Design London adds new names, pavilions and special projects to its final line-up

^{Above L-R: Tizio by Artemide; Karaca x Hussein Chalayan; Cubes by Paul Kelley.}

With less than a month to go, Design London is excited to reveal new exhibitors and further details about what to expect from its international pavilions and special projects – including adidas: Chasing Circularity – at this year’s edition (21st – 24th September 2022).

Now in its second year, Design London will return to Magazine London in North Greenwich – as part of London Design Festival. It is set to be the festival’s largest contemporary design fair and headline as the main attraction in the newest design district, Greenwich Peninsula.

Doubling its size and spread across two exhibition areas including the main show space, Magazine London, and a new temporary pavilion, the Showground, the 2022 edition continues to showcase some of the best and most innovative ideas the design community has to offer. It brings together an international line-up of sought-after brands from across furniture, kitchens and bathrooms, lighting and architectural fittings. Some of the latest names confirmed for this month’s event include:

adidas: Chasing Circularity

adidas dives deep into its circularity journey with an exclusive preview of products from its Made To Be Remade collection, alongside a panel discussion that lifts the curtain on the unique process and challenges of designing within a circular system – supporting its mission to help end plastic waste.

Visitors can view the latest innovations through a one-off visual exhibition, with a select few hearing from the Innovation team who is driving the brand’s circular ambitions forward – only at this year’s Design London.

Furniture

Van Rossum has been designing and making solid and sustainable furniture by hand in its workshop for over 40 years. At Design London, the Dutch brand will display some of its newly launched pieces including the Barrel dining table by Thomas Haarmann, the Bracci armchair by Pieter Maes, and the Kitale Bibliotheque by Xavier Dohr – in a brand-new colourway that will be revealed at the show.

Established by architect and designer Katarzyna Kozłowska in 2019, Ilusi is a contemporary furniture manufacturer based in Poland. Visitors to Design London will experience one of Kozłowska’s hero ranges, Slim – a modular steel system available in different colour options. Established furniture maker Zeitraum will have its new designs including the Kuyu Dine dining table and Zenso High lounger – both by Formstelle – on display.

Also joining the show is Shelf Studio. Its co-founder, Sam Chasseur produces bright-coloured shelves by hand, using sustainably sourced birch plywood and building materials. The Bristol-based company, which started in 2020, will present its Wave Neon shelf – designed to house indoor plants while lighting up the interior.

Trained initially as a guitar maker, London-based Paul Kelley will bring his Memphis-inspired, handmade pieces to Design London, which have been reworked using Abet Laminati’s unique palette of surface colours and textures. These include Kelley’s magnetic cubes with exclusive new finishes by Milan-based fashion designer Arthur Arbesser, as well as a new range of storage.

Founded by artist and designer Joseph Ellwood in 2020, Six Dots Design will return with a new five-piece collection. Contemporary Vanity is laser cut using a digital fabrication service and made from raw finished aluminium that can be readily reused and recycled.

Participating for the first time, Ton will exhibit its design by Studio Claesson Koivisto Rune, which draws inspiration from Josef Hoffman’s A811 chair; while Dare Studio – which specialises in high-end furniture for residential and hospitality interiors – will also be present at the event.

Lighting

Global lighting manufacturer Artemide will bring its new as well as iconic collections to Design London. These include Funivia by its President and CEO, Carlotta de Bevilacqua; Stellar Nebula by BIG; and Tizio by Richard Sapper, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a special edition in the late designer’s favourite colour, red.

Also from Italy, Auralis will come to the show with its three key brands – Penta, Castaldi and Arredoluce. They share the same goal: driving technological innovation and promoting lighting as a tool to improve the quality of daily life. Products on display range from Penta’s Hang Out to Castaldi’s Disc and Arredoluce’s Triennale.

A family-owned company with over 50 years of history, Hamilton Litestat specialises in premium decorative wiring accessories; from sockets to switches, toggles to dimmers. At Design London, the British manufacturer will launch new designs in different unique finishes.

Seoul-based Ago will exhibit its latest designs while installing a one-off feature in one of the show’s tunnels – inspired by its playful Cirkus chandelier. Its British counterpart, Haberdashery will display Flux, a custom centrepiece made of slender glass tubes and suspended from minimal ceiling plates.

Other lighting brands to look out for include architectural and decorative lighting specialist No Grey Area, British designer Jonathan Coles, and London-based Finials.

Decorative Solutions

Kitchen, tableware and home textile company Karaca will bring its exclusive tableware collection by world-renowned fashion designer, Hussein Chalayan to Design London. Awarded the Best Tableware accolade at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2022, the art-inspired range is crafted from ground pearl and comprises two six-piece sets – for dinner and breakfast – and a mug and cup combination.

L’Diff, an expert in art prints by Korean artists, will join Israel-based Motiva – which offers a new dimension to the world of visual art using light and colour.

Oxfordshire-based Bright Green specialises in artificial, preserved and living plants. At the show, the company will display different bespoke solutions – from artificial trees to green walls and high-level artificial planting.

Surfaces, Coverings and Windows

Laudescher designs and manufactures solid wood acoustic panels for suspended ceiling and wall cladding, using wood from responsibly managed forests. Founded in 1965, the French specialist will showcase two new designs including Linea 3D Jungle and Linea Touch.

Inventor of laminate, Formica Group will support the new collection from German metal surface specialist, Homapal – with two gold and copper wall installations at Design London.

Meanwhile, Carminati Serramenti – the 128-year-old Italian manufacturer of wooden and wooden aluminium-clad windows and doors – will show its latest collection, Skyline by Daniele Carminati.

Sustainability

Newly launched in Germany by founder Emily Pecker, Coldharbour Tiles offers eco-tiles made from 100% recycled plastic waste. With no virgin plastic added, the tiles retain the same quality and safety standards as other traditional tiles. On display at Design London will be Net Positive, the company’s first certified wall tile range made from recycled plastic fishing nets in five ocean-inspired colours, using a zero-waste manufacturing process.

Also focusing on the environment is Riya Kuvavala, MA Material Futures graduate from Central Saint Martins, London. Kuvavala is a multidisciplinary designer who combines her design practice with science, craft and technology. Her Boat BioLogs are bioremediating floating gardens, incorporating hyperaccumulating UK-native plants that can be made and installed by canal boat residents. The aim is to use accessible and affordable materials and techniques to restore the canal water ecosystem.

Moving from low to high-tech, Genesis – founded in 2015 – has established itself as a true alternative within the premium automotive sector. This year, the Korean car brand has started its electrification journey, introducing three electric vehicles (EV) with the aim of offering a fully electric line-up by 2025. As the automotive partner at Design London, Genesis will showcase its first fully EV, the GV60, as well as the Electrified G80 – with an electric powertrain that has a maximum range of 323 miles and 22-minute ultra-fast charging. Before entering Magazine London, visitors will be greeted by the Genesis outdoor space at the front entrance and offered the opportunity to test drive the brand’s vehicles on site*.

^{*Visitors will be required to present their driving licence on the day or complete a DVLA driving licence check prior to visiting.}

International Pavilions

Alongside a multitude of product launches, visitors to Design London 2022 will have the opportunity to explore a curated selection of international pavilions; from the returning Danish Pavilion to newcomers including the Korean, Portuguese and Thai Pavilions.

Korea

With the support of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Federation of SMEs which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, Korea Messe will present the Korean Pavilion at Design London for the first time. Its stand will be home to some of the country’s best small- to medium-sized design companies – with products on show ranging from ceramics and furniture to home accessories and kitchenware.

Visitors will be required to present their driving licence on the day or complete a DVLA driving licence check prior to visiting.

Participating brands include: Woorim Kang of Woorim Workshop, Hyung Jun Kim and Seok Man Seo (aka THR-Ceramic), Dae Hun Ahn and Min Ju Park, Ellie Jung of iamHERE, Young Jin Kim and Hye Sun Lee.

Portugal 

Also new to the show is the Portuguese Association of Wood and Furniture Industries (AIMMP). Its core mission is to represent, promote and protect Portuguese companies from five divisions that make up the wood and furniture sector: wood cutting, felling, sawing and wood packing; wood derivatives and energy; carpentry and alike; furniture and alike; export, import and distribution of wood and derivatives.

At Design London, the Portuguese Pavilion will comprise 13 leading brands showcasing a range of products that are 100% designed and manufactured in Portugal.

Expect to see the Santiago Sevillano-designed Penat chair from Fenabel, as well as the limited-edition Contador sideboard from Wewood to mark the company’s 10th anniversary. Other brands include: A Freitas e Barbosa, Achilles Since 1905, Carpintaria Laureano, Gesprint, HATT, MainGuilty, Mamoa, MBN Group, Safina, SUSDesign and X8 Solutions Group.

Thailand

12 sustainable and eco-conscious furniture and home decoration brands from Thailand have been selected to represent the Thai Pavilion – which is also new to Design London. In response to the urgent issue of global climate change, the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) of the Royal Thai Government has launched the “Thailand Be the ChanGe” initiative, highlighting some of the most forward-thinking Thai creative businesses working within the Government’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) model.

At the show, the Thai BCG Heroes Pavilion will exhibit a curated portfolio of homeware, furniture and lifestyle pieces that demonstrate the creative solutions to meet the rising global demand for sustainable and eco-conscious products. Known for their craftsmanship and expertise in manufacturing, these BCG brands use innovation and technology to transform natural and industrial waste into products for environmentally conscious consumers and businesses.

Participating brands include: Deesawat, Eggwhite, Harvbrand, HOOG-moRE, Moonler, Thingg, Wasoo, Khaisaeng Handmade, PIN, Thais, Thaniya and Pasaya.

Denmark

This year’s Design London also sees the return of the Danish Pavilion. It will feature a compelling line-up of Scandi names curated by Lifestyle and Design Cluster – in conjunction with the Danish Embassy.

Lifestyle and Design Cluster works to promote innovation and sustainable growth primarily in the small- and medium-sized housing and clothing companies, as well as in the creative industries.

Special Projects

Last but not least, Design London 2022 boasts a whole host of collaborations; from sought-after brands to experiential installations. Known for her public art across the UK, Lois O’Hara believes in the positive effects colour can have on people and places. As well as creating a one-off mural at Design London’s front entrance to greet visitors, the Brighton-based multidisciplinary artist is also responsible for designing this year’s talks theatre – where Discussions at Design London will take place. Meanwhile, on the same floor, there will be a champagne bar for guests to gather and relax; the space is set to be built using reclaimed materials from the 2021 talks theatre designed by Yinka Ilori.

What’s more, Versarien – which develops and manufactures advanced material technologies to improve the environment – has teamed up with British artist and designer, Steuart Padwick to create a 3-D printed installation at Design London. Using 100% cement-free concrete reinforced with Graphene, this special feature – titled Island Steps – has been designed as a playful oasis which can be located both indoors and outdoors. The 3-D printing significantly reduces the volume of concrete needed, while the special mortar being cement-free is expected to reduce the carbon footprint by over 70%.

Design London returns to Magazine London, North Greenwich from 21st – 24th September 2022. For more information, please visit designlondon.co.uk.