Design London shines at the London Design Festival

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Korean lighting company AGO's lighting centrepiece.

Korean lighting company AGO’s lighting centrepiece. Image: Sam Frost

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Lighting from Italian company Artemide.

Lighting from Italian company Artemide. Image: Sam Frost

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Ceramics at the Korean Pavilion.

Ceramics at the Korean Pavilion. Image: Sam Frost

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British design classic, the Omkstak.

British design classic, the Omkstak. Image: Sam Frost

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Eco-designer Jay Blades takes part in Discussions at Design London.

Eco-designer Jay Blades takes part in Discussions at Design London. Image: Sam Frost

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Spanish architect and industrial designer Patricia Urquiola speaks during Discussions at Design London.

Spanish architect and industrial designer Patricia Urquiola speaks during Discussions at Design London. Image: Sam Frost

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Work from British lighting manufacturer Jonathan Coles.

Work from British lighting manufacturer Jonathan Coles. Image: Sam Frost

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Design London returned to Magazine London in North Greenwich for its second edition.

Design London returned to Magazine London in North Greenwich for its second edition. Image: Sam Frost

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Adidas: Chasing Circularity at Design London 2022.

Adidas: Chasing Circularity at Design London 2022. Image: Sam Frost

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The HAY Palissade outdoor collection by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec at Design London 2022.

The HAY Palissade outdoor collection by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec at Design London 2022. Image: Sam Frost

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The TON 822 chair, created in partnership with the Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune.

The TON 822 chair, created in partnership with the Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. Image: Sam Frost

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Masaya stools.

Masaya stools. Image: Sam Frost

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The Montbel Tablet chair, made in Italy.

The Montbel Tablet chair, made in Italy. Image: Sam Frost

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Houe’s Click rocking chair in the Danish Pavilion.

Houe’s Click rocking chair in the Danish Pavilion. Image: Sam Frost

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A Metis desk and Pala chair by Wewood in the Portuguese Pavilion.

A Metis desk and Pala chair by Wewood in the Portuguese Pavilion. Image: Sam Frost

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HAY's outdoor seating area and street food.

HAY’s outdoor seating area and street food. Image: Sam Frost

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North London-based DJ and sneaker archivist Kish Kash.

North London-based DJ and sneaker archivist Kish Kash. Image: Sam Frost

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Furniture from The House of Upcycling.

Furniture from The House of Upcycling. Image: Sam Frost

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The Arredoluce Triennale floor lamp.

The Arredoluce Triennale floor lamp. Image: Sam Frost

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British product designer Lee Broom speaks with design journalist Becky Sunshine.

British product designer Lee Broom speaks with design journalist Becky Sunshine. Image: Sam Frost

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Versarien teamed up with British artist and designer Steuart Padwick to create Island Steps - a 3D printed installation using 100% cement-free mortar enhanced by Graphene.

Versarien teamed up with British artist and designer Steuart Padwick to create Island Steps - a 3D printed installation using 100% cement-free mortar enhanced by Graphene. Image: Sam Frost

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The Urbantime Amalfi .015 chair.

The Urbantime Amalfi .015 chair. Image: Sam Frost

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The largest contemporary design fair of this year’s London Design Festival, Design London was held at Magazine London in North Greenwich within the city’s newest design district, Greenwich Peninsula.

Part of this year’s London Design Festival, the second edition of Design London (21–24 September) featured over 150 exhibitors from around the world, along with talks series Discussions at Design London, sponsored by Kohler and featuring some of the industry’s most recognised voices; including Lee Broom, Jay Blades MBE, Patricia Urquiola, Kish Kash and Marco Oggian, to name a few.

The show reported a total of 12,686 visitors — both from the UK and overseas — over the course of the four-day event.

The daily talks were hosted in a theatre designed by multidisciplinary British artist Lois O’Hara, who also created the art installation at Design London’s front entrance.

Director of Design at Media 10, Marlon Cera-Marle, said the event was an opportunity to celebrate the best creative talent London has to offer. “We continue to attract some of the best names, both from the UK and overseas, to be part of our show – which is all about championing design excellence, innovation and collaboration.”

The event is a key attraction for architects and interior designers looking to source the latest in furniture, bathrooms, lighting and architectural fittings all under one roof. Leading the way this year was Adidas: Chasing Circularity, which saw the brand dive deep into its circularity journey with an exclusive preview of products from its Made To Be Remade collection – alongside a panel discussion that lifted the curtain on the unique process and challenges of designing within a circular system, supporting its mission to help end plastic waste.

Also in the line-up of established and emerging design brands at Design London were global manufacturers HAY, Artemide, Fabbian, Van Rossum, ZeitraumTon and Karaca, alongside independent brands such as Christian Watson, Shelf Studio, Six Dots Design, Paul Kelley, MotivaAgo and Jonathan Coles.

International pavilions at the show included the returning Danish Pavilion and newcomers in the Korean, Portuguese and Thai Pavilions. 

Special creative projects continued to play a key part. There were lighting centrepieces by Ago and Haberdashery. Last but not least, the show saw materials specialist Versarien, partner with British artist and designer Steuart Padwick to create a “Playful oasis” named Island Steps.

Visit designlondon.co.uk for more highlights from this year’s show. Next year, the show will return from 20–23 September, with more details to be announced in due course.


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