Droog was founded in 1993 by product designer Gijs Bakker and art and design historian Renny Ramakers to promote contemporary Dutch design. The founders had selected work by young Dutch designers in which they saw a new trend in the reuse of everyday objects combined with a down-to-earth mentality. They presented these works at the Salone del Mobile, the international furniture fair in Milan. The presentation was called "Droog", meaning "dry" in Dutch, because of the simplicity and dry humor of the objects. The exhibition was a success and afterwards the Droog Design Foundation was established to promote and develop innovative design.