A Guide To London Design Festival 2024
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3 months ago
Here's what to expect
London Design Festival is a spectacular showcase that brings together textiles, interiors and design, with exhibitions, installations and panel talks across the capital. Here’s how to make the most of this year’s show.
The C&TH Guide To London Design Festival 2024
London is still the ‘design capital of the world’, asserts its annual festival, a title bestowed on it by the New York Times in 2012. There’s no doubt that the construction, creative design and artistic industries of our city have faced challenges over the years, but the London Design Festival seeks to challenge anyone who might suggest that the design scene here has not quite rebounded to its former glory. It’s easy to believe – the breadth of skill and artistry in this city remains as glorious as ever.
What Is London Design Festival?
Born in the early Noughties and conceived by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans CBE, London Design Festival is a sprawling juggernaut of events, exhibitions and installations dotted around the entire city. It’s funded by the Mayor of London (among others) and celebrates the capital’s bounty of design and designers alike.
How Do I Find My Way Around?
The festival is typically made up of over 300 exhibitors across the capital. Check the website for a full list of events and where to find them.
What To See In 2024
SPECTRUM at Hart Shoreditch
Southeast London-based 2LG studio will bring the ultra-cool interiors of Hart Shoreditch to life with this immersive exhibition, transforming spaces throughout the hotel using a glorious exploration of colour. Hart Shoreditch, 61 – 67 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3HU. londondesignfestival.com
‘A Squashed Space’ by Faye Toogood
Image courtesy of Toogood
Faye Toogood will take over the Poltona Frau showroom to present the award-winning ‘Squash’ collection, which was first unveiled at Milan Design Week earlier this year. The collection will be displayed within an immersive, tactile installation entitled ‘A Squashed Space’. Poltrona Frau Flagship Store, 147-153 Fulham Rd, London, SW3 6SN. londondesignfestival.com
‘The Abney Effect’: Exploring New Perspectives in Oils, Waxes, Resins, and Dyes
This fascinating installation focuseso n the potential of tree-derived materials like oils, waxes, resins, fibres, and dyes – all by using Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney’s light theory, which demonstrated how varying levels of white light saturation alter our perception of colour. WAX Atelier Labs, Abney Park, South Lodge Entrance, Stoke Newington High Street, London, N16 0LH. londondesignfestival.com
A New Perspective
No Love Without Loss by Daniela Maria
Curated by Stella Smith for The Conran Shop, this event is an exploration of form, material, and process, delving into the relationship between art and design. The Conran Shop, 16 Sloane Square. London, SW1W 8ER. londondesignfestival.com
Woven Brushstrokes: The Fusion of Nanjing Yunjin Brocade and Chinese Painting
This exhibition celebrates Nanjing Yunjin, a traditional Chinese jacquard silk brocade known for blending gold and silver with coloured threads. Expect a showcase of Yunjin techniques alongside paintings from both ancient and modern painters. Gallery Marquess, 14 Shepherd Market, Mayfair, London, W1J 7QG. londondesignfestival.com
Fortnum & Mason x Jaime Hayon
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of his eponymous studio, Jaime Hayon will transform Fortnum & Mason’s iconic storefront and atrium. The window display is a retrospective of Hayon’s innovative creations, featuring quirky shapes and whimsical creatures alongside ceramics, bronze, glass, and wood. Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, London, W1A 1ER. londondesignfestival.com
Can I Feel It? Exploring Textiles and Beyond
Bringing together work from eight artists across the US, UK, South Korea and Singapore, this exhibition investigates the tactile allure of textile works, inviting visitors to reconnect with the materiality of different textiles. Showroom, 2 Hoxton St, London, N1 6NG. londondesignfestival.com
Pavilions Of Wonder
From Nina Tolustrup of East London-based STUDIOMAMA comes this landmark installation presented by Visit Greater Palm Springs and Mattel (of Barbie fame). Visitors can step inside three gorgeous pavillions, each fusing the Barbie DreamHouse aesthetic with Palm Springs midcentury modernism. Strand Aldwych, London, WC2R 1ES. londondesignfestival.com
Innovative Sustainability: Redefining Green Design
This event spotlights groundbreaking designs that push the boundaries of sustainability, exploring the ways in which they can help us redefine how we live, work, and play. Expect a glimpse into the future of mindful, innovative design. Akasa – Blackdot Gallery, 5 Prince Edward Road, London, E9 5LX. londondesignfestival.com
Flying In Nuanced Colours: Manifestation and Moulding with Uncommon and G . F Smith
Renowned for her spectacular work with paper, artist Pauline Loctin will join forces with G.F Smith for a paper-folding masterclass featuring breathwork, manifestation and music. 17 September, 6:30pm. Ticket required. Uncommon Holborn, 81-87 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6DF. tickettailor.com
When Is London Design Festival 2024?
London Design Festival 2024 takes place from 14 to 22 September across London.
