Brand van Egmond – Dutch Lighting Sculptures between Art and Architecture (since 1989)
Brand van Egmond is a Dutch company specialising in handcrafted, sculptural luminaires, based in the historic small town of Naarden (Province of North Holland), approximately 25 kilometres east of Amsterdam. The atelier, workshop and showroom are located at a single address, Nikkelstraat 41. The company was founded in 1989.
The question of who carries the founding in the strict sense is presented differently across sources: the current company website (as of 2026) names only architect and sculptor William Brand (born 1963) as founder. Numerous independent press reports from the 2010s, as well as the published online biography of sculptor Annet van Egmond (born 1964), describe the company consistently as a joint founding and life-and-work partnership between William Brand and Annet van Egmond. The two had met at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (HKU), he studying architecture and she sculpture. Multilingual trade sources (including French and Spanish) refer to the two as a married couple; van Egmond's own biography refers only to her 'former partner', without specifying the nature of the relationship; it is documented that the partnership produced a son, Vincent.
From the Parental Garage to an International Company (1989–2002)
According to Annet van Egmond's own account, the two began in 1989 in her parents' garage, producing iron sculptures that were initially sold to private clients and museums, including the Kunstmuseum Den Haag and the Nederlands Architectuurinstituut in Rotterdam. The iron sculptures, originally created at floor level, became the first lighting sculptures when light sources were attached and the pieces were suspended from the ceiling; the first chandelier welded in the garage quickly found a buyer in Amsterdam.
In 1993, Brand and van Egmond decided, by their own account, to run a joint company under the name Brand van Egmond and to focus exclusively on lighting; prior to this, both had primarily produced sculptures, some of which were sold to museums and institutions. In 1996, following the birth of their son Vincent in Amsterdam, they acquired and renovated a former music school in Bussum, which served simultaneously as a home, design studio and workshop. Production continued there until 2002, when a larger company premises near Bussum was occupied in order to expand manufacturing capacity. From 2001, Brand van Egmond presented itself with its own stand at trade fairs including the furniture fair in Cologne and Euroluce in Milan.
International Projects and Notable Clients
From the outset, Brand van Egmond targeted an international, upmarket audience – described both by the company and by external sources as ranging 'from royal households to rap stars'. The company is active in more than 60 countries according to its own figures (some sources cite 45 countries); the trade fairs attended annually include the Salone del Mobile in Milan, the furniture fair in Cologne, Interieur in Kortrijk (Belgium), and fairs in Frankfurt, Tokyo and Amsterdam.
Among the best-known projects are individually commissioned luminaires for Louis Vuitton boutiques (including at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and Macy's in New York) and for Chopard, including a light object mounted in front of a 13-metre-high ceiling in a Chopard boutique in Kuwait, crafted with diamond-cut Swarovski crystals. Further clients and projects include the W Hotel, the Four Seasons, the Gansevoort Hotel in New York, the Hilton Paris, the chocolate brand Neuhaus, Saks Fifth Avenue, the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, a church in Delft and a theatre in Berlin. For the five-star hotel The Fontenay in Hamburg, the company produced a light object approximately seven metres in height.
In connection with the 76th Academy Awards ceremony in 2004, William Brand was invited to illuminate the VIP 'Green Room' in Los Angeles; this commission gave rise to the 'Hollywood' collection, which has continued to the present day. As inspiration for the slender, tree-like forms of the series, William Brand cites a journey through the Namibian desert, during which he was struck by the slenderness and pure beauty of the scattered trees there. The company was also involved in design commissions for the World Expo 2008 in Zaragoza (Spain).
Separation of the Founders and Current Company Structure
According to Annet van Egmond's own account, she and her 'former partner' William Brand separated in 2015 after 26 years of working together at Brand van Egmond. Van Egmond subsequently founded her own design and exhibition studio in Bussum in the Netherlands, worked as Art Director for the wallpaper manufacturer BN International (collections 'Shadows on the Wall', 'The Garden of Amsterdam', 'Diamonds are Forever'), designed jewellery collections for Gassan Diamonds and developed 'Miss Nightingale', a solar-powered portable luminaire for the brand Miss Solar Light, presented in 2018 on the occasion of Earth Hour together with WWF and Dutch astronaut André Kuipers.
William Brand has continued the company Brand van Egmond since then, according to his own website, as sole founder and creative director, with a team of craftspeople at the Naarden location. The monograph 'Lighting Sculptures', published in 2010 on the occasion of the company's 20th anniversary by the publisher Terra and exhibited at MoMA in New York, falls within the earlier, joint phase of the company's history.
Designers
William Brand (born 1963)
William Brand studied architecture at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht. In 1988 he initially founded the company 'Brand Meubelen' for furniture design, before his work with luminaires gave rise to Brand van Egmond. To this day he designs all the company's collections by hand as 'creator and sculptor': from the first sketch on paper through the cutting of metals to the plaster prototype. His work is, by his own account, inspired by nature, archetypal forms, music, film and universal human emotions. His preferred materials are brass processed using a self-developed, proprietary patination technique, as well as glass, stainless steel and crystal, including Swarovski. In addition to the lighting collections, Brand is also active in architecture and interior design.
Annet van Egmond (born 1964)
Sculptor Annet van Egmond completed her training in 1989 at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht. From 1989 to 2015 she was co-founder and co-owner of Brand van Egmond, during which time she was instrumental in the design and development of the brand, including projects for Chopard and the LVMH Group (Louis Vuitton). Her formal language draws on organic, ink-drawn lines from her student years. Following her separation from William Brand in 2015, she founded her own studio, served as Art Director for the wallpaper manufacturer BN International, designed jewellery collections for Gassan Diamonds and developed the solar-powered luminaire 'Miss Nightingale' for the brand Miss Solar Light.
Iconic Collections and Milestones
Since the 1990s, Brand van Egmond has launched new collections annually, mostly named with evocative proper names, made predominantly from patinated brass, stainless steel, glass and crystal. Among the long-standing classics listed under 'The Legends' are Delphinium, Hollywood, Hollywood Glass, Crystal Waters, Bubbles, Bella, Victoria, Ersa, Kelp, Sultans of Swing, Blossom and Salsa. The Hollywood collection originates, as described, from the commission for the Oscars 'Green Room'; the Sultans of Swing series was, according to Annet van Egmond, inspired by the fringe of an old curtain; the Ersa luminaire is named after the Greek goddess of dew. More recent or currently catalogued collections (as of catalogue edition 32, 2025) include Orpheus, Linea, Bubbles Flow, Bubbles Twilight, Bubbles Swirl, Takara Candles, Louise, Soirée, Arthur, Galaxy, Desert Wind, Shiro, Primavera, Primavera Icicles, Solis, Flower Power, La Vie en Rose, Love You Love You Not and Ballet.
1989: Work begins in the parental garage; first iron sculptures and first chandelier, sold in Amsterdam. 1993: formal founding of the joint company Brand van Egmond by the partners' own account; focus shifts to lighting. 1996: acquisition and conversion of a former music school in Bussum into home, studio and workshop. 2001: first dedicated stand at the furniture fair in Cologne and Euroluce Milan. 2002: move to larger premises near Bussum. 2004: illumination of the Oscars 'Green Room' for the 76th Academy Awards; origin of the Hollywood collection. 2008: participation in design commissions for the World Expo Zaragoza. 2010: 20th anniversary; monograph 'Lighting Sculptures' (Terra publishers), exhibited at MoMA New York. 2012: expansion of the Naarden location to include design studio and showroom; commencement of extensive projects for Louis Vuitton boutiques. 2015: separation of William Brand and Annet van Egmond; van Egmond founds her own studio. Today: continuation of the atelier in Naarden under the sole creative direction of William Brand, new collections annually, presence in more than 60 countries.
Product Philosophy and Current Profile
Brand van Egmond regards its luminaires not as functional objects alone but as 'lighting sculptures' at the intersection of art, architecture and design. Characteristic is the entirely handcrafted production within the company's own atelier in Naarden, from the first design to the finished object, using high-quality materials such as patinated brass, glass, stainless steel and crystal. The objects are, according to the company, suitable for virtually any interior style, from the classical castle to the minimalist interior, and are regularly adapted as bespoke commissions for private residences, hotels, embassies, restaurants and luxury boutiques. The close connection to the person of the founder – initially in partnership with Annet van Egmond, and since 2015 under the sole creative direction of William Brand – remains defining for the brand profile to this day.
Sources and References
Dutch-language sources
· Annet van Egmond, official website – "Biography" (annetvanegmond.com)
· Residence.nl – Interview with William Brand, "Onze lichtsculpturen passen in een klassiek én in een heel modern interieur" (22 January 2022)
· HOOG.design – Company profile "William Brand – Brand van Egmond"
· Various Dutch specialist retail sites (including Ottevangers Lichtdesign, DERK, Lightboxx, Smellink Wonen + Design, DDID, Meijs Wonen)
English-language sources
· Brand van Egmond, official website – "Our Story", "About William", "Our Atelier", "Collections Overview" (brandvanegmond.com)
· Indesign Live (Singapore) – "The Story of Brand van Egmond", Janice Seow, 18 December 2013
· COOL HUNTING – "Brand Van Egmond Anniversary Collection", Paolo Ferrarini, 29 July 2010
· Lightology – Manufacturer profile "Brand van Egmond" and designer profiles Annet van Egmond / William Brand
· Architonic – Project reference "Louis Vuitton by Brand van Egmond"
· Design Milk – Manufacturer profile "Brand van Egmond"
French-language sources
· Spot Lumière LED – Brand profile "Brand Van Egmond – Sculptures lumineuses haut de gamme"
· Lumières d'Alsace, Voltex, Asteri – Retailer profiles with brand and company descriptions
Italian-language sources
· Il Piccolo Design – "Brand van Egmond: i maestri dell'illuminazione di design"
· Mohd Magazine – "Brand Van Egmond: l'azienda olandese che ha trasformato la luce in opera d'arte"
Spanish-language sources
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As of 14 July 2026: sources in Dutch, English, French, Italian and Spanish evaluated.