Marc Newson’s new illustrated book describes 40 years of design history

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Wearing sunglasses, Marc Newson leans back on the sunny terrace of his Greek island home. If he seems jubilant, he has every reason to be. Newson has dedicated his life’s work to transforming everyday objects into desirable objects and has become one of the most sought-after industrial designers in the world.

Case in point: Newson has just returned from the Salone del Mobile, the massive design fair in Milan, where he launched a colossal book about his equally colossal career and signed copies for loyal fans who could barely lift it. At over 400 pages, the monograph traces Newson’s nearly four decades in design, from his beginnings as a jewellery student at Sydney College of the Arts, to making avant-garde furniture, to producing luxury speedboats for Riva and even a concept aircraft in an art project for the Fondation Cartier. All in all, Marc Newson: Works 84–24 (Taschen) is a testament to his tireless pursuit of perfection.

Ask the Australian designer to reflect on 40 years of meteoric success and he almost waxes lyrical – or maybe it’s the Mediterranean sun. “When I look at my own work,” he says, “especially in the context of a document that begins and ends, it almost feels like I’m reading about someone else.” After all, he argues, he’s just doing his job. “The core of what I do is troubleshooting and problem solving. I apply the same rigor, processes and rules to every project, whether it’s a pen or a mega yacht.”

The Newson look is aesthetically niche but touches nearly every sector, from fashion to homewares. It’s bold yet pragmatic, lush yet futuristic, reverent yet iconoclastic. A transparent watch for Jaeger-LeCoultre, a sensually curved cognac bottle for Hennessy, and a collaboration with Louis Vuitton for elegant aluminum luggage (the latest of which just appeared in Pharrell Williams’ spring 2025 collection) all point to a singular, forward-looking vision. Or how about the katana sword he created in 2019 with a ninth-generation master swordsmith in Japan? He calls the tradition and sophistication required to execute the work “inscrutable, almost alchemical, practically spiritual.” Two decades ago, in 2004, he created the Zvezdochka sneaker for Nike. Entirely computer-modeled and made from a single piece of injection-molded resin, the footwear – named after the 1961 Russian rocket dog – was intended for astronauts to wear during their daily exercises in zero gravity. As Newson notes, “Where else would you need the perfect sneakers if not when running on a treadmill in space?”

From the start, Newson – who headed Apple’s design department for five years and helped develop major products such as the Apple Watch – possessed an unusual ability to bend design ideas to his will. His Lockheed Lounge, a beautifully designed chaise longue made of curved aluminum panels, became an instant phenomenon when it was introduced in 1988. Named for its resemblance to Lockheed Martin’s early aeronautical design, the piece defied the reductive ethos of modern design of its time. In 2006, it broke the record for the highest auction price for the work of a living designer, and surpassed that price 11 years later, in 2015, when it sold at Phillips London for $3.7 million.

At the turn of the millennium, Newson – a classic sports car enthusiast who once flew to the US with his entire salary to buy a 1959 Aston Martin DB4 – turned his attention to the transport sector. Ford asked him to sketch some concepts and in 1999 he came up with the 021C. The model was a radically simplified three-box configuration and consisted of a main cabin, a bonnet and a trunk; the latter two sections were mirror images.

“It was completely ridiculous and childish,” says Newson, laughing about the design. “We (at Ford) did a lot of brain-scratching, but I came to the conclusion that, as I’m not a car designer, I don’t want to and can’t play the typical car games.” Thanks to the support of the “brilliantly curious and open-minded” Ford leadership, the caricature of a car became a drivable reality and a beloved favorite of Newson fans. Soon after the 021C’s release, Australian airline Qantas came knocking, seeking Newson’s eye for design for a series of projects, including the interiors of its airport lounges and, even more ambitiously, the invention of a completely horizontal bed for its best passengers on long-haul flights. This triumph, a remarkable feat of imagination, led to his appointment as the company’s creative director.

As Newson’s fame grew, so did demand for his work—in the design world and beyond. New York gallery owner Larry Gagosian quickly added the unconventional designer to his roster of art stars such as Jeff Koons, Richard Serra and Michael Heizer, and in 2007 organized Newson’s first solo exhibition in the U.S., featuring a limited-edition experimental furniture series. “The stuff I do with Gagosian is not exactly mainstream design,” says Newson. “It’s the kind of off-the-wall follies (or) crazy experiments that I come up with. I don’t have to answer to anyone but myself—and maybe Larry.” One object in the exhibition was a nickel surfboard with a storied provenance. “I wanted the prototype to be tested by (professional big-wave surfer) Garrett McNamara,” recalls Newson. “He took the board to a Pacific island notorious for its huge waves on a coral reef. He actually lost the board in the waves and was driving back to his hotel when he saw a local guy with this knotted lump of metal under his arm. The story goes that the Mir space station had crashed into the sea the day before and this guy thought he had found pieces of the crash. He had no idea it was a crushed surfboard.”

Is there a project he still needs to tackle? “Every time I think I’ve reached the end of the list,” he says with a smile, “I think of something new.” Space, for example. “I would like to work more intensively in the field of space research. It’s something I still find exciting and fascinating. It meets all my requirements in terms of working with technology, incredible processes and modern materials. And of course I would like to fly into space. That’s the ultimate goal.”