The London Design Festival returns once again from 19-27 September and, as impossible as it seems, continues to get bigger and better. Here are 12 reasons why we are very excited about this year’s event, courtesy of the Design Destinations and Design Districts
100% Design
This is the capital’s biggest and original contemporary design show for industry professionals, running from 23-26 September at Olympia London. Based upon the central theme, ‘Design in Colour’, 100% Design has collaborated closely with trend forecasters WGSN among many others to bring to life the visual experience of using colour across interiors and the built environment. The show will present specially commissioned editorial features, world-leading seminars and live content, alongside over 400 UK and international exhibitors. Key exhibitors confirmed include Original BTC, Davey Lighting, Delightfull, Mullan Lighting, Novamobili, Lozi, Blenheim Carpets, bulthaup by Kitchen Architecture, Apavisa, Bette, Zuchetti.Kos, Keramag Design, Porcelanosa, Formica Group and many more.
100percentdesign.co.uk
The entrance to 100% Design
Decorex International
Showcasing leading British and international luxury design brands, Decorex International 2015 returns to the historic grounds of Syon Park from 20-23 September offering a mix of new talent and established companies. Over the course of four days, visitors to the show will have the opportunity to see new collections from more than 400 exhibitors, showcasing the latest designs from furniture, lighting, fabrics, wallpapers and decorative accessories to flooring, kitchens, bathrooms, tableware and bedding. In celebration of this year’s show theme – the future of luxury – four interactive installation areas, ‘Making Luxury’, highlight the skills and craftsmanship behind leading companies, while the seminar programme will explore the theme with a series of talks and panel discussions featuring leading figures from the world of interior design.
decorex.com
Syon Park is the home of Decorex 2015
designjunction
This year’s designjunction, from 24-27 September, will be a key destination for cutting-edge design, pop-up shops, live workshops, flash-factories, installations and design masterclasses. The College on Southampton Row will showcase over 100 leading contemporary design brands over five floors of the Lethaby building as well as other spaces within the campus. The ground floor of The College will host lightjunction, with displays from some of the world’s leading decorative lighting brands, while Wrong for HAY will showcase its latest lighting collection in the main atrium.
Across the road, Victoria House B1 will host more than 50 design-led pop-up shops offering all the latest home accessories, luxury leather goods and cutting-edge tech accessories. Shops joining the line-up include Nest.co.uk, Richard Brendon, HEAL’S, Skultana, Larsson & Jennings, Design Museum Shop, Native Union, Uniform Wares, Cherchbi, Melin Tregwynt, R and many more.
thedesignjunction.co.uk
Dedicated retail section at Victoria House B1
Focus/15
Hosted by the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, Focus/15 will present over 500 world-renowned brands at 103 design centre showrooms with the latest collections of fabrics, furniture, lighting, wallcoverings, accessories, kitchens, bathrooms, outdoor living, tiles and carpets. A busy programme of talks and events includes ‘Conversations in Design’ with influential names from the design world, while ‘Access All Areas’ showroom sessions sees tremendous growth with over 100 events bringing new insights at workshops, talks and forums. International names involved include Armani/Casa, C & C Milano, Christopher Peacock, Cole & Son, Dedar, Gallotti&Radice, Porta Romana, Rubelli/Donghia, Stark Carpet and Victoria + Albert Baths.
dcch.co.uk
A selection of brands that will be on show at Focus/15
Tent London & Superbrands London
Tent London & Super Brands London have rapidly become the host fairs for national pavilions during LDF, with 450 exhibitors from 29 countries. Craft has become an essential part of Tent London, from international installations to independent designers taking their first steps. Etsy unites UK contemporary craft with its Four Corners of Craft exhibition, in partnership with the Crafts Council and Tent London, highlighting the variety and quality of work from talented designer-makers including ceramicists, glass artists and jewellery makers. Dulux will make its debut at Tent with Colour Futures – The Global Trends Forecast for 2016.
Now into its fifth year, Super Brands London has firmly established itself as the place to see a selection of the worlds’ most progressive furniture, lighting and interiors brands. New brands showing include Neo Craft from Germany, Yask from Switzerland and Caesarstone UK.
tentlondon.co.uk
Etsy unites UK contemporary craft with its Four Corner of Craft exhibition
Bankside Design District
Bankside is a brand new Design District for 2015 and the first south of the river for LDF, spanning from Borough Market to the Oxo Tower, where over 20 exciting events and activities are lined up to showcase the creative industry within the area, from workshops to walking tours, exhibitions to outdoor installations. Southwark Street will be transformed into an outdoor gallery with a series of on-street installations, which bring pedestrian crossings to life. Better Letters will host a Hand Lettering Workshop at Borough Market, and don’t miss The Contemporary Applied Arts gallery showcase ‘Resonance: Making, metal and place’, and exhibition focusing on metal in the urban environment that will coincide with a guided walk through Bankside with the exhibition’s curator, looking at metal in the public realm.
banksidedesigndistrict.co.uk
Chris Knight, on show at the Contemporary Applied Arts gallery
Brompton Design District
Brompton Design District is the longest-standing of the LDF districts, and is a partnership of leading international brands, independent retailers, neighbourhood restaurants and cultural institutions. For LDF it also hosts a renowned pop-up programme, curated by design consultant Jane Withers. Participants for 2015 include Skandium, the Scandinavian design retailer, who will introduce architect and designer Jonas Lindvall. More new talent will be on show from Sarah van Gameren and Philippe Malouin, who co-curate Platform18 at the RCA as their closing exhibition before moving on from their roles as tutors in Design Products. Keep an eye out, too, for the Italian brands on Brompton Road.
bromptondesigndistrict.com
Skandium will be a Brompton Design District participant in 2015
Chelsea Design Quarter
The Chelsea Design Quarter has the largest and most diverse selection of established interiors specialists concentrated in one area. This year’s participating partners are staging an inspiring programme of design-led activities including high-profile talks, must-see exhibitions and artisan demonstrations. Antiques gallery Guinevere will celebrate LDF with award-winning interior designer Alidad, who is creating a scheme for one of its windows on the King’s Road. The Rug Company will preview a new collection by Paul Smith, celebrating 15 years of creative collaboration. Also look out for Go Modern, specialists in contemporary high-end furniture and European design, showcasing new AW15 products featuring marble, velvet and painted metal finishes.
chelseadesignquarter.co.uk
Go Modern will be showcasing new work at the Chelsea Design Quarter
Clerkenwell Design Quarter
The message for this year’s Clerkenwell Design Quarter is all about ‘Discovery’. This year participants include Viaduct, which will present White on White, an exhibition of Scandinavian design from a new generation. Interface, a worldwide leader in the design and production of sustainable modular flooring, will host Designing with Nature by Exploration Architecture, a striking 3D-printed installation showcasing a selection of projects and prototypes from the studio’s research on sustainable, nature-inspired designs. At Craft Central, Material Consequences – a group exhibition that explores materials, techniques and the environment – will provide an intriguing insight into the many making and thought processes involved at The Goldsmiths’ Centre.
clerkenwelldesignquarter.com
Viaduct will be showcasing an exhibition of Scandinavian design from a new generation
Islington Design District
The Islington Design District returns for its second year, bringing together a collection of design-led shops, showrooms and cafes in the area including SMUG, Aria, twentytwentyone and Present & Correct. SMUG will be spearheading the Islington Design District with an exhibition of work by Dutch ceramist Lenneke Wispelwey. Retailers of design-led furniture, lighting and accessories, twentytwentyone will launch a range of new lighting by Barber & Osgerby. Aria is injecting colour into London’s concrete jungle as Camille Walala transforms the store from the inside out. Walala has designed an exclusive collection of furniture, ceramics and prints, ranging from shelving to armchairs, which will be displayed for LDF.
islingtondesigndistrict.com
The work of Lenneke Wispelwey will be on show at SMUG during LDF
READ AN INTERVIEW WITH LIZZIE EVANS OF SMUG ABOUT IDD
Queens Park Design District
A long-established hub of creativity and international design talent, the Queens Park Design District event will encompass a series of open studios, live design events, art installations and workshops centred around Lonsdale Road, Salusbury Road and Kimberley Road. This year will see new partners into the district along with established names. Exhibitors include Bill Amber Studio who will be hosting an open studio and showing his Common Collection of benches and stools. At The Interior Design School, its annual exhibition will aim to raise awareness for interiors, demonstrate their relevance in the community and emphasise the responsibility that designers have to the world. Also check out Rupert Bevan, renowned designer, maker and finisher of fine bespoke furniture and luxury interiors, who will be hosting a pop-up exhibition of specialist decorative finishes.
queensparkdesigndistrict.co.uk
Bill Amberg is always a must-see at the Queens Park Design District
Shoreditch Design Triangle
Now in its seventh consecutive year, the Shoreditch Design Triangle brings together a collection of designers, stores, galleries, studios, cafes, brands and one-off events for a week of design-led festivities. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, SCP will present Sofa in Sight, six designers who have made six sofas exploring ideas in modern upholstery making. The KK Outlet will host Anna Lomax’s exhibition Luxury Goods, a project created out of a love for a genuine fake and the idea of what the notion of luxury can mean. The Geffrye Museum’s vibrant annual celebration of ceramics returns, bringing together the work of 50 potters from across the UK, a mix of leading names and rising talents, in a riot of colour, styles, textures and techniques in Ceramics in the City.
shoreditchdesigntriangle.com
SCP is celebrating 30 years in business with a fresh look at sofa design
Words: Mark Kebble