While the capital of creatives – AKA London – prepares to once again display its colourful feathers for London Design Festival, editor Hamish Kilburn attempts to cut through the noise to share the key exhibitions and events taking place over week-long celebration of design…
There’s a faint yet noticeable nip in the air as London’s summer haze softens over the cityscape. Emails and invitations have been flooding in for weeks, and it all comes down to this: London Design Festival 2019 has arrived.
With events, installations, exhibitions and parties happening all over the capital, what to see – and where to be seen – is very much down to interpretation and preference. But ahead of the week-long festival, which can feel like running multiple marathons at times, here is an insight into what Hotel Designs is bookmarking with the aim to unlock emerging trends, new products and celebrate London’s creative heroes.
For six days, Focus/19 at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour will once again be the design event for excellence. Welcoming trade professionals and design enthusiasts from around the globe, the programme is dedicated to inspiring, informing and delivering the best in world-class talent.
This year, expect more product launches and showroom openings than you can shake a stick at, alongside an array of talks, demonstrations, workshops, discovery tours and guest pop-ups. Sheltered all under one ever-evolving space, guests will be able to see firsthand the latest collections from 120 showrooms and 600-plus international brands. What’s more, entrance is free.
Speakers this year include David Mlinaric, Anthony Collett, Andrzej Zarzycki, Andrew Winch, Paolo Moschino, Staffan Tollg.rd, Luke Edward Hall, Flora Soames, Bryan O’Sullivan, Anna Beeber, Nick Ashley-Cooper and Charu Gandhi.
#Focus19atDCCH
One of the UK’s leading hospitality events dedicated to improving hotel profitability is back at ExCel London. This year, as well as showcasing some of the leading brands while connecting the industry’s most ambitious professionals, Hotel 360 will also feature the Innovation Awards, of which I am thrilled to be on the judging panel for. The awards are a celebration of the innovations, services and solutions that have made an outstanding impact on the world of hospitality over the past 12 months.
Each finalist will showcase their product or service the panel in front of a live audience, making for an entertaining and educational break from the hustle and bustle of the show floor – and the city centre.
#Hotel360
100% Design (September 18 – 21)
Returning to Olympia London, 100% Design is billed to be the destination for architects and designers to discover contemporary interior design trends and emerging talent during London Design Festival. This year, the show celebrates its 25th anniversary and features a carefully curated selection of world-class brands within Design London.
The show is free to attend for trade professionals and press, please register to attend [link here] by completing the form below. Public tickets are available for £15 and student tickets are available for £10.
#100Design25
Arriving fashionably late to the week is designjunction, which will take place in what I believe to be the most exciting design hub in the city this year, Coal Drops Yard.
Showcasing breakthrough brands shaping the international hotel design scene, the exhibition is the interior design show you don’t want to miss! As part of the newest Design District of London Design Festival, this year’s designjunction, is packed full; from discovering the latest furniture and lighting trends in Cubitt House through to immersing yourself in design debates at the Talks Programme in the Everyman Cinema.
#designjunction
London Design Fair (September 19 – 22)
Located in the creative heart of East London, a thriving design hotspot that is the first to present new and daring trends, the London Design Fair is a four-day event that brings together 550 Exhibitors from more than 40 countries.
As one of the most international destinations of London Design Festival, more than 29,000 influential retail buyers, architects, interior designers, press, designers and design-conscious members of the public attend to see and specify the very latest furniture, lighting, textiles, materials and conceptual installations from around the world.
A global journey in collectable design, Crossovers by Adorno presents 11 countries, 11 curators and 11 collections. Norway returns to the line-up alongside new countries Mexico, Belgium and Iceland.
The Bathroom Gallery, in partnership with Elle Decoration, will be a bespoke, highly curated exhibition of leading bathroom brands, including Roca and Armani among others – and is the only dedicated bathroom showcase during LDF, so certainly not one to miss.
#LDNDesignFair
Hotel Designs will be on the ground for all of London Design Festival. To arrange a meeting with our editorial team, tweet us: @hoteldesigns.
