bend transforms the two-dimensional surface into a three-dimensional object, without the need for any additional components.

The design is based on a single intervention, allowing form, material, and function to work together seamlessly. Depending on the configuration, LOU becomes either a mirror with a spatial reflection or a shelf with storage space for everyday objects.

Lena Gerscher: Modular Tradition – the “Toni Sofa”

With “Toni”, Lena Gerscher from the Academy for Design of the Chamber of Crafts in Münster combines precise craftsmanship with contemporary living needs. Her modular sofa, made from white-oiled ash wood, translates the enduring quality of traditional joinery into a piece of furniture that can adapt flexibly to different lifestyles and living situations.

Visible wooden joints deliberately reveal the construction and emphasise the stability of the design. At the same time, softly rounded edges and generous curves give the solid body a surprising lightness and inviting feel. Precisely milled connectors allow the individual modules to be assembled, expanded, or rearranged without tools. “Toni” stands for thoughtful, durable design that combines craftsmanship with flexibility.

Kevin Chrzanowski: Furniture for Generations – “UNI”

With the rocking horse “UNI”, Kevin Chrzanowski challenges the short lifespan of conventional children’s furniture. His design grows with children and remains part of the home long after its original purpose has been fulfilled. Made from solid ash wood, the rocking horse can later be transformed into a stool or a sculptural piece of furniture. Clean lines, high-quality materials, and a durable design make “UNI” an object that goes far beyond its original function.