Reflection on design events in 2021: From Milan to London and beyond
We spoke to events expert, William Knight after 2021’s London Design Festival and asked for his reflections on this and other recent events that have slowly started to return.
The sun shone, tube maps kept handy and before long, feet were aching. The London Design Festival returned to being a physical experience after an enforced pause. With ten design districts popping up to reinforce the importance of local creative communities there were lots of reasons to traverse the capital to visit shows, shops, exhibitions and installations, but most importantly to see people. Face to Face. We thought we’d share reflections on the experience and pick out some highlights as well as touching on some of the other events during this first, comeback season.
European events make a comeback
London was not alone in setting out its design stall again in September. Notably Paris, Milan and Copenhagen each staged 'city wide' events. The mini Salone, taking place over six days, was the only interloper in the usual programme of autumn design activity, with a small number of halls at Rho and lots of celebratory programming in the city. Copenhagen shone as a great city to be in for design during Three Days of Design, and in Paris the Design Week supported Maison&Objet. Each - perhaps unsurprisingly – was well-received, seemingly worthwhile and were well attended by plenty of local design enthusiasts.
Super Pratone by Gufram, Piazza San Fedele. Photography: Roberto Conte via Wallpaper
London and the return of human connections
In London, it was clear that human connections were critical. As Jemma Ooi of Custhom Studio put it, “Re-connecting to real people has been so important for us this year. Digital interfaces can be such a barrier to ad hoc conversation, spontaneity, and the energy of conversation in person. So, the possibility to connect to people was a huge factor in how we represented our practice this year, moving to more interactive spaces where we encouraged movement and playful means of communication felt like an essential way to encourage conversations of colour, material and the spaces we inhabit.” Their installations certainly caught the eye with their project ‘Off-Grid’ providing an immersive installation of colour derived from their latest wallpaper collection, and oversized balloons on a rooftop basketball court!
Custhom installation - image courtesy of William Knight
Reflection, revival and creativity
As a community that has struggled while separated during the pandemic it was interesting to observe the effects of having to pause exhibiting. There was a sense of more quality in the products and installations; the theory being the shutdown provided designers and studios more time; ironically because they’d not been on the hectic round of trade shows and events. It was also clear, talking to many of the designers that there is much more to show too. It is said that creativity flourishes in difficult circumstances; this year’s Festival is perhaps just an early indicator of what’s to come.
There were some notable absences from the line-up with neither Designjunction nor the London Design Fair lining up with the two 'big' shows that were staged. Design London, making its debut on the Greenwich Peninsula and Planted which took up residency in and around Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross. This too may not be a bad thing, with both having had longer to prepare, less commercial competition and the opportunity to editorialize content, with Planted committed to being a zero-waste show and only working to show sustainable brands.
The rise of more sustainable design events
The confluence of challenges and crises the world faces means that design events - like everything else - have to take their footprint seriously and contribute to a better future. Jane Thompson, Marketing Manager of furniture brand Flokk was pleased to be there, and aligned with an event with a view, “I’m so pleased Planted is here - Flokk make huge efforts to be better and it’s wonderful to be able to have the opportunity to show at a design fair that is doing the same.”
LDF2021: A more localised event
‘Focus’ was again staged at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. This stalwart of the Festival, alongside all of the multi-brand events, were relatively small in comparison with the previous editions, leaving the sense the Festival is not running at full strength. It, like the city, is still operating under pandemic conditions, and one of the key components for brands was also missing: international visitors. Travelling has been hit hard, with only the hardy making their way between design cities. Internationalism is critical for London and needs to return for the Festival and other creative events to have the impact they once had. That said, the international PR coverage looked extensive and installations such as Yinka Ilori's coloured street crossings 'Bring London Together' are suitably tied to the city promotion initiative run by the Mayor's Office, 'Let’s Do London'.
New design events come to the capital
We were also treated to new venues this year. Custhom’s eye-openers were located at the shiny new and permanent Design District London which delivered a joyous opening party and promises to be the destination for design for years ahead. The array and drama of the architecture are amazing, as are the finishes and visitor experiences. The community is moving in and it won’t be long before it becomes a must-visit on the London design trail, at all times of the year.
We also saw the doors open at 14 Cavendish Square as part of the Mayfair Design District, this year showcasing a disparate group of designers and brands. It delivered the excitement design crowds have missed according to Emily Johnson of 1882, “For me, it felt like a Festival of old - where there was genuine buzz and excitement. We all missed the human interaction but only when you are connecting again do you realise how much, and that gave the event great energy”.
And visitors came; with parties and late nights attracting design tribes throughout the week, not least in the Design Districts, with each reflecting their local design communities, perhaps more than ever before; driving away the cynical location marketing that has been disappointing at some districts previously. Highlights included the programme at Southwark South and the return of the Islington Design District. Shoreditch maintained its place, while the Brompton Design District relied more heavily on Jane Wither's curation this year, perhaps exacerbated by a thin programme at the revenue-hit V&A and a focus from the commercial brands on the late-night, rather than being open throughout the week.
A slow but joyful return
The experience was joyous at times, a much-needed tonic to our separation as well as being a clear, well-lit reminder of the amazing city and its talent. However, on many levels this year's festival could be seen as tentative, a test of the waters and a way in which to judge how things would work now. COVID protocols were, of course, haphazard and sporadic but events much more accessible, ironically.
Haberdashery installation, LDF21 - image courtesy of William Knight
As Ben Rigby, Creative Director of lighting brand Haberdashery shared, “Sometimes a fresh start is needed to restore confidence and help to set out new ambitions for the future; after feeling the positivity of engaging directly with our audience this year we look forward to building on this collective goodwill to reach even greater heights for LDF2022. Whilst we have become adept at using Zoom and Instagram, it is events like LDF that put the soul into design”.
London's design energy now moves towards events such as the evergreen Decorex leading the way in October at Olympia London. London Craft Week also occupies a new calendar slot in the busy creative season in the capital which also boasts 'Frieze Week', and the London Film Festival. With these events in mind, it seems London's place as a global cultural leader is looking fairly secure. The commercial side of design will follow, hopefully, strengthened by new events and energy; including the launch of both Hix, for hospitality interiors and the Workplace Design Show. Both take place at the Business Design Centre before the end of November.
Looking forward to events in 2022
The London Design Festival 2021 clearly tapped into the pent-up energy and enthusiasm the design community in the capital has had to keep a lid on, and it felt good. There is a relatively new but highly committed and talented team at the Festival’s HQ that are already preparing for next year; the 20th edition of the event. There are opportunities ahead, and reading the programming for this year it seems being part of a community of activity is a real plus point, if possible. It remains important to pick and choose the right events to be part of (it’s now clear brands don’t need to maintain a presence at everything!) and it’s important to be sensitive to and reflect on what’s going on; in particular on sustainability and helping emerging talent. Hold tight for the international audiences - they will return, if not soon.
