Inspired: London Design Festival (FOCUS/21)
No matter how busy it may be in the studio (and trust me, it has been hectic over the pandemic!), we always try to carve out a couple of hours to visit the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour during the London Design Festival in September. Bold new window displays from every showroom jostle for attention and the programme is always jam-packed with interesting and current talks and workshops by experts.
This year is no different, except that there is an even louder than usual hum of excitement reverberating around the interconnected dome-shaped buildings. As people have slowly gotten used to visiting showrooms and attending networking events again, FOCUS/21 quickly reached full swing confidently and optimistically. Everyone seems to be revelling in being able to meet in-person, touch newly launched products and even sneak in a canapé or two at the various events happening in parallel.
Though not explicitly set as the collective theme, this general feeling of optimism has translated into quite a few of the new collections this season. Rich, uplifting colours and eye-catching patterns like the latest wallcoverings from Cole & Son are capturing our imagination with their whimsical scenes of the animal kingdom. The Jabula collection is a collaboration with Ardmore, celebrating and supporting their talented ceramic craftsmen based in South Africa . We love the intricate level of detail that is typical of the brand - no one does statement wallpapers quite like Cole & Son!
Another trend that seems to be echoing everywhere you turn is the issue of sustainability. We were glad to join the talk on ‘Tackling Sustainability in Textiles’ hosted in the Zimmer + Rohde showroom. Fredericke Winkler, the design director of Hodsoll McKenzie, illuminated on the design inspiration and manufacturing process of their new eco-responsible collection Utopia, which features gorgeous, soft and textural fabrics made in ways that cause minimal ecological impact. Some of the mentioned techniques include well-established ones like only using high quality Belgian linen that is certified at every stage and which is one of the last fabrics to be wholly produced in Europe. Other designs have been woven in post-consumer upcycled and/or plant fibres using innovative production methods that respect the local culture and environment.
It was great to see this philosophy extending to other mediums as well, like the new line of rugs from Ochre. Called Ochre Wild, it is a lovely range of indo-tibetan hand knotted rugs that are made in natural yarns of ramie, linen and hemp. The beautiful rich hues of turmeric and berry pink are achieved using natural chemical-free dyes too . As designers of the 21st century, we have been striving to gradually incorporate more eco-friendly practices in our design work as well as in the daily operation of our small studio. We were therefore very glad and motivated to see a clear movement towards prioritising sustainability this season and hope that it remains a goal for the whole industry.
As this busy week gets wrapped up, we have to remind ourselves - it doesn’t end here! Over the next few weeks we will be getting ready to debut an exciting collaboration with one of our favourite suppliers next month at Decorex… We can’t wait to be able to finally share it with you all soon - watch this space!