Jamie McLellan, head of design for Allbirds Photo: Supplied
On Friday 7 October Jamie McLellan won the John Britten Black Pin at the Designers Institute of NZ's Best Design Awards, the most prestigious award on the New Zealand design calendar.
Currently based in San Francisco, McLellan is the first Head of Design for Kiwi shoe brand Allbirds, known for its commitment to sustainability. Yet this award also recognises his longer-standing contribution to the industry, putting New Zealand on the design map globally. The early part of Jamie's design career was spent working in Italy, Hong Kong, Hawaii and London, before returning home to Auckland to set up his own furniture design consultancy.
While Allbirds is all about shoes, Jamie’s own design portfolio has ranged from bike frames and windsurfing sails, to chairs and coffins.
