Matthew Hilton

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Matthew Hilton doesn't believe in design movements, and he doesn't like the concept of design as fashion. Rather, he thinks the design process is part of the evolution of any object through history.

Matthew Hilton was born in Hastings in 1957. He graduated with a degree in Furniture Design from Kingston Polytechnic in 1979 when he started to design and manufacture a range of objects using low-tech casting techniques. These were picked up by Paul Smith and Joseph Pour La Maison and sold in their London showrooms. From 1980 to 1984 Matthew worked as an industrial designer for the product design company Capa, London. During this time he also designed sets for the renowned fashion designer Koji Tatsuno's company Cultureshock.

In 1985 Matthew set up the Matthew Hilton Design Studio and started working for the British retailer and manufacturer SCP. Hilton's Bow shelves were launched by SCP at the Milan Furniture Fair in 1986. Over 20 years on, SCP and Matthew Hilton continue to collaborate, producing seminal furniture such as the Balzac chair and the Flipper table

In 2001 Matthew Hilton Studio won the Furniture for the Future schools' furniture design competition organised by the Design Council of Great Britain. In 2002 Matthew was awarded the commission by PACE (Public Art Commissions & Exhibitions) to design public waiting area seating for the new wing of the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital. Other private commissions include a seating system for Channel Five news and a seating installation for the Tate Modern Turbine Hall to celebrate the launch of the Tate's rehang of the permanent collection.

In the summer of 2005 Matthew was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry, by The Royal Society of Arts UK, which is awarded to designers who have achieved 'sustained excellence in aesthetic and efficient design for industry’. In 2007 Matthew launched Matthew Hilton Ltd at 100% Design, Earls Court, London.

Matthew Hilton has received several awards and accolades, including Design Plus Frankfurt award for outstanding and innovative design and was nominated for a Compasso d'Oro 2003.

View the full Matthew Hilton Collection available at Heal's.