Holly Hunt’s Onward Collection Signals an Ambitious New Era
Jo Annah Kornak and newly appointed design director Chris Eitel debut nine furnishings that introduce fluid silhouettes, luminous finishes, and a bold evolution for the storied American brand
A change in creative leadership often signals a moment of renewed ambition for an established design house. Jo Annah Kornak, the SVP and executive creative director of Holly Hunt, seemed to express full confidence when she recently appointed Chris Eitel as design director. Eitel also serves as director of design and production at the Vladimir Kagan Design Group, which Holly Hunt acquired in 2016 after the celebrated furniture designer’s death. Kornak and Eitel have worked in close partnership to steward that rich legacy while extending its influence, most recently with the reintroduction of the Capricorn outdoor furniture collection, whose swooping silhouettes and Harry Bertoia–inspired wire frames recall Kagan’s enduring vision.
Now, Kornak and Eitel have unveiled their first collection developed under their shared creative leadership. The nine-piece series charts exhilarating new territory for the brand, marking a measured shift from the Chicago company’s tailored silhouettes and neutral palettes. Fluid contours complement luminous lacquer finishes and richly upholstered seating, with occasional tables that carry the same sculptural attitude. Kornak describes the collection as firmly grounded in Holly Hunt’s design DNA while introducing Eitel’s fresh perspective. “It embodies the ambition of the design studio while illuminating the path ahead,” she says.
The design process paired advanced technology with the brand’s longstanding dedication to craft. Digital modeling allowed the team to pursue more complex silhouettes while artisans refined each piece by hand. A console sets elongated lacquered bases beneath a sculpted top finished in ring-cut veneer that reveals the wood’s natural geometry with graphic clarity. A cabinet presents a field of recessed impressions created through digital shaping before craftspeople complete the surface in wood veneer or lacquer.
“Every iconic design brand reaches a moment when it must reinterpret its legacy to continue building it onward,” says Eitel, who describes the collection as carrying the same soul as earlier Holly Hunt offerings while introducing a new cadence. “Onward is playful, vibrant, and the start of something exciting and fresh—a new era for the brand.” Below, Kornak and Eitel speak with Galerie about the Onward collection and the new direction it signals for Holly Hunt.
This is the first collection developed under your joint creative leadership. How did your roles shape the direction of Onward and the decisions that defined its character?
Jo Annah Kornak: Onward represents both continuity and evolution—a deliberate step forward that still reflects our core DNA. Our collaboration was rooted in dialogue, but my focus was on safeguarding the architectural rigor, material integrity, and disciplined proportions that define Holly Hunt, while also encouraging a subtle expansion of our design language. I was particularly attentive to cohesion across categories, ensuring that upholstery and case goods spoke to one another with a unified point of view. Chris brought a complementary perspective shaped by his experience with Vladimir Kagan, introducing a more fluid, sculptural sensibility and a willingness to explore softer, more expressive forms. Onward emerged from that exchange, confidently positioned as the next chapter for the brand.
Chris Eitel: I like to tell stories through design, especially brand stories. A cohesive narrative makes a collection more impactful and creates continuity. At Kagan, I designed the Forward Collection, which told a story about the evolution of this legacy brand into a new chapter. As this is my first collection since joining Holly Hunt as design director, it felt appropriate for Onward to tell a similar story about the evolution of HH Studio under my and Jo Annah’s creative leadership. It was important that the designs collectively spoke to our story and to one another through materiality while also feeling evolutionary for the brand. Jo Annah’s experience was invaluable in helping safeguard the inherent qualities that define Holly Hunt, like proportion, so I could understand how to better evolve the design language.
Holly Hunt has long favored tailored silhouettes and neutral palettes. What guided your decision to introduce softer curves, stronger color, and more sculptural forms?
JAK: The goal wasn’t to move away from our core design language, but to thoughtfully evolve it. We had many conversations about how to introduce softer curves and more sculptural forms without losing the architectural clarity and restraint that have long defined the brand. We recognized that designers are looking for pieces with more movement and presence with forms that feel inviting, tactile, and expressive. With color, the shift was intentional but measured. We explored richer, more saturated tones that still feel sophisticated and livable. Chris’s experience with Vladimir Kagan encouraged a greater sense of fluidity, while I focused on ensuring every piece remained refined and true to Holly Hunt proportions.
CE: This being my first collection as design director, it was a great opportunity for the brand to expand its neutral palette and introduce softer shapes. Jo Annah encouraged this as a way for me to find my footing in the role and begin to tell the story of an evolving Holly Hunt through our creative partnership. In the end, it became an opportunity to make a bold statement about our shared vision at the helm of Holly Hunt and the evolution of HH Studio furniture in a more dramatic and expressive way, all while remaining firmly rooted in the core qualities that define the DNA of a Holly Hunt product.
How did material exploration drive the development of the collection from the earliest sketches through fabrication?
JAK: Materials are always the starting point. From the earliest sketches, we were thinking about how each piece would feel and how different materials would interact with them. We spent significant time refining the scale and proportion of each piece. There was a constant dialogue between design and craft through prototyping, refining, and sometimes simplifying.
CE: Solid wood has a distinct aura. Its use in furniture design has long been considered an indicator of the quality of a piece, but too often it gets covered up by upholstery. With this collection, we wanted to show off the material. For the products that feature solid wood, it’s a focal point of the construction—visible and enhanced with a beautiful finish.
Holly Hunt has a reputation for offering exquisite finishes with solid construction, so this became a way to celebrate that brand DNA while also evolving the design language. We were also more expressive with color. That evolution appears not only through the lacquer colors selected for certain pieces, but also through our photography, where we were really able to be expressive in how we wanted the collection to be seen.
With Holly Hunt and Vladimir Kagan as key reference points in the brand’s history, how do their ideas continue to inform the way you develop new furniture today?
JAK: Holly and Vladimir represent distinct but complementary legacies. From Holly, we inherited a commitment to discipline and an uncompromising standard of quality. There’s always a sense of restraint and intention. Ultimately, their ideas serve as a foundation that gives us confidence to evolve the brand while staying grounded in its core principles.
CE: Each brand’s history serves as a starting point for new pieces, and each brand approaches this in its own distinct way. What they share is a desire to never remain stagnant. Holly and Vladi both had a way of striving to stay current while offering timeless products that seemingly never go out of style. What we’re developing today is aimed at doing exactly that. We’re not trendy—we’re current, always evolving for the interiors of today no matter the style. We always strive to offer products that can find a place within them.
As Onward expands the brand’s vocabulary and introduces a new creative energy, what principles will guide Holly Hunt as you build on this direction in future collections?
JAK: Our guiding principles remain constant: proportion, material integrity, and timelessness. We will continue to evolve, but always through the lens of discipline and restraint. We’re also committed to cohesion. Future collections will build on this broader language.
CE: I see Onward as just one way that we will continue to tell brand stories through our collections. While it signifies a shift in Holly Hunt’s design language and creative leadership, we view it as a collection with the same soul, but a new rhythm. We understand that our new collections and designs must appeal to a broad spectrum of clients. With Onward as our first joint collection, we wanted to start with a bang—and there’s much more to come.