Design lessons from NIGO
Published 29th May 2026
New retrospective offers valuable inspiration for design and technology teachers
The Design Museum opened NIGO: From Japan with Love on the 1st May 2026, marking the first global retrospective dedicated to the influential Japanese designer. Spanning fashion, music, ceramics, graphics and architecture, the exhibition provides design and technology teachers with a rich example of how creative practice can evolve across disciplines while remaining rooted in culture, research and making.
Best known for launching streetwear label A Bathing Ape in 1990s Harajuku, NIGO has played a major role in shaping contemporary fashion and branding. His career has included collaborations with global companies including Nike, Louis Vuitton and Nintendo, alongside creative partnerships with Pharrell Williams and leadership roles at KENZO.
© Images From Nigo & Elliot James Kennedy
Classroom connections through research, iteration and identity
Featuring more than 700 objects from NIGO’s personal archive, the exhibition explores how collecting, observation and cultural references can shape design outcomes. Early displays recreate his teenage bedroom, filled with toys, magazines and clothing that informed his visual language and creative direction.
For teachers, the exhibition offers strong classroom links to design development, iteration and brand identity. Students can see how ideas progress from research and curiosity into products with clear purpose and audience appeal.
The final section focuses on traditional Japanese craft, including ceramics and tea culture, highlighting the importance of materiality and making. Through hand-thrown ceramics and a specially designed glass tea house, the exhibition reinforces an important message for design and technology classrooms, that successful design is driven by thinking, experimentation and intent, regardless of discipline.
Teachers interested in exploring the exhibition with students can find exhibition details and book tickets here.
Teachers can access the PDF version of this article, featured in Designing 133 below and download their digital copy of the magazine here.
