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Welcome to Rising Stars, our annual list spotlighting the most exciting emerging voices in design today. Selected by a jury of established talent across architecture, interiors, and product design, each honoree represents a distinct point of view—and a glimpse of where the industry is headed.
Which designers excite ELLE Decor’s A-List the most? We asked, they told. Here, meet the breakout stars in set and event design. And, from fast-rising furniture makers to up-and-coming landscape gurus, see the full list here.
Fiona Crombie
Courtesy Fiona Crombie
Fiona Crombie
Lisa McDiarmid
Set design by Fiona Crombie
Known for her artfully detailed sets, the Australian production designer has earned a BAFTA for her work on The Favourite and, most recently, an Oscar nod for Hamnet. “The absolute gift of production design is that each project presents something new to investigate and interpret,” says Crombie. “It is endlessly challenging and invigorating.” @fiona_crombie_
“I loved production designer Fiona Crombie’s forensic attention to period detail in Hamnet —the moody color palettes in each created interior and throughout the onstage/backstage worlds of the Globe theater.”— Scott Pask, scenic designer
Cicely Bernhard
Grace Puffer
Work by Cicely Bernhard
The New York set designer has worked with everyone from King Princess to Bergdorf Goodman, using her handwork skills to build landscapes and embellish antique objects to create storybook vignettes with a hard-edged city bent. That gritty fairytale quality is on high display in the cheeky campaign she set designed for Susan Alexandra’s Judaica line, where she crafted asparagus and maraschino cherry candles for Alexandra’s elaborate menorahs. For her next trick, she plans to delve further into the world of interiors. cicelybernhard.com
Se Oh Studio
Courtesy Se Oh
Set design by Se Oh
A quiet force who works with theaters across the U.S. (his design for Milwaukee Rep’s Mrs. Christie is above), Oh creates sets that stay with viewers long after the play ends. “I believe in a holistic approach that honors a production’s logistical realities and artistic goals,” he says. sehyunoh.com
Polly Philp
Courtesy Polly Philp
Polly Philp.
MIUMIU Holiday Campaign 2024 with Lengua
MIUMIU Holiday Campaign 2024 with Lengua by Polly Philp.
A favorite of the fashion flock, Philip is regularly tapped for big campaigns (Miu Miu, Versace), indie mag shoots, and arthouse films. But she’s ready for more. “I’d love to design spaces that have a function beyond a fashion shoot,” she says. “It’s exciting to think of a ‘set’ demanding more than looking good! If that’s a for a play or a store interior I am open to it, but I’d like to keep being challenged.” @polly_setdesign
Forniture Pallotta
STEFANIAZANETTI
Forniture Pallotta.
HANGAR BICOCCA
Work by Forniture Pallotta.
Food is a sensory tool for this Milanese collective, which often infuses its projects with a dose of Surrealism. Case in point: a wedding-style cake frosted with prosciutto mousse. Or the 3D-printed lobster sculpture with bites tacked onto it that recently appeared at HangarBicocca in Milan for the opening event of Benni Bosetto’s exhibition. “The aim was to transform the aperitivo into an experience suspended between performance and hospitality,” says co-founder Sara Ferroni. @forniture_pallotta
Imogen Kwok
Christies
Work by Imogen Kwok
The London-based Kwok is behind some truly memorable fêtes. Her installations of food and flowers—for clients like Miu Miu, Christie’s, and Loro Piana—are feasts for the eyes as well as the stomach. imogenkwok.com
Romilly Newman
Adrian Martin
Romilly Newman.
Ethan O’Grady
Work by Romilly Newman.
The so-called Gen Z Martha Stewart doesn’t take her crown lightly. Newman’s food styling is a whimsical gothic dream, right down to the silver ice cream cups and crystal caviar bowls (for her client, Baccarat) that she employs for her events. romillynewman.com
Ananas Ananas
Pia Riverola
Co-founders Elena Patrossian and Verónica González.
Juan Hernandez
Work by Ananas Ananas.
“Each commission presents a different complexity,” says Elena Petrossian, co-founder, with Verónica González, of this California-based food and art studio. Having masterminded pop-ups for Prada, Cartier, and the JO-HS gallery (pictured), the duo aim to “build long-term collaborations with brands and cultural institutions.” ananasananas.com
Meet the Nominating Committee
ALYSE ARCHER-COITE Elle Decor contributing editor • NATE BERKUS author and founder, Nate Berkus Associates • MOLLY BROWN vice president, L52 Communications • ADAM CHARLAP HYMAN & ANDRE HERRERO co-founders, Charlap Hyman & Herrero • MICHAEL K. CHEN architect and founder, MKCA • MARIE-ANNE DERVILLE stylist and scenographer • CLIFF FONG founder, Matt Blacke Inc. • PHOEBE GATES co-founder, Phia • YOUNG HUH founder, Young Huh Interior Design • DANIEL HUMM chef and founder, Daniel Humm Hospitality • LAURA KUGEL gallerist • MARIAN McEVOY editor, author, and craftswoman • DAVID NETTO author and founder, David Netto Design • SCOTT PASK scenic designer and founder, Scott Pask Studio • KELLY WEARSTLER founder and CEO, Kelly Wearstler Studio • MICHELLE JOAN WILKINSON curator of architecture and design, National Museum of African American History andCulture • BUNNY WILLIAMS founder, Bunny Williams Home • KATE YOUNG celebrity stylist and tastemaker