A seat at the table with designer Alain Gilles

Can design reconcile beauty with business? A lunch conversation on design’s balance between authorship, industry, and identity.

What does design mean when it must both seduce and sell? Belgian designer Alain Gilles has spent years navigating that tension, between aesthetic instinct and commercial constraint, authorship and collaboration. This conversation traces his path from early influences to international recognition, revealing the realities behind the objects that shape everyday life.

From the myth of the “perfect chair” to the evolving landscape of design fairs such as Maison & Objet, Alain Gilles joins Dieter Van Den Storm, Artistic & Communication Director of MAD Brussels, to reflect on both personal milestones and wider industry shifts. What defines Belgian design? And how has the rise of collectible design reshaped the balance between industry and experimentation?

As design increasingly sits at the intersection of culture, business, and identity, this intimate lunch offers a closer look at the decisions and ambitions that define the discipline today.

GENT, 2018

speaker

Alain Gilles is a Belgian designer. After studying Political Sciences and Marketing Management, he went on to work in the financial world before going back to studying Industrial design in France. He opened his own studio in 2007 in order to pursue his own dreams and develop his personal approach to product design, furniture design, art direction and interior architecture. He collaborates with international editors such as as Ligne Roset (FR), Bonaldo (IT), Buzzispace (BE), Varaschin (IT), Casamania (IT), Zee (BE), Greenmood (BE), XL Boom (BE), La Chance (FR), Vincent Sheppard (BE), Modular (BE), Another Country (UK), Miniforms (IT), Saba Italia (IT), amongst others. Alain Gilles was named “Designer of the year” in 2012 by the Biennale Interieur.

moderator

Dieter Van Den Storm is the Artistic and Communication Director of MAD Brussels, the center of fashion and design. Bringing experience from previous roles as a freelance curator, journalist and communication expert, he contributes valuable insights to the creative industry. Van Den Storm holds a degree in communication and media studies. He gained experience at Bozar - the center of fine arts, the Biënnale Interieur, and prestigious design brands such as the Swiss Vitra and the Finnish Artek. His articles were published in magazines such as De Standaard Magazine (BE), Corriere della Sera (IT), Frame (NL) and Elle Deco (USA). Portrait © Sam Gilbert.

A seat at the table with designer Alain Gilles

Alain Gilles

Dieter Van Den Storm

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A seat at the table with designer Alain Gilles

Alain Gilles

Dieter Van Den Storm

Become a member

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