Harry Nuriev the “Designer of the Year 2026” presents the Masterclass Transformism for Maison&Objet

Step inside Crosby Studios and dive into a 25-minute exploration of Transformism, the creative lens through which Maison&Objet’s Designer of the Year, Harry Nuriev, rewrites objects, materials, and memories. A meeting with a designer who shapes the future by reinventing what already exists.

In Paris, the Russian-born creative reinvents objects and spaces, turning past and present into a journey of memory and reinterpretation.

Seventeenth-century tapestries reimagined with artificial intelligence, discarded beauty products transformed into desirable sculptures, Baccarat showcases turned into conceptual devices—Harry Nuriev builds his practice on constant transformation, blending eras and languages with a freedom that earned him the title of Designer of the Year 2026 from Maison&Objet. At the core of his work is a recurring question: what does “new” mean today, in a world layered with images, data, and memory?

The Parisian fair chose the 1984-born designer, Russian by origin but active between New York and Paris, as the Designer of the Year for its January 2026 edition, centered around the theme “Past Reveals Future.” It is a context that encourages reflection on the relationship with furniture and how it evolves over time.

Founder of Crosby Studios, Nuriev leads an international studio spanning retail, fashion, hospitality, and cultural institutions. With a fluid, cross-disciplinary approach, he translates his artistic vision into projects ranging from product design to immersive environments, leaving a deeply artistic mark wherever he goes.

Straddling contemporary art and collecting, his creations draw from imagery we all recognize. Every object and every interior becomes a story—a snapshot that crystallizes the present and points toward the future of design. Nuriev calls this method Transformism: a philosophy that rejects linear creativity, seeing the past not as an archive to preserve, but as a resource to continually draw upon.

“In the 21st century, we have access to an extraordinary amount of data and history. Let’s use it, let’s transform it,” Nuriev says. “Rather than obsessively chasing the new, I prefer to transform what already exists.”

This approach is evident in his collaborations with brands and institutions such as Balenciaga, Gucci, Nike, Baccarat, the Louvre, and Mobilier National, projects in which technology and historical memory constantly interact.

A striking example is his work with Mobilier National. Using artificial intelligence, he breathed new life into the French Royal Court’s seventeenth-century tapestries, blending their historic designs with contemporary patterns. The result is a lively dialogue between past and present, honoring tradition while reinventing it.

For the legendary Maison Baccarat, Nuriev reinterpreted centuries of crystal tradition across several iconic spaces. Studying historical archives, he created a graphic code inspired by hieroglyphs for the entrance portico—a visual encyclopedia inviting visitors to decode its meaning. The showcases themselves became works of art, transformed into fridge-like structures that display precious pieces at a controlled temperature, preserving the very essence of the brand.

In his 2025 exhibition “Window Shopping” at Galerie Sultana, Harry Nuriev transformed discarded beauty products into art objects. Arranged like a carefully curated window display, these waste items become delicate miniature sculptures that invite viewers to pause and look—creating an irresistible urge to take one home.

In this act of transformation lies Nuriev’s poetic vision, erasing the boundary between everyday objects and artworks, turning the ordinary into objects of desire, and giving forgotten things aesthetic and emotional value.

During the upcoming Maison&Objet, Harry Nuriev will guide visitors through a journey in design history, inviting reflection on our relationship with the objects around us through an engaging, participatory experience.

“The first time I visited Maison&Objet, I had just founded Crosby Studios. I left the fair full of inspiration and new connections, feeling an immediate bond with its open and inclusive spirit. What struck me most was the collective energy: artisans, curators, designers, companies… everyone meets and contributes to this unique atmosphere. At every corner, edition after edition, unexpected conversations arise.”

For the 2026 edition, every exhibited piece becomes a witness to its time and points toward a new future. The exhibition space aims to inspire the next generation to see things differently: every everyday object can become a collectible.

“If the 18th century was the century of color, the 19th the century of form, and the 20th the century of ideas, today I invite people to look more closely at what surrounds them, to rediscover everyday objects with a fresh, attentive, and human perspective. The theme ‘Past Reveals Future’ perfectly reflects this vision.”