London Design Week 2018: Must-See Shows
Our top must-see shows from London Design Week 2018…
London Design Festival is in full swing, returning for its 16th year at London’s V&A museum. A hub of design activity, the influential event is running from the 15th to 23rd September. The annual celebration unfolds across 11 designated design districts, each playing host to a series of city-wide commissions and installations of over 400 events.
We’ve shortlisted our round-up of 8 unmissable events and landmark projects at London Design Festival 2018 from the world’s best architects, artists and product designers.
Tom Dixon: Electroanalogue
Iconic London designer Tom Dixon is hosting his ELECTROANALOGUE exhibition for the duration of the Festival at the brand’s new King’s Cross HQ. Stimulating the senses of touch, sight and sound, the collaborative exhibit will explore the endless possibilities of digital technology through a diverse offering of events and installations.
Photo credit: LDF 2018
Waugh Thistleton Architects: Multiply
MultiPly by Waugh Thistleton Architects is one of the must-experience outdoor events of London Design Festival 2018. Created in collaboration with London design collective Arup and the American Hardwood Export Council, this impressive large scale modular maze installation can be found in The Sackler Courtyard at the V&A We think this is the perfect hide-out to escape from the city’s lively hub of events.
Photo credit: LDF 2018
Kellenberger-White: Alphabet
Renowned in the industry for their playful approach to typefaces, London-based graphic design consultancy Kellenberger-White have created an interactive Alphabet installation of colourful letter seating. The human-scaled typography can be explored at Finsbury Avenue Square in Broadgate and visitors are encouraged to spell out their own playful words.
Photo Credit: Lee Mawdsley
Studio Appetit: Paddington Central Flip Book Garden
Created by the founder of Studio Appetit, Ido Garini, the studio has created an immersive Flip Book Garden installation for viewers to explore which simulates the life size sensation of a pop-up book. Brimming with colour, the immersive urban oasis will be hosted at Paddington Central and each composition will be rotated throughout the day to give viewers an entirely new installation every time.
Enid Marx: Print, Pattern and Popular Art
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of influential illustrator, Enid Marx, this insightful exhibition presents a 150-piece collection by one of the greatest women pioneers of Mid-Century design. Many of the pieces displayed at Enid Marx: Print, Patter and Popular Art have remained unseen, until now. A multi-talented creative with accomplishments in print, textiles and illustration, Marx’s exhibition is a must-see for fans of British design.
Phot credit: LDF 2018
Time For Tea
Dutch brand, Scholten & Baijings, transformed the first floor of Piccadilly based Fortnun & Mason into an exquisite afternoon tea party. Featuring a six-metre long table, over 80 delicate porcelain products in dusty hues of mint green and petal pink will be on display alongside enviable Scandi-inspired furniture designs. Celebrating 300 years of tea-drinking traditions from across the world, Time for Tea is a pretty, playful and delicious exhibition.
Photo credit: LDF 2018
Please Feed the Lions
Created by Es Devlin, Please Feed the Lions is located the centre of Trafalgar Square. Not only is the installation a work of art, but also of innovation, technology and poetry. This design attraction sees one of the square’s lions, painted red with its mouth agape as if roaring and displayed inside the mouth is an algorithm generated quote. Inspiration came from Devlin’s notion of what these historical landmarks would say if given the chance.
Photo Credit: Ed Reeve
Decorex
London Design Festival also set the backdrop for one of the interior design industry’s most influential design events - Decorex International 2018 – one of the interior design industry’s most influential events. Providing a blank canvas where the finest interiors projects can be curated, debated and observed, Houseology’s Head Buyer Heather attended the design event earlier this week to discover the latest design trends. We caught up with her to find out her trend predictions for SS19:
What products do you think will be big next season?
“It still looks like a feature couch and cabinets are key. Ottoman footstools are very popular and are being used as prominent finishing touches to add colour and texture to rooms – they also work perfectly as a functional side table option. SS19 lighting is either very clean, sleek and ultra-modern or very ornate in leafy and floral inspired designs."
Are there any specific colours you think will be strong for SS19?
“Based on Decorex and Maison Objet I predict the SS19 upholstery colours will be Navy and Royal Blue with rich Emerald Green, Ochre and Rust, all in sumptuous velvet finishes."
Can you tell us what textures are going to be popular next season?
"Velvet for upholstery items, marble for all styles of tables and tactile raw woods for dining tables, Decorex showcased a mixture of raw tactile finishes on wood items versus the smoother finishes of marble."
What patterns caught your eye at the show? And do you think they have the potential to become a big trend for SS19?
"Geometric, botanical florals and safari-inspired designs were key, predominately on wallpaper and textiles. Decorex also confirmed that the herringbone trend is still very much here to stay with a plethora of inlaid patterned herringbone featuring on tables, cabinets and floor displays featuring across the event."
What was the main attraction/highlight of the show?
"The biggest stand was Sahrai Rugs with their showcase of opulent crystal encrusted rugs. The main attraction for me was the many craftsman present on the stands telling a story behind their designs and brand philosophy. Being able to tell that visual story online is so important in today’s market."
