de Velde
Dirk Wynants
For the past 30 years, Dirk Wynants has been building from scratch to the global player it is now with the designer furniture brand Extremis. As a designer-entrepreneur, he developed a holistic vision, which he carefully tested again and again against the changing social context.
About Dirk Wynants
- 1983-1987: studies interior architecture – furniture design option at Sint-Lucas, Ghent
- 1990-1995: starts up agencies under the wings of Top Mouton
- 1994: establishes Extremis in a secondary capacity. The product assembly takes place in his garage, and the second invoice is already being sent abroad
- 1998: his first trade fair participation abroad at the very first Salone Satellite, the place for young talent at the Salone del Mobile in Milan
- 2002: designs PicNik and develops it in close consultation with Xavier Lust
- 2010: after the construction of his own hop field, the Hopper sees the light of day
- 2011: Umbrosa licences his Kosmos parasol system
- 2013: designs a piano for the brand Roland, that wins a Red Dot Award the same year
- 2018: Extremis announces its collaboration with the American company Steelcase
- 2020: designs Como Corner for Modular Lighting Instruments
- 2023: designs Panigiri for Extremis
“More than merely coming up with a different form, we always try to come up with a completely innovative idea.”
The jury on Dirk Wynants
The jury presents the Lifetime Achievement Gold Award to entrepreneur and designer Dirk Wynants for his bold vision and impact on the design world and as the driving force behind the designer furniture company Extremis, which is an economic success story and excels in originality and simplicity, as well as functionality and efficiency. A pioneer in many fields, he helped put Belgian design on the map far beyond our national borders. Dirk is not afraid to jump in and take responsibility. He also brings designers together, for whom he is an inspiring example. He continues to reinvent himself and evolve with today’s challenges.
Would you like to read an in-depth interview with Dirk Wynants? Then order a copy of our latest publication! You will find an overview of all this year's winners, but we also dive into the past of 30 years of awards. The richly illustrated publication (224 pages) is bilingual (NL-EN) and was designed by Geoffrey Brusatto. You can order it online at 10 euros.
