Hel Yes! pop-up restaurant in Hackney
After exhausting myself out after 10 days at the London Design festival last year, I ended up catching a cold and was in bed for a few days. This year, I decided to pace myself and to attend fewer events...
As usual, the London design festival was packed with different events around town, with many in Shoreditch and at the V & A museum. Surprisingly, most of my non-designer friends had no knowledge of this festival because of the media's sole focus on the London fashion week.
London design festival poster
On day 1, I went to the 'Making Places' talk at the pop-up Finnish restaurant (a converted warehouse) in Hackney, where they served brunch including coffee and juices for £10. Another talk 'borderland' took place a week later with different designers and artists from Helsinki and London. Although I have my reservation about Finnish cuisine, I like the concept and I think the organisers have done a good job for a restaurant that only lasts for about 2 weeks!
Interior and food at Hel Yes!
Victoria & Albert Museum
Most of the talks and events were held at the V & A, I attended 2 early morning talks, one with Neville Brody and another with MP, Ed Vaizey, then afternoon talks by Beyond the Valley, Cappellini, and one on handmade crafts. Neville Brody's talk was the most interesting because he decided to turn against the establishment and created an anti-design festival. He felt that the design festival has become too glossy and commercial, hence he wanted to provide a space for people to interact, explore and create.
Neville Brody talk @ V & A musueum
Apart from talks, there were installations all over the museum as well as a late night event called Two is a pair.
Installations at V & A
Two's a pair, late night event at the V & A
Shoreditch & Hackney:
Anti-design festival venue in Shoreditch
Tramshed in Shoreditch
Pop-up one room hotel in Shoreditch
Furniture designer, Tomoko Azumi's exhibition, Shoreditch
SCP shop in Shoreditch
Established & sons showroom, Hackney
South Kensington & Chelsea
Super natural exhibition and the Pop-up Bramble cafe
Nendo's super cool 'Thin black lines' exhibition at Saatchi Gallery
Saatchi Gallery
100% design show
Since Tom Dixon stepped down from the Creative Director's post 2 years ago, the show has gone straight downhill. Last year, the show was commercial, inconsistent and messy; this year, the overall standard was more consistent but the venue was much smaller. There were fewer new/ young designers, and the focus was more on global designs from Norway, France and Korea etc. The Japanese booth was rather disappointing, but the surprise came from Taiwan which showcased some intersting furniture and ceremics. However, I think the 100% design show is in need for some creative input before it slips further down to just another ordinary design trade show.
100% design show
