Image: Garreth & Alan at Milan Design Week
Designing the Future, Living the Soft Life: A 2025 Reflection from Decorex Africa
Designing the Future, Living the Soft Life: A 2025 Reflection from Decorex Africa
by Alan Hayward & Garreth van Niekerk
2025 started with the two of us, Garreth and Alan feeling fresh, inspired, and, if we’re honest, a little naïve about the scale of what lay ahead. The theme for our first Decorex and 100% Design as Executive Creative Directors, The Future of Design, felt both thrilling and daunting. But what a year it turned out to be.
A major highlight was Milan Design Week in April, seeing an entire city pulsing with design energy. It got us dreaming of a time when our own cities would come together to celebrate the incredible industry thriving back home. While there we had the privilege of spending time with Federica Sala, the preeminent design curator based in Milan (who would later join us at Decorex Joburg and present her talk to enraptured audiences), and with Maira Koutsoudakis, who graciously introduced us to her suppliers and friends at the fair (and would also do her own presentation at Decorex - another huge hit on the Future Talks program). The connections and conversations we had there in the midst of the throng of such an enormous design celebration have, and continue to spark, exciting ideas about how African design can find its place and voice on the world stage.
By June, after months of long nights and big dreams, Decorex Cape Town opened its doors. Seeing our Future Talks series come alive and the design market buzzing with people was unforgettable. Our guest designers from Egypt, Reform Studio, brought their beautiful thinking and sustainable craftsmanship to the show - an incredible moment for us after travelling so far to experience their world in Cairo the year before, and then having them immersed in South Africa’s design scene. Other unforgettable moments with Kraak, who reimagined what the future of hospitality could look like, and taste like, were incredible, along with too many other moments.
Barely catching our breath, we turned our focus to Decorex Joburg, our giant of a show. It was an exhilarating blur of deadlines and late-night installations, all culminating in a celebration of design unlike any other. Highlights included the Nando’s Hot Young Designer competition — where tears were shed (in the best way) - and Babylonstoren’s citrus-scented stand, a feast for the senses. We were also deeply inspired by our guest from Switzerland, Charles O. Job, whose Future Talks lecture reminded us that design is, above all, a language of ideas.
After the lights dimmed, we were already thinking about what comes next. In September our team travelled to Maison&Objet in Paris, where we laid the groundwork for an exciting new partnership launching in 2026. From there, we flew to Lagos Design Week, connecting with other design leaders on the continent - an important step in building a truly pan-African design dialogue and the seeds of another design partnership on the continent.
So, what’s next? Our 2026 theme, The Soft Life, invites us to imagine design as a soft power for change. It’s about rejecting hustle culture and rebalancing life - putting human well-being at the centre of how we create, live, and work. It’s about environments that restore energy, protect peace, and bring genuine fulfillment.
We’re filled with excitement for what lies ahead - new collaborations, bold ideas, and a stronger-than-ever celebration of African creativity. To our small but mighty team, and to everyone who joined us this year - thank you. Steering this ship with you is an honour and a joy.
See you in 2026.
Alan Hayward & Garreth van Niekerk
Executive Creative Directors, Decorex Africa & 100% Design