Now it’s September and the design world turns its attention to London’s Design Festival, running during the last couple of weeks of this month.
There are events all over the capital – in showrooms, retailers and museums – but the main focus is always on the fairs. This year’s plans look bigger than ever, and these are the main events – sign up and visit to enjoy the very latest and best in the design world:
The first week features 100% Design (17th to 20th September) – the original design festival show and still going strong. Now in its 20th year, this show features many big names and fills both halls at Earls Court. [Update: have a look at our 100% Design London Review]
At the Old Truman Brewery in East London the Tent and Superbrands shows (18th to 21st September) feature a diverse range of exhibitors, from global brands to small independent designers, in what is always a fascinating exhibition in a vibrant location.
The most recent fair to be added to the calendar is Design Junction (18th to 21st September), and it has quickly become one of the busiest. Taking over the fabulous Old Sorting Office on New Oxford Street, a brilliant mix of designers and manufacturers present something for everyone. There’s also a design store on the ground floor of this unique building.
In the following week the activity moves West, and the emphasis shifts to high end and luxury interiors.
Decorex (trade 21st to 24th September, public afternoon 23rd September) has moved to its new home at Syon Park, and it looks like they’ll be taking advantage of it by putting on their biggest ever show – over 300 luxury brands are exhibiting this year.
At the Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour, Focus/14 (trade 21st to 23rd September, public 24th September) almost 100 showrooms will be exhibiting their latest collections, with over 500 brands covering fabrics, wallcoverings, furniture, fittings, and everything for the home interior.
Last, but by no means least, the V&A will be hosting a series of installations as part of the festival. One of the most interesting is the Wish List – a collaboration between Benchmark Furniture, emerging designers, and ten famous names from the design world who were asked “What have you always wanted in your home, but never been able to find?”
I was lucky enough to see the Wish List pieces in production when I visited Benchmark recently. They’re magical pieces, and you can see some of them being developed and worked on here: Benchmark Furniture’s Design Development Day
And if you can’t make it to the shows, don’t worry… I’ll be posting some of the best from the shows here on the blog.
