Last week I visited the New Designers 2018 showcase which was held in the Business Design Centre, London. I was really astounded by the calibre of talent and also really pleasantly surprised at the ratio of young female furniture designers there.
Speaking with the graduates and listening to how passionate they were in talking about their creations, highlighted just how strong the design roots are in Britain. From pendant lights made from green wood, to 3D printed jewellery, the show had something for everyone and I hope that each and every student who exhibited their work feels genuinely proud of themselves for all their effort and attention to detail.
I shared some of my favourites on Instagram so head over there to check them out, so many wonderful chair designs handcrafted from natural materials, and interesting lighting designs and a few accessories too.
Shown here are some highlights, such as the beautiful low slung leather lounge chair from Rosie Endersby, a wondrous coffee table inspired by the giants causeway by David Knowles and a stunning array of lighting designs from Sebastian Segerlund.
It’s very heartening to see many of the students using sustainable, natural materials for their projects, a few years ago there seemed to be a trend for moulding plastics so hopefully this shows that we’re steering away from that now. As I’ve said before (again and again) it’s our responsibility as designers to source and use natural, biodegradable or recyclable products that mitigate any negative impact on the planet, so it’s fantastic that this new wave of designers is also taking that into account.
The product designs were extremely innovative and some of the prototypes and models on display were just mind blowing. The level of detail was exceptional and I’m in no doubt that many of those students have the potential to become the next Jonathan I’ve, Philippe Starck or James Dyson.
I now have a wonderful little collection of business cards that I gathered from my favourite designers yesterday and have emailed everyone to congratulate them on a successful show. Watch this space for our upcoming projects featuring the work from some of these talented young ones.
Weekend downtime was drawn out in the sunshine, after a post work drink in the beer garden on Friday, Nick & I attended Marlborough College to watch The Lost Boys (80’s classic!) hosted by The Lost Cinema. Saturday we ventured over to Barbury Horse Trials, which was remarkably quieter than in previous years, but it perhaps had something to do with the sweltering heat…and a certain footy match that occurred on Saturday…(it’s coming home!!)
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