The London Design Festival will take over the city from the 17th to the 25th of September this year. It’s going to feel like an especially big edition this year: not only is the first post-pandemic edition with international travel back, but the festival is also celebrating its 20th anniversary. We have deep-dived into the extensive program, and it’s shaping up to be a true showstopper, visually and intellectually inspiring. Many of our partner brands and friends will take part, launching exciting new collections or leading inviting talks in showrooms and pop-up spaces. Here’s our round-up of what they’re presenting during LDF 2022 – see you there!
Exhibition: Tom Dixon Twenty
2001 not only saw the first edition of LDF – it’s also the year Tom Dixon set up his eponymous brand. The British designer will celebrate his anniversary with the aptly named TWENTY exhibition in the brand’s HQ at Coal Drops Yard. On show will be 20 never-before displayed designs, mixing new and reinvented objects, including an enormous Melt chandelier, a chair made of Danish eelgrass, a latex S-chair and giant mycelium sculptures. There will be workshops, presentations and events throughout the week to mark this exciting milestone.
17 – 25 September
The Coal Office, Bagley Walk, Kings Cross, N1C 4PQ
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Product launch: X Lounge Chair by &Tradition
Danish brand &Tradition will unveil the X lounge chair by Hvidt & Mølgaard, a Copenhagen-based architecture and design firm established in 1944. &Tradition’s beautiful showroom right next to St James Park will host an exhibition with some classic pieces by the pioneering design duo. X was designed in 1958 and impressed contemporaries with its distinctive sloping silhouette and understated aesthetic.
19 - 23 September
&Tradition, 34 Queen Anne's Gate, St James Park, SW1H 9AB
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Exhibition: Ukraine: Design for Real Time
Noom, a Ukrainian furniture and accessories brand, will be presenting a reinvented version of their Gropius Low Chair in the exhibition ‘Ukraine: Design for Real Time’. Originally designed in peacetime, the designers have now upholstered it with a camouflage net.
17 to 25 September
Cromwell Place, 4 Cromwell Place, South Kensington, SW7 2JE
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New brand: Granite + Smoke
Lindsey Hesketh, co-founder of ABN7 Architects, and interior designer Claire Canning – who used Clippings to furnish a high-end office in Aberdeen – have started the new accessories label Granite + Smoke. During LDF, the brand’s wall hangings, blankets and cushions will be on display in the windows of The W Store in Walthamstow village as part of the William Morris Design Line. Woven in limited runs on jacquard looms at historic mills in Scotland and England, the colourful collection is made with sustainable materials, ranging from ethically sourced cashmere to recycled wool.
17 – 25 September
The W Store, 47 Orford Rd, Walthamstow, E17 9NJ
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Pop-up: On Balance by Tala
Sustainability-conscious lighting brand Tala will take over the Club Row venue in Shoreditch. From an immersive exhibition focussing on the new architectural lighting collection Kilter, to talks and workshops, this hub will be buzzing. Clippings will join the fun with an edition of our Breakfast Insights during the festival. If you want to join, register for a Clippings account here and opt-in to receive our newsletter.
20 – 25 September
Tala Showroom Club Row, 9 Club Row, Shoreditch, E1 6JX
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Product launch: Hay
Another anniversary! Hay celebrates 20 years of making contemporary design. In the Shoreditch showroom, the latest launches and previews of upcoming collections will be on display. So far, the brand has name-dropped Laila Gohar, Muller Van Severen and Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec. HAY will also be present at the London Design fair at Magazine London in Greenwich. The outdoor area will get a make-over by Hay, with the Balcony, Palissade and Palissade Park chairs and benches offering visitors a chic spot to enjoy the view over the Thames towards the skyline of Canary Wharf – and take a welcome break from exploring the festival.
17 – 25 September
HAY Showroom, Underwood Works, 6-14 Underwood Street, Shoreditch, N1 7JQ
Design London, Magazine London, 11 Ordnance Cres, Greenwich, SE10 0JH
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Exhibition: The Cassina Perspective 2022
Cassina presents its latest edit of new collections and refreshed icons in the brand’s Brompton Road flagship showroom. This year’s Cassina Perspective will include collaborations with big names such as Antonio Citterio, Mikal Harrsen, Formafantasma and Linda Freya Tangelder. There will also be new works by Rudolfo Dordoni, Gaetano Pesce and Patricia Urquiola, as well as new editions by Charlotte Perriand. It will also see the UK debut of Cassina Details, a collection of accessories.
17 to 25 September
Cassina Showroom, 238-242 Brompton Rd, South Kensington,SW3 2BB
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Talk: The Future of Hospitality at Fritz Hansen
Another birthday bash! Fritz Hansen celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. The brand’s Clerkenwell showroom will be transformed into an exhibition exploring past and present hospitality concepts. There will be a replica of Suite 606 – a closed room in the SAS Royal Hotel – featuring the original furnishings and layout of the 1960s, including the iconic chairs in original textiles, curtains, finishes and accessories. The installation will sit alongside new Autumn pieces. Additionally, on the 20th of September, the brand will host a talk led by trends agency Stylus with Fritz Hansen's Head of Design, Marie-Louise Høstbo, and hospitality designer Dexter Moren. The conversation will touch on the convergence of hotel and workspace and how the design of hospitality spaces has evolved in terms of human-centric needs and furniture design.
19 - 23 September
Fritz Hansen Showroom, 78 Cowcross Street, Clerkenwell, EC1M 6EJ
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Product launch: T4 by Holloway Li for Uma
Our friends, architecture and interiors studio Holloway Li, are dipping their toes in new waters: they will present their first furniture collection. Produced by Uma, the T4 series is a modular sofa range made from lightweight composite. The charming design channels the bubbly 90s style, mixing Cool Britannia vibes with references to set-design of TV shows popular just before the turn of the millennium.
19 – 25 September
The Market Building, 72-82 Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell, EC1R 4RW
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Product launch: Island & Crate Established & Sons
In Clerkenwell, Established & Sons will show Island, a multi-configured seating system by the Bouroullec brothers, and additions to Jasper Morrison Crate Series. These are shown in an installation developed by the designer alongside earlier Crate pieces.
19 – 23 September
Established & Sons, 7 Tilney Court, Old Street, EC1V 9BQ
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Showroom opening: Vitra
Just in time for the London Design Festival, Vitra opens the doors to its new London home. On the 20th of September, the Swiss brand’s Shoreditch showroom will welcome guests for the first time in the listed Tramshed building, a former power station. To mark the festive occasion, there will be an exhibition highlighting the partnership of Vitra with the family of Jean Prouvé.
21 – 25 September
Vitra, 32 Rivington St, Shoreditch, EC2A 3LX
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Product launch: Edge Free by Pearson Lloyd for Modus Furniture
Workplace furniture brand Modus reveals the latest result of the long-standing collaboration with design studio Pearson Lloyd. Edge Free is a foam-free modular seating system made with plant-based alternatives to petrochemical foams. This reduces the embodied carbon by two-thirds compared with polyurethane foam.
19 – 23 September
Modus showroom, 28-29 Great Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, EC1V 0DS
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New product: David Irwin for Another Country
Sustainability-focussed furniture label Another Country will curate a selection of furniture designs developed in partnership with David Irwin over the last seven years. Set in the British brand’s Marylebone showroom, the display will also include the new Davenport Sideboard and Hardy Bench.
17 September; 19 – 24 September
Another Country, 18 Crawford Street, Marylebone, W1H 1BT
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Talk: Circular Design at Inhabit Hotel Queen’s Gardens
We’re excited to see one of the projects Clippings was the procurement partner for will be a destination during this year’s LDF. The Inhabit Hotel in Bayswater will host a panel talk on circular design with Nadira Lalji, Inhabit co-founder, Marie Carlisle, CEO and co-founder of social enterprise and furniture maker Goldfinger, Richard Holland, co-founder of Holland Harvey Architects, and Takiyah Daly, co-executive director from Granby Workshop.
21 Sep, 18:30—19:15
Inhabit, Queen's Gardens 1-2 Queen’s Gardens, Bayswater, W2 3BA
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Exhibition: Le Bambole at B&B Italia
To mark the 50th anniversary of the famous Le Bambole lounge chair by Mario Bellini, B&B Italia will show the latest iterations of the design. The updated range includes familiar products and new additions: the Bambola armchair, the Bibambola two-seater sofa and the Bamboletto double bed. Plus, the three-seater sofa, Granbambola, has been given a deeper seat.
19 – 24 September |
B&B Italia, 250 Brompton Rd, South Kensington, SW3 2AS
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