“England and France: From Morris to Swinging London.

From the Utopia of Handcraft to the Pop Revolution”**
Sixth lecture from the series “History of Design: How Objects Changed the World.”

Design in England and France has always balanced between tradition and rebellion.
In the 19th century, William Morris dreamed of returning soul and beauty to objects — as a protest against the industrial, factory-made world.
His ideas about the honesty of form and labor became the foundation of modern design.

Almost a century later, London and Paris turned into centers of new visual freedom — the age of Swinging London, mini-skirts, and pop design made objects bright, playful, and accessible to everyone.
Plastic replaced wood, advertising replaced morality, and design became the language of youth culture.