A Q&A with Melbourne Design Week Award winner Volker Haug

This year’s Melbourne Design Week Award winner is no stranger to being in the spotlight – in fact, he may have even been involved with crafting the actual spotlight itself.

Once a hairdresser, German-born designer Volker Haug has grown his fledgling practice solo in his garage and over the course of 20 years is now working with a talented team of 20 designers and makers at his lighting business, Volker Haug Studio. The studio is renowned for innovative and distinctive designs realised in playful and refined fashion achieved through experimentation with a high focus on materiality. The retrospective exhibition has been an opportunity to revisit pieces that have marked the trajectory of the company from local to international standing with an OMG piece in the NGV’s permanent collection while also being stocked by lauded American gallery The Future Perfect. We grabbed a quick moment with Haug to talk about industry recognition, his creative journey and what keeps him excited after two decades in the business.

It’s important to remember the humble beginnings and everything that’s happened along the way to get here, and the journey continues.

TLP You’re the recipient of this year’s Melbourne Design Week Award. How does it feel to be recognised in this way?

VH I feel honoured to receive this year’s Melbourne Design Week Award by Mercedes-Benz and the NGV. We’ve had a long-standing relationship with the NGV built on mutual trust and appreciation, so this recognition means a great deal to both me and my team.

TLP 2025 marks 20 years for Volker Haug Studio. What has been the biggest change you’ve seen and what has remained constant?

VH Over the years, the style of lighting has evolved from playful and witty to something more sophisticated, yet it still retains a sense of fun. What’s remained constant is my commitment to collaboration – initially with friends and industry peers, and now with my entire team, which feels incredibly rewarding.

TLP You’ve marked this special anniversary with a retrospective exhibition with selected works from past collections on loan from their private collections. How did you approach this exhibition and how did it feel to revisit the past?

VH It’s important to remember the humble beginnings and everything that’s happened along the way to get here, and the journey continues. All those experiences have shaped both the present and the future, so it’s great to pause and celebrate them. I’m still in touch with some of the people who have my original designs, and it’s wonderful to see that they’re still being used and appreciated after all these years.

Over the years, the style of lighting has evolved from playful and witty to something more sophisticated, yet it still retains a sense of fun.

TLP Quality, materiality and bold design have always been hallmarks of Volker Haug Studio. What material do you turn to time and time again and what innovations excite you most?

VH From early on, I’ve always loved and worked with brass – it’s such a flexible material. You can shape it in so many ways. Many of our light fittings still have a brass substrate today because of its durability and timeless qualities and that’s exciting to me.

TLP Across two decades, the studio has had many highlights including the Pyramid Scheme and Anton series – what do you think resonated about these designs?

VH The Anton series is built on a simple form, but the range of sizes and materials is endless, offering something for everyone. As for the Pyramid Scheme, beyond the playful name, it excites people because they can choose from multiple versions or even customise it to create their own unique, quirky piece for their home.

Collaborative opportunities like this allow us to expand our creative horizons, learn from other perspectives and bring fresh ideas to the team.

TLP Und Messing was also an important moment for Volker Haug Studio, with a memorable exhibition at Salone del Mobile that year. Why do you think it received such a positive response?

VH Und Messing celebrates simple but elegant shapes with handmade buckle-like fixtures that stitch brass to other materials like fibreglass, it’s an unexpected but beautiful combination.

TLP Me and You is a deeply personal collaboration with Flack Studio and has really made its mark. Are you looking to do further collaborations with other creatives? What do you think these collaborative opportunities present to yourself and the team?

VH The collaboration with David Flack and Flack Studio was incredibly special and seamless, built on trust and shared expertise. Given the positive experience, we would work with Flack Studio again, and in fact we plan to continue building upon Me and You in the near future. Collaborative opportunities like this allow us to expand our creative horizons, learn from other perspectives and bring fresh ideas to the team. If the right opportunity arises with other creatives in the future, we’re certainly open to exploring it.

Seeing our designs gain international recognition has been incredibly rewarding.

TLP There is a team behind you at Volker Haug Studio. What do you think is the key to constantly creating striking pieces that still align with the Volker Haug Studio core design principles?

VH Trust, dialogue, familiarity, teamwork, craftsmanship, patience, friendships, a great team.

TLP What is your proudest achievement with Volker Haug Studio?

VH There have been many proud moments, like the commission of a large OMG lightshade for NGV’s Ian Potter Centre. Seeing our designs gain international recognition has been incredibly rewarding, as has expanding the team to 20 people over 20 years and reaching a point where I can fully trust them to lead and manage projects.

TLP What exciting projects are in the pipeline for Volker Haug Studio?

VH Milan Design Week 2026, along with plenty more overseas trips to known and new destinations. We’re looking forward to reconnecting with people we know and meeting new faces to explore what opportunities may come next.