Your bag is empty
Words by Harriet Quick
Polished wood, hunks of carved stone and polished minerals inspired the best in class at this year’s London Design Festival. The events and fairs that took place across the capital between East and West, at the Design Museum, the V&A and in empty warehouse buildings showcased homegrown and international designers.
British designer and academic, Faye Toogood reinterpreted the idea of the fair with The Trade Show. She gave her iconic spade chair to 50 creatives who in turn delivered a work to her showcase. The space resonated with good vibes emanating from 6A Architects, glassware edged with traces of gold and Bethan Laura Wood’s swooping ceramic ‘Rainbow’ vase.
At the V&A, Ross Lovegrove responded to 15th century hunting tapestries with a freestanding 21m tapestry sculpture using both thread work and digital printing, while at Design Museum a host of designers including Peter Saville were commissioned to work with the material du jour – stone - creating walls, reliefs and objets in marble and limestone in an exhibition ’Set in Stone’.
British wunderkind Lee Broom continued his year-long celebration of his studio’s 10th anniversary at his Shoreditch showroom which featured a black-on-black setting that showcased some of his best and most importance pieces of the last decade.
Fashion duo Peter Pilotto took over a townhouse to showcase like-minded creatives. The set was a haze of soothing pastel colours with Martino Gamper’s curvy furniture, Francis Upritchard’s characterful ceramics, Max Lamb’s tufty rugs and the duo’s own collections.
At Design Junction, Tord Boontje launched his Luminous Reflections chandeliers and drops with Swarovski. The unfaceted crystals shimmer like water making one breathe and dream.
That’s the magic of great design.
