From September 14-22, London will host the 22nd London Design Festival, a wide-ranging event that captures the dynamism and openness of the British capital. LDF brings together major brand initiatives and experiments by emerging talent, commercial moments and an impressive calendar of events.
With the Mayor of London as Principal Supporter, the event is spread across 11 boroughs with many installations in special locations: Battersea Power Station, Somerset House, Chelsea College of Art, Royal Naval College and more.
One of the hubs of the event is the Victoria&Albert Museum, an institution dedicated to the decorative arts (arguably the most important in the world): notable presences include those of Giles Tettey Nartey (we talked about him here) and emerging designers Arjun Singh Assa, Liang-Jung Chen and Angela Ford, who will be at the center of a packed schedule of talks, presentations and performances. The V&A will also host the Craft x Tech exhibition, dedicated to Japanese craft traditions in dialogue with new aesthetics and technologies, and the Global Design Forum lecture series, focusing on design as a practice capable of shaping the future.
Another highlight of the festival is the trade shows: Focus/24 (Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, Sept. 16-20), with more than 600 exhibitors, offers an overview of interior design trends; Material Matters (Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, Sept. 18-21), launched in 2022, brings together fifty exhibitors, established brands as well as emerging talent.
Added to this are the events and initiatives organized by individual companies, all major brands in the furniture world: many product presentations, but also many moments of in-depth discussion, a feature that makes London Week a great moment for reflection on design.
The London Design Festival 2024 will also present four special awards to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the international creative dialogue: Pat McGrath DBE (London Design Medal), make-up artist; Natsai Audrey Chieza (Design Innovation Medal), designer and thinker; Harry Blakiston Houston (Emerging Design Medal), designer/inventor; and Rei Kawakubo (Lifetime Achievement Medal), fashion designer and entrepreneur.
Ben Evans, London Design Festival Director, said: “The 2024 Festival promises to be another strong year. The lineup is set to offer fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that will captivate and inspire our audiences. Equally important, the Festival continues to champion inclusivity and provides crucial opportunities for emerging talent to shine. We take great pride in the Festival’s role in expanding the reach of designers and creative businesses, reaffirming design’s profound impact on our society.”
