Hicham Lahlou, international industrial designer and interior architect, joins me on the podcast to discuss the overlaps between African and Australian design.
Hicham Lahlou alongside Emerald, specially created for Dakar Biennale 2024, Design Section Exhibition.
July 4th, 2025
Learn more about Stories Indesign here, and keep an eye out for new episodes – remember to subscribe and review!
Moroccan designer Hicham Lahlou took part in the podcast on the last day of his visit to Australia after representing Morocco, the Arab and African design world as keynote speaker of Design & Build Week. Sitting in The Commons at Surry Hills, Lahlou delved into the idea of identity, drawing comparison between Australia and Morocco – each one as its own “mosaic of cultures.” Local richness, diversity and traditional handicrafts all remain integral to his work, even more so when developing global designs. During the podcast, he discusses the role of design and current designers in inspiring emerging designers, allowing diversity to develop richness both locally and globally.
Read more on Lahlou in this story
“You should think without boundaries,” says Lahlou during the interview. “You can think local but you have to act global. We are a small village, we use the same practice but our difference is our richness… Design is a catalyst of innovation; we are interesting people – sensitive, human-first. We can create iconic pieces. And I would love – why not! – one day to showcase designs from Morocco in some of your museums.”
INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
How can design empower the individual in a workplace transforming from a place to an activity? Here, Design Director Joel Sampson reveals how prioritising human needs – including agency, privacy, pause and connection – and leveraging responsive spatial solutions like the Herman Miller Bay Work Pod is key to crafting engaging and radically inclusive hybrid environments.
The new range features slabs with warm, earthy palettes that lend a sense of organic luxury to every space.
It’s widely accepted that nature – the original, most accomplished design blueprint – cannot be improved upon. But the exclusive Crypton Leather range proves that it can undoubtedly be enhanced, augmented and extended, signalling a new era of limitless organic materiality.
From guided tours of stunning private homes to playful installations in Katong-Joo Chiat, this year’s Archifest invites everyone to explore how design shapes daily life – no architectural degree required.
Take a whirlwind tour of some of the standout appearances at 3daysofdesign 2025.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
This new book tells resident stories about how good design creates liveable, high-density homes with socially led developer Neometro.
Led by a treble award-winner, projects from across Queensland have recently been recognised at the Australian Institute of Architects Queensland Awards.