Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat
Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat are co-founders of New York design fair WantedDesign.
French-born Hainaut's career was kickstarted in 1992 handling PR and events for international design and branding agency forceMAJEURE. After relocating to New York, Hainaut set up the experimental Gallery R'Pure, dedicated to displaying contemporary collectable design.
Pijoulat was marketing director for French brand Roche Bobois for eight years, developing strategies for the US market. In 2010, Pijoulat left the brand to develop innovative communication and web-strategy projects for multiple international agencies, design brands and foreign cultural offices.
Hainaut and Pijoulat founded WantedDesign in 2011, after meeting in 2010. Their aim was to create a design community in New York and establish a real design week in the city. WantedDesign has since expanded to host eight fairs, with exhibits in Manhattan and Brooklyn every May, as well as a permanent store in Brooklyn. It is a platform for both US and international designers, bringing attention to their work through events, conversations and workshops during NYCxDESIGN
In 2018 the duo received the Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters, one of France’s highest honours, for promoting the country's design talent in the US.
