London Design Festival
It has been a frantic week thus far leading up to the London Design Festival. I have attended two evening champagne receptions over the past two days having only just returned from annual leave on Wednesday! The first evening I was mixing with the stars at John Cullen Lighting who were celebrating the launch of their collaboration with Ultimate Library, curators of bespoke book collections to educate, entertain and inspire. Visit www.johncullenlighting.co.uk and www.ultimatelibrary.co.uk to explore the full extent of their services.
Yesterday I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to Heal’s private viewing of their latest furniture collections; Pinner and Dodie.
Whilst enjoying the superb live music and a fizzy aperitif, accompanied by nutritious nibbles, I caught sight of the distinctive zig-zag pattern of the Dodie collection. A modern interpretation of Art Deco motifs, and, according to the product literature, the range is inspired by a bespoke cream and gold wardrobe designed by Ambrose Heal in 1931 for Dodie Smith, author of The Hundred and One Dalmatians. The zig-zag pattern has been reinterpreted by designer, David Steiner, and the range crafted in Europe with each piece mixing minimal style with functional design features.
The Pinner range is traditional painted furniture. The central character is this beautiful arts and crafts inspired bed finished in a contemporary palette of Flint White or Atlantic Blue. Visit www.heals.com to see their full range of modern contemporary furniture and lighting by British and international designers.
Not only is September my favourite time of year, but it is one of the busiest months for the creative industries in the UK, as both London Fashion Week and The London Design Festival start in ernest this weekend. The design festival runs from the 19th to 27th during which time a whole host of exhibitions, demonstrations and social events will be taking place in the capital. As well as the major exhibitions such as Focus/15 at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, (trade preview between 20th & 24th and an open day on 25th);100% Design at Olympia London between 23rd & 26th; and Decorex International at Syon House London between 20th & 23rd, (this is trade only except for Tuesday 22nd between 13.00 & 19.00 when the doors are open to the public), there are a plethora of smaller, more intimate exhibitions spread across London. These venues include the V&A Museum, Somerset House and the Greenwich Peninsula, as well as a smattering of design districts including Brompton, Chelsea , Clerkenwell, Islington, Queens Park and Shoreditch.
For a complete guide to the festival go to http://www.londondesignfestival.com/sites/default/files/resources/LondonDesignFestival15_Guide.pdf.
