Top Drawer September 2021 got back in full swing at Olympia, London

After over a year of digital communication and virtual trade shows, Top Drawer September 2021 got back in full swing at Olympia, London. The buzz of the show brought the interior, gift and fashion industry back together once again and has shown  that the future of trade shows is looking very promising, according to organisers at Clarion Events.

Happy homewares from Bombay Duck of London.

With Top Drawer September 2021 complete, organisers look back on the  show that occurred, celebrating hundreds of inspiring brands, from new businesses to new trends and launches, reporting that the fair brought in a variety of distinguished buyers for exhibitors to network with, and exhibitors were able to connect with industry experts, stylists, journalists and creative influencers, boosting sales and brand awareness all in the same place.  

A good selection of accessories, fashion and jewellery designs from My Doris.

Under the RetailFest line-up, attendees were given opportunities to learn, be inspired and chat to movers and shakers such as Holly Lee Tucker MBE (a British entrepreneur, philanthropist, founder of Holly & Co and previous to that, notonthehighstreet) who was one of many speakers who inspired her enthusiastic talk on ways to keep your creative business thriving and future-proof.  

Holly Lee Tucker (above) offered advice from her new book "Do What You Love What you Do"
during her talk at Top Drawer.

Kalkidan Legesse (founder of Sancho’s & Schwap) explored a hot topic in retail and sustainability, and shared her tips and tricks on how to adopt sustainable practices in your business. 

Nikki Snell (founder of Press Loft) had a chat with Emma Morton-Turner and they gave their five top tips to maximise product photography for PR and e-commerce. 

Tobacco Brown was one of the key colour themes for interior and homestyle A/W trends.

Elsewhere at the fair, RetailReveal partnered with Press Loft to take a look into the future of trends and create four influential trends for buyers and exhibitors to use as inspiration. 

The Modern Folk interior trend includes vintage style prints and hand-made accessories.

Hyggen's selected Scandinavian brands
included Have A Look eco-eyeglass-frames.

Here are some testimonials that have given the organisers and industry the confidence to host the next Top Drawer event in the Spring, 16 - 18 January 2022.

Top Drawer is a great place to find interesting new products and a one-stop-shop to make everything for buying for your business just that little bit easier. – Anna Marie Trzebinski, AMTStyling 

Top Drawer is always a great event to attend as a retail professional to check out makers big and small. – Graham Hunter, East of Eden 

High quality, design-led products all under one roof. – Dawn Fuge, Precious Sparkle 

Top Drawer was a fun, friendly event that enabled us to discover new brands and products. As a small business, this saves us a lot of time in research and gave us the chance to meet the people creating products, to see and feel the products themselves and discuss with the company whether they would be able to meet our requirements for sustainability, plastic-free packaging and environmentally friendly ingredients/materials. – Rachel Saunders, Green and Wild 

It was good to be back at Top Drawer in person, nothing beats seeing and touching products in real life and meeting suppliers face to face. – Jo Georgiou, The Ark 

Exhibitor testimonials:

Top Drawer Autumn and Spring are the most important trade shows in our calendar.  No other exhibition in the UK generates such high calibre customers; sourcing for their stores and connecting with us the suppliers. The show gathers a very nice collection of exhibitors offering shops good content for the customer. – Victoria Whitbread, Designed in Colour    

The last 18 months have been really challenging as a business and to have a show to come back to is amazing. The look and feel of the show is still at the highest quality which shows how much the team behind the show cares about delivering a great experience. -  Simon Maghnagi, Forma House

For more details on the next 2022 event, click HERE.

Photos by Lucia Carpio for MyFashionConnectGlobal.

2021 London Design Medal winners announced

 Four London Design Medal winners were announced at a ceremony on 20 September at the Royal Exchange supported by Fortnum & Mason and No.3 Gin.  

2021 London Design Medal winners from left to right: Eyal Weizman MBE, Mac Collins,
Ilse Crawford CBE, and Michael Wolff.
Photography: Joyce Nicholls

Each year, London Design Festival recognises the contribution made by leading design figures and emerging talents to London and the industry.  The four London Design Medals awarded are The London Design Medal, Lifetime Achievement Medal, Emerging Design Medal, and Design Innovation Medal. A panel of established designers, industry commentators and previous winners meet to debate the possible recipients of the Medals. 

The 2021 Winners are: 

· London Design Medal:                    Ilse Crawford CBE         

· Design Innovation Medal:                Eyal Weizman MBE

· Emerging Design Medal:                 Mac Collins

· Lifetime Achievement Medal:          Michael Wolff

For full information on the medal winners, click HERE.

Also announced was the launch of the new London Design Festival Red Book that tells stories of the LDF21 and beyond. 

“We’ll give them a little Red Book, we said, for the festival in 2003 – so it’s taken a long time,” says founder and chairman Sir John Sorrell. 

Designed by Pentagram, the pages of this not-so-little Red Book show that in that time, London has continued to be a magnet for creativity. 

"We hope the Red Book brings together and celebrates the design community in London - and continues to inspire the next generation of designers, makers and brands that call London home, even if just for a week of September each year."

Meanwhile the Shoreditch Design Triangle’s District Day in East London is featuring all day a programme that includes an exploration of Gabriel Bouroullec, the father of the French designers Ronan and Erwan, at Jasper Morrison’s shop and human centric design at SCP.

On 22 September  at the Victoria & Albert Museum in Knightsbridge, there will be a full day of curated talks exploring themes from neuroscience to design and sustainability. From pioneering ideas to powering the home to creative ways to work with waste and design with materials.

Kaushik Velendra’s Spring Summer 2022 Menswear collection focuses on structure and fluidity

 

Kaushik Velendra’s Spring Summer 2022 Menswear collection draws inspiration from people, with a strong focus on anatomy and personality. This collection celebrates people from different walks of life.

While Kaushik Velendra is a cutting-edge luxury menswear brand, it is forging a new paradigm of traditional tailoring combined with the latest innovation in fabrication and construction.

This season the collection embraces the juxtaposition of structure and fluidity and offers a gateway to a new menswear world, creating a new species all together. The collection expands to a wider range of ready-to-wear essentials and couture. Each look reveals a unique element of surprise from every angle at the core of its design. 

Thus providing a whole new take on construction. 

Image from London Fashion Week website.

Tom Dixon launches MATERIALITY as part of London Design Festival 2021

After a successful event in Milan last week, British designer for interior and home products Tom Dixon continues his Grand Tour of Europe in home turf this week as part of London Design Festival 2021.

Tom Dixon test-driving the new MASS four-poster bed. 
On display at Tom Dixon HQ, the new bed is adorned with Kvadrat’s new Sisu fabric, a thickly woven checked upholstery designed by Nanna Ditzel and Danh Vo.  Kvadrat’s Sisu fabric complements the warm brass tones of the MASS family.   Illuminating MASS is the new MELT chandeliers in golden hues.

From 18th to 26th September, Tom Dixon invites patrons to visit his Coal Office HQ, and explore the theme of MATERIALITY and enjoy a series of presentations and workshops.

Tom is launching the new MASS collection, a family of super-polished solid brass tables, coat and bookstands. Created exclusively for LDF is a limited-edition MASS 4-Poster bed that will be on display in the Gallery.

Also showcased in a designated room are cork sheets that clad the walls and the brand’s tables and stools, representing the versatility and innovative qualities of it as a material. 

Cork as a material is experiencing a resurgence in design and architecture since it is recyclable and carbon negative, as it can be harvested without harming the tree that it grows on.  

Cork sheets have been supplied by Amorim, the world's biggest cork processing group. The new PRESS collection, a family of accessories, pendants and surface lights made from thick and transparent ribbed glass, decorate the space.

Simultaneously, throughout the week from Monday – Friday, Tom Dixon’s Coal Office restaurant will be serving afternoon teas daily from the MASS Gallery. Head Chef, Nitai Shevach will be serving olive oil cake with pistachio cream and kadaifi crumble and cremeaux choux pastry with rose and pistachio. Accompanying the sweet bites will be Nyetimber Classic Cuvee MV and organic whole leaf teas by Cocoon Tea Artisans – creating the ultimate English afternoon tea experience by invitation only.   On Monday evening, Nyetimber will host a special introduction to their collection of English sparkling wines, alongside a private tour of the exhibition led by Tom Dixon.

For details of Tom Dixon's series of programmes, click HERE. 

All images from Tom Dixon.

London celebrates as design capital of the world featuring London Design Festival, London Fashion Week, Planted and Design London

Tin Drum debuts a ground-breaking new installation, Medusa, in The Raphael Court at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London's Knighsbridge as one of the main features to celebrate London Design Festival.
Produced in collaboration with acclaimed Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, Medusa is an eminent visualisation of architecture in a Mixed Reality medium, examining the interrelation of nature and art.

The 19th edition of London Design Festival takes place across the city from 18-26 September 2021.

Design Districts are a key component of the Festival makeup with each Design District constituting a cluster of events within a short walking distance of each other, enabling visitors to navigate over 200 events and geography of the city. More information on each Design District coming soon.

With The Unboxing Show at King's Cross Design District, artist Peter Marigold is bringing back the nostalgia of creating cardboard models and highlighting the potential of the material that is usually considered as consumer waste. He has invited a global cohort of creatives to design an object that can be made in cardboard.

Confirmed Districts for LDF21 are Brompton; Clerkenwell; Design District at Greenwich Peninsula; Islington; Kings Cross; Mayfair; Park Royal; Shoreditch Design Triangle; Southwark South; William Morris Design Line (in Walthamstow that begins at Wood Street and ends at Blackhorse Road).

Concurrently London Fashion Week presented by Clearpay returns September 16-21 2021, joining in the celebration of the cultural reopening of London with an line-up of fashion and accessory designers.  Throughout the event, all digital content is available on the platform online with no log-ins or passwords required.

Meanwhile Design London 22-25 September 2021 is making its debut during London Design Festival 2021 to showcase a curated selection of cutting-edge furniture, lighting and contract interiors brands as well as collaborations with renowned and emerging designers.

Situated in Magazine London alongside a dynamic new Design District on Greenwich Peninsula, the inaugural Design London will feature a multitude of international brands, including esteemed Italian brands Ethimo Design; Penta and Artemide, Danish brand Fritz Hansen, as well as bespoke sculptural lighting company Cameron Design House who will reveal new contemporary brand Empty State. 

Defined by its modern architectural form, the venue provides a striking blank canvas for showcasing the very best in contemporary design, while functional and outdoor spaces provide a means for large-scale creative expression. Positioned on the banks of the River Thames, it offers uninterrupted views across Canary Wharf and is directly accessible by tube, road, river, air and cable car.

Highlights include “Discussions at Design London,” which will be opened by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori. He will welcome guests through a kaleidoscopic tunnel of colour, inviting them to take a seat in his joyfully-designed auditorium, Transparency in shades of colour. The line-up of speakers includes Henry Holland, Eley Kishimoto, and Pearson Lloyd.

Returning this year is Planted (23 to 26 September 2021 at Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross) as part of LDF which is based around the principles of biophilic design, bringing together a talks programme, various installations and plant-based products, with a focus on sustainable design brands who are dedicated to preserving nature.

Another notable London venue is the Victoria &Albert museum in Knightsbridge which during 18 to 26 September is hosting projects, installations and exhibitions by designers that look at design and its relation to climate change, showcasing projects that explore a low-carbon future, the circular economy and climate justice. Installations include a collaboration between mixed reality studio Tin Drum and Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, who will premiere an installation called Medusa: Architecture + Reality.

Images from London Design Festival website.

PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS returns this September as a Hybrid Event, setting the Tempo for Autumn Winter 22-23

A Physical Show in VILLEPINTE, North Paris (SEPT. 21-23) and a Digital Show on its WEBSITE (SEPT. 20-24)

After two seasons presented exclusively online at its Digital Shows, PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS - the leading trade fair for the upstream international fashion industry - is returning this season with a hybrid event, featuring two concurrent and complementary shows, to bring together - online and in person - the creative fashion industry. 

The twin events are aimed to help professionals come together, find inspiration and be guided in the design of their Autumn Winter 22-23 collections.

In total, the hybrid Première Vision Paris event will feature 903 international exhibitors from 40 countries: 

• 756 companies will present, both physically at the show and online on the Marketplace, their latest material developments - yarns & fibres, fabrics, leathers, textile designs, accessories & components, eco-responsible innovations - and their fashion-manufacturing solutions for ready-to wear, accessories, and footwear. 

• 147 spinners, weavers, tanners, design studios, accessory and component manufacturers and garment makers will be presenting their collections and manufacturing solutions exclusively online on the Première Vision Marketplace and via the Digital Show, on the Première Vision website.

The rise of the Pineapple for home and interiors

The pineapple is a tropical fruit that has predominantly been used as a symbol of luxury and hospitality. It is regarded as a status symbol too because in early European society, pineapples could not be grown on European soil, and therefore, only the affluent could afford to import them.

Subsequently it has been traded globally as a commodity, and planted in foreign lands.

Today the pineapple is favoured by food buffs due to its sweet taste for creating exotic dishes, but also  the beauty of its symmetry makes it ideal for decorative products thus popular as a theme for interior designers.

A decorative piece, Pineapple Ceramic Vase (Dimensions: H:390 mm Dia:300 mm) has a stunning and unique texture and glorious green glaze, making it the perfect accessory to create an instant style statement, available at
Luxeology Home (Luxeology.co.uk)

UK designer and botanical artist Emma van Klaveren who has been painting professionally for 25 years, initially as a Muralist and Decorative Painter, then as Head of Art at two large preparatory schools is now a freelance Botanical Artist and Illustrator.  She has a Diploma with Merit from The Chelsea School of Botanical Art, she is a Painting Member of The Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society, The Association of British Botanical Artists (ABBA), The American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) and Amicus Botanicus.   Emma works with industries and magazines who use botanicals in their products and in their marketing. She also welcomes private commissions.

A 100% cotton towel made in the UK, featuring a pineapple design using
Emma van Klaveren’s original watercolour.  Dimensions: 70 x 47cms.

Emma van Klaveren has just launched a soft 100% cotton towel  'ANANAS COMOSUS' made in the UK, a design using Emma’s original watercolour.  Measuring 70 x 47cms, it is available at Emma van Klaveren's website.

Pineapple Table Lamp from Annabel James has dimensions: H60 x W13 x D13 cm without shade

.

Meanwhile, over at online store Annabel James, this Pineapple Table Lamp. reminiscent of the pineapples featured on the finials of gate posts of grand houses, is a sophisticated way to bring the pineapple trend into one's home. It is handcrafted in polished aluminium and paired with a contrasting black linen shade.  Annabel James was established in 2013, in the heart of the English countryside on the Hampshire/West Sussex border, offering carefully curated affordable luxury gifts and home and garden accessories. 

Tokolo Asao [CONNECT] Individual and Group. A Japanese architect’s geometric works at the Japan House London

An exhibition of works by Tokolo Asao - creator of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games emblem is currently held at Japan House London in Kensington, in the heart of the Capital of Great Britain, until 7th November 2021.

Tokolo Asao (b.1969) studied architecture from a young age and now works in the interdisciplinary fields of art, architecture, and design.   

A selection of his geometric patterns built on the concept of connection is based on simple geometry, and the patterns can be reproduced using a compass and a ruler.

He has a connection with London  having previously studied under Egashira Shin at the Architectural Association. 

Since September 11th, 2001, Tokolo has been producing patterns to the theme of ‘connecting’, according to Japan House London which commissioned this exhibition.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games brought Tokolo Asao to the world’s attention, when his graphic art Harmonised Chequered Emblem was chosen as the Olympic and Paralympic official emblems. 

Tokolo is an artist who is happy to share his work with anyone. He will explain project after project with intense curiosity and passion for what he is doing. 

So, if you ask, he will tell you that the emblem is made up of three specific rectangles that connect at every corner and can fill a circle perfectly. 

Although at first glance the simplicity and elegance is deceptive, further inspection reveals the complexity of the arrangements could have only been made possible as a result of intricately thought-out logic.

All images by Lucia Carpio for MyFashionConnectGlobal.

Introducing Wonderlust: An Artist's Love Letter To Nature

Feathr, known for its artisan wallcoverings, has collaborated with iconic British brand Wedgwood and multi-disciplinary artist Claire Luxton to create an original artwork and luxury wallpaper mural - 'Wonderlust' - inspired by six patterns introduced to the Wedgwood Wonderlust teaware collection.

Multi-disciplinary artist Claire Luxton's Wonderlust wallpaper design converts any interior space into a magical wonderland of upscaled flora and fauna, and inter-mixing with wild life.
The Wonderlust by Claire Luxton x Wedgwood wall mural is available in two colour options: Dawn Flight (shown above) and Dusk Flight.
The landscape format design is made to order in bespoke sizes on 150gsm non-woven wallcovering, along with materials suitable for commercial installations. The mural is available for worldwide delivery exclusively from www.feathr.com.

Images courtesy of Feathr 

Luxton reimagined the new Wedgwood patterns with a living sculptural installation visualised in the artist’s East Sussex studio. Using florals, botanicals, taxidermy and live animals, Luxton created a multi dimensional installation involving sculptural, collage, photographic and hand painted techniques. 

The finished three-dimensional sculpture was photographed in over 30 different sections by Luxton who then digitally stitched the artwork together in hundreds of layers before applying hand finished details, including water droplets and images of real life poison dart frogs.

Wonderlust by Claire Luxton x Wedgwood
 (Dusk Flight)

Working with Luxton, Feathr has adapted the artwork into a 6 x 3 metre wall mural, available exclusively from Feathr.com. The Wonderlust by Claire Luxton x Wedgwood faithfully reproduces the exquisite detail of Luxton’s original artwork, with the flora and fauna captured in breathtaking sharpness.

Feathr works with a community of internationally acclaimed contemporary artists to design and produce bespoke wallpapers and wall murals.  The Feathr team had worked with Claire Luxton in the past and introduced the artist to Wedgwood as the ideal creative partner to reinterpret the Wonderlust design and bring the patterns to life in an interior space.

According to Feathr, Claire’s aesthetic and experience designing large format artworks, combined with her multi- disciplinary vision and creative sensibility, were the perfect match for Wedgwood and meant the artist was able to appreciate and work within the constraints of the wall mural production process, without compromising her creativity.

Commenting on the partnership with Wedgwood and Claire Luxton, Tom Puukko, Founder of Feathr says, “We believe art is for everyone and art should be everywhere. The lush creativity of the new Wedgwood Wonderlust collection felt so ripe for taking into a larger format like a wall mural, so we were delighted when Wedgwood approached us to bring the collection to life as a wallcovering. Claire Luxton, whose work so cleverly plays with the form and scale of botanics, felt like the perfect artist to take the Wonderlust designs on the journey from tableware to wall mural. The final artwork is something truly joyous; rich in detail, filled with tropical texture and a siren call to explore and engage with the natural world.”

All images from Feathr.

Wedgwood is renowned for collaborating with artists to create new expressions of its iconic patterns, an approach focused on reinvention that has resulted in unexpected interpretations and exciting contemporary visions of the company’s classic and timeless designs.

Recent Wedgwood design collaborations have included Japanese ceramic artist and RCA alumni Hitomi Hosono and leading UK product and interior designer Lee Broom, whilst in the 1930’s the British landscape painter Eric Ravilious* became an ongoing collaborator with Wedgwood and in the 1970’s, Scottish sculptor and graphic artist Eduardo Paolozzi created a limited collection of six plates using modern screen printing techniques.

* The Towner Gallery in Eastbourne, East Sussex is currently featuring The Ravilious Gallery and Collection Library until Janurary 16, 2022.  Supported by Eastbourne Arts Circle, this is a dedicated space presenting changing exhibitions of works by Eric Ravilious, including examples of his collaboration with Wedgwood, selected from Towner’s extensive collection of his work.