Los Angeles Design Festival Takes a Wide View

Events included the keynote discussion featuring the city’s newly appointed Chief Design Officer, Christopher Hawthorne, with local leading architects Barbara Bestor and Julie Eizenberg. Celebrated costume designer Ruth E. Carter, whose work made a big impact in “Black Panther,” among other films, was honored with the ICON award, which was the first time the L.A. Design Festival awarded it to someone outside what’s traditionally considered to part of the design field.

Events were based at the ROW DTLA complex in downtown Los Angeles, where former industrial buildings are in the process of transforming a massive collection of structures into a mixed-use community.Design is for Everyone” and the “World Design Gallery were two exhibitions on view, and INTRO/LA curated by Small Office showcased some leading and emerging designers, such as ceramicist Bari Ziperstein, textile and home goods designers Block Shop, textile artist Rachel Duvall, and furniture designers Estudio Persona and Waka Waka.

Influential L.A.-based retailer Poketo hosted a pop-up boutique in its Poketo Project Space from Swedish brand Hem that is ongoing through the month of June. The MINI Living cabin by L.A. architecture firm FreelandBuck lured visitors up to a rooftop at the ROW DTLA.
Lectures, studio tours, popup shops and other immersive experiences were planned throughout the city to engage as broad an audience as possible.

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HEM LA POPUP 2018
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HEM LA POPUP 2018
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HEM LA POPUP 2018

From bicycles to buildings and cocktails to couches, all elements of creativity were explored thanks to the 100-plus events. Founder Haily Zaki works closely with local designers and critical thinkers to organize this series that delves deeply into Los Angeles’ biggest challenges and opportunities in a way that always feels organic to the city, and entirely homegrown.

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SOS by Achilleas Souras, the Barcelona-based installation artist featured as part of the World Design Gallery, photo courtesy of Achilleas Souras
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Rios Clementi Hale Studios in West Adams

For more information, check out Design, Etc., the L.A. Design Festival’s magazine and podcast.