Members
Joel Escalona
Joel Escalona (Mexico City, 1986), long before graduating from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Azcapotzalco as an Industrial Designer, Escalona had already exhibited his work at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York and subsequently at Maison & Objet in Paris. In 2012, his work led him to participate in the Design Week Mexico, Beijing Design Week and the last edition of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile.
Escalona´s work has been published in Arquine, Wallpaper*, GQ, bob, Ottagono, Le Figaro, Dezeen and Interni, not to mention several Design hardcover books. Escalona has been awarded with Architectural Digest’s Icons Award and Best Furniture Design at the 6th National Design Biennial in México. Much of his work has been seen in contemporary design exhibitions at the Mexican Museum of Modern Art, Franz Mayer Museum or Palacio de Bellas Artes in México City.
Besides collaborating with various clients like Urrea, Cinépolis, Masisa, Odabashian, Complementa, Opinion Ciatti, Ooky, Imm Living, Le Pelican, Joel has been working as strategist to develop new business models based on design, Escalona has also co-founded and developed several creative business like a jewelry brand and several furniture companies.
In addition to his core design business, Joel Escalona teaches at CENTRO one of the most important design universities in Mexico City and is a frequent guest lecturer at several design schools and events, such as ITESM, CEDIM, Universidad Iberoamericana, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, among others.
José de la O
(Mexico City, 1980), earned an Industrial Design Bachelor Degree at Universidad Iberoamericana in México City and and a Masters Degree on Conceptual Design on Context at Design Academy Eindhoven. After finishing at Design Academy studies, he founded Studio José de la O in the City of Eindhoven in 2010, and relocating to his hometown Mexico City.
De la O is co-founder and active member of Cooperativa Panorámica, runs the design-driven cultural initiative,”The Chair that Rocks”, is the Creative Director of his Design brand “delaO” and co-produces the Spanish speaking design podcast Fuera de Contexto.
During his time in The Netherlands, Jose de la O has been a guest lecturer at the Design Academy Eindhoven and speaker at Open Designism, Care Cross Café and Mediamatic. Later in México, he performed as a Speaker at several design events such as Design Decode, Factor Clave (ITESM Campus Querétaro), Oxymoron (ITESM Campus Monterrey), Cisibero (Universidad Iberoamericana, México City), among others. He currently teaches Industrial Design at Universidad Centro in México City.
His work has been exhibited in Ventura Lambrate during the Milan Design Week, Inside Design Amsterdam, Dutch Design Week, “Fábrica Mexicana” in the MAM in México City, The Future Perfect in New York, the Design Museum in Taipei, the Shanghai Museum of Glass and countless design exhibitions overall in México.
Jorge Diego Etienne
Jorge Diego Etienne (Tampico, 1983) is a highly motivated Industrial Designer from Mexico with a global perspective on design. He graduated with a BS in Industrial Design from the Tecnológico de Monterrey in 2009 and his experience includes an internship at Feiz Design Studio in Amsterdam, workshops with top global design companies and courses at renown design schools like Central Saint Martins in London, Domus Academy in Milan, and Parsons the New School for Design in New York.
In 2011 he participated in the exchange program ''Modern Design and Traditional Craftsmanship'' organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Kyoto, Japan where he researched and experimented with the intersection of cultural objects with contemporary products.
Jorge Diego's work has been featured at important design exhibitions at the Museo de Arte Moderno (MAM), Museo de Arte Popular (MAP), National Art Center of Mexico (CENART), Franz Mayer Museum, Centro de las Artes CONARTE, and has exhibited his work at the Contemporary Art/Design fair Zona Maco, Mexico Design Week, Abierto Mexicano de Diseño, the Bienal Iberoamericana de Diseño, Salone Satelite 2016 and has been widely published around the world.
Jorge Diego is interested in promoting design and foster new talents. He is editor of Designaholic and co-organize DECODE, a design festival and student exhibition in Monterrey. He teaches at CEDIM and is a visiting professor at the Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Guadalajara. He is a frequent guest lecture and gives design conferences throughout Mexico and abroad. He is also a co-founder and active member at Cooperativa Panorámica.
Ian Ortega
Ian Ortega (Mexico City, 1983) graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Industrial Design at Tecnológico de Monterrey, in Mexico City. Ortega showed signs of a promising career by being selected as a finalist for the Braun Prize (2007) while finishing his design degree.
His work has been featured in breaking through exhibitions such as La Fábrica Mexicana: Contemporary Industrial Mexican Design at the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City and Los Contemporáneos, held by the Mexican Ministry of Economy.
The products designed by Ian became international, as being displayed in galleries and top design stores like Gallery S. Bensimon in France, The Rinascente Design Supermarket in Italy or Mint shop in the UK.
His work has been published in both local and international magazines like Abitare (Italy), Interni (Italy), Architectural Digest (Italy and Mexico), Código (Mexico) and Tomo (Mexico).
Ortega’s work is driven by sustainability and low environmental impact design. He is frequently invited to give lectures and workshops at various universities and design institutions on those topics, all over Mexico. He is a professor of the graduate program at Universidad CENTRO in Mexico City and also a visiting professor at the Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Guadalajara.
Ortega is a current partner and head of design for the prestigious Mexican furniture brand Pirwi and co-founder and active member of Cooperativa Panorámica.
Past Members
Moises Hernández
Moisés Hernández (Mexico City, 1983) is a Mexican born designer based in Mexico City. His hometown, being chaotic and over populated, as well as Mexican objects, traditions, textures, social contrast and chromatic diversity are elements influencing Moises’ work.
Moisés have always been attracted by simplicity and fresh ideas and that is why he decided to study at Ecal, in Lausanne Switzerland where, in summer of 2013, he became the first Mexican to get a Master of Product design obtaining special mention.
Moisés has exhibited his work in USA, Italy, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Hong Kong, Spain and Mexico. His work has been awarded by the Mexican Design Biennial INBA, The Good Design Award by the Chicago Athenaeum among others recognitions. He has worked with national and international companies like Baccarat (Fr), PCM (Spain), Riva 1920 (It), José Cuervo (Mx), Palacio de Hierro (Mx), Bauhaus Mobel (Mx) and Voit (Mx) developing new concepts and products.
In 2013 Moisés creates Diario, a brand that redesigns everyday Mexican objects. Diario is a social, cultural, curatorial and design project.
Moisés believes in the transfer of design knowledge and this is why since 2014 he joined as professor at CENTRO, one of the most important Design universities in Mexico City, in 2015 he was awarded as the best Industrial Design professor.
Christian Vivanco
Christian Vivanco (San luis Potosí, 1983) is a designer with 10 years of professional experience, working and being exhibited in cities like Milan, Barcelona, Paris, New York and Tokyo, among other design capitals. In 2009 he got selected by the English magazine Wallpaper as the first Latin American designer to join its Graduate Directory.
Currently he runs an industrial design studio focused on projects around product, furniture, and lighting design, with a profile based on an anthropological approach and the study of the existing dialogues between product and society. At the same time Christian have developed research projects on collaborative processes in the development of handcrafts, together with craftsman families and artisan communities in Mexico.
In september 2016, Christian started a collaboration with Industrias Ideal (Mexico city), becoming part of the Design team as Strategic Design Manager, involved in creating a cultural shift to marry the analytical with the creative and shaping how Ideal lines of business approach customer experience and innovation.
Christian has maintained and strengthened a profile distinguished by his involvement in the Academy of the country; for three years (2013-2016) he was in charge of the Department of Industrial Design and Product Development of CEDIM, (Monterrey, Mexico), working together with companies like Steelcase, Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Cemex and Whirlpool, among many others.