London Design Festival 2018
By PDD
on October 2 2018
In mid-September London was bursting with creativity from East to West and North to South. British and international designers came together to celebrate what is thought to be one of the most exciting design events of the year and the PDD team was happy to see a variety of exhibitions as the week progressed to the 23rd.
We started our journey across the city in the heart of East London at Old Truman Brewery, where London Design Fair took place. A four-day celebration of creativity that showcased a wide spectrum of designs coming from all parts of the world (including the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, United Arab Emirates and Japan) bringing together independent designers, international country pavilions, as well as well-known brands.
A sustainable point of view
We were welcomed by the lively-coloured Portuguese interior designs crafted by Mónica Pinto (first image) and MBN Tailor design (second image) whose pieces defied all creative limits and were equally influenced by music, literature and the users’ experiences.
Image credit: PDD
Image credit: PDD
Moving on, we came across another minimalist approach on interior design by the Swedish lamp-making company Konsthantverk, that managed to turn a red square wooden box installation into an authentic display featuring golden-tinted wrought iron light pendants.
Image credit: PDD
The Portuguese slip chair made by UVA (left) also caught our attention through its unusual and rather deceiving design which made us think we could slip off it in seconds. However, the company stands out on the market through its ingenious way of blending traditional craft skills with modern design and the latest technological advancements.
Image credit: PDD
Currently among the most popular colours proposed for 2019, rich shades of yellow gracefully took over another pavilion within London Design Fair where pieces of furniture designed by Around the tree (right) were complimenting the play of paintings on the walls. As the name suggests the, Portugal-based Around the tree brand has nature and design at the heart of its operations.
Digital interaction
Even though the vast majority of designers and brands present at London Design Festival were focusing and adjusting their works to the topic of sustainability and mindful living, digital experiences were by no means forgotten.
On more of a social media-infused note, the PDD team has also attended the first party organised by Pinterest in collaboration with a British brand, at the Conran Shop, which proved to be an engaging installation of life-size ceramic pins. With the tech-savvy support provided by Near-Field Communication, invitees were able to discover more about the story behind the pieces of furniture hiding within the red Pinterest pins.
The installation was intended to blur the boundaries between tangible and virtual experiences, as visitors could quickly add their favourite designs to a ‘Conran wish list’ on their personal Pinterest profile.
Image credit: PDD
Feel free to consume
Intriguing by the name, revolutionary by its purpose; the Crafting Plastics Studio at Brompton Design District assured us there is an easy way around the threats of Global warming and plastic pollution. The event explored the limits of materials from their birth to decay, all in an enjoyable production process in their laboratory. The Crafting Plastics Studio came up with a new sustainable material called NUATAN ™ which is made entirely of renewable resources, 100% bio-compatible and biodegradable and aims to reshape the negative prejudices on perishable fabrics. Once regarded as strange, NUATAN ™ is set to provide users with visually-attractive sustainable fabrics or, as Crafting Plastic Studio designers put it, they will ‘let the material speak’.
Image credit: Crafting Plastics Studio
Last but not least, Tej Chauhan’s ‘Soft Power’ exhibition at Oxo Tower marked the end of our team’s journey across the city during London Design Festival. The award-winning industrial designer created a display showcasing the power of visual communication and its influence on customers’ perceived brand image and value. Tej’s exhibition featured several projects for Made.com and Artifort, as well as collaborations with other companies such as Habitat, Fiskars and Tesco.
Image credit: Tej Chauhan