Wednesday 21 September 2011

London Design Festival

Last weekend saw the start of a big event in the design calender, London Design Festival.  This is perfectly summed up on the festivals website - 'Nine amazing days of design events showcasing the UK's world-class creative community'. 

London Design Festival first started eight years ago in 2003 and is now one of the most important events within the international design world.  This September there will be hundreds of events across the design spectrum in various locations across our beautiful capital city.  There are 200 partners organising a whole host of events during the nine days and the diversity of the partners makes for an array of possibilites. 

As a cultural and commercial festival we can expect major exhibitions, trade shows, seminars, installations, talks, product launches and private viewings.  The majority of events offer free entry so many of us can indulge in learning, listening and maybe even some buying.  Funded by an eclectic mix of private and public sector sources helps add to the diverse mix that the London Design Festival offers.  The Mayor Of London's office provides grant funding and the Art's Council have been providing longstanding financial support for the project.  Over 60% of funding for the festival is provided by private sponsors. Last years London Design Festival saw over 350,000 vistiors attend throughout the nine days of events. 

The installation from Amanda Levete Architects at the entrance of the V&A

The V&A are for the third year running hosting a variety of exhibitions, talks and workshops.  They will also be hosting thirteen specially commisioned installations including the museums entrance being transformed by the award winning architects, Amanda Levete Architects, which is a majestic three dimensional  lattice work spiral made from red oak, spanning the height of the museum doors.  However it is the  'Textile Field' installation, designed by the French duo the Bouroullec Brothers, inside the V&A that sounds like lots of fun! This coloured foam and textile installation allows visitors to lounge and fully enjoy the Raphael Gallery.


Timourous Beasties at Liberty London

Another brand synominous with London and the design world is of course Liberty LondonTimorous Beasties exclusive collection, Liberty Bell, is displayed in a window of this flagship store for the duration of the festival.  House of Hackney have meanwhile taken over a corner of Liberty London with their luxurious printed furniture, wallpaper and soft furnishings. 

Obviously there are many many more venues, organisations and designers involved in London Design Festival so be sure to visit the festivals website to explore this amazing event fully. Of course if you are lukcy enough to be in London between now and Sunday be sure to visit at least one exhibition or event.

Enjoy!
Zoe
x

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