London Design Festival22/7/2014 The 1950s saw a frenzy of interest in home making and the young were keen that decoration and furnishings should be modern. They were encouraged by a flurry of exhibitions most notably the Festival of Britain in 1951; institutions such as the Council of Industrial Design established in 1944 and publications such as House & Garden, which all promoted a vision of ‘good design.’ Blighty and in particular London continues to push the boundaries of design and the capital is now an international creative hub, a city with a great heart flowing out to communities each with their own unique stamp. Cutting-edge jewellery designer Lara Bohinc celebrates the launch of her furniture collaborations with Lapicida, as part of Chelsea Design Quarter events at The London Design Festival. The new kid on the block is The London Design Festival launched in 2003, an event conceived by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans. Building on London's existing design activity, their concept was to create an annual event that would promote the city's creativity, drawing in the country's greatest thinkers, practitioners, retailers and educators to deliver an unmissable celebration of design. If last year was jam-packed (333 projects and events staged by 216 partner organisations) then this year (13-21 Sept) sees even more districts. The sheer scope of the Festival events is fabulous but I wonder if far too much to see and do. Maybe our city is just too big and sprawling for the design cognoscenti to venue-hop. The Chelsea Design Quarter is a partner of the London Design Festival and is one of the design districts to visit. Check out events on the London Design Festival website but a few highlights include: Lapicida Designers In Conversation Monday 15 September, 6.30-8.30pm Roca London Gallery ‘Urban Plunge’ exhibition & panel discussion Monday 15 September, 6-8pm The Rug Company Meet the Designer – Jonathan Saunders Thursday 18 September, 6 – 8pm chelseadesignquarter.co.uk londondesignfestival.com
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Tis Christmas in July16/7/2014 The trouble with this PR business is that you are always working months ahead. This bonkers time scale is further hindered by the onset of the summer holidays, which means magazines try and get a few issues under their belts before the seasonal exodus. This planning ahead also gives rise to the phenomenon of what we media folk call ‘ Christmas in July.’ Summer is when the shops preview their festive designs, when sandal-footed editors do their Christmas shopping for stories. Where better to start then Pentreath & Hall and their fellow Bloomsbury shopkeepers – Darkroom, Persephone Books, Susannah Hunter, The French House, Maggie Owen and Thornback & Peel. Meet the Masters27/6/2014 One editor who joined me for champagne on the Ochre Salon said she felt quite humble in the face of Masterpiece, and doubly so having just hotfooted it from Chelsea Harbour’s Superyacht Design week. Walking the plushly carpeted halls of Masterpiece, I could see how even the pious may renounce their vows and wish they’d a few million to spend. I was at Masterpiece with Ochre, a contemporary design company that I cherish and whose beautifully crafted products I covet. These pieces are modern collectables – something to fall in love with, never tire of and stamped with Ochre’s hallmark – discreet glamour. Ochre’s new creations were in the company of the old masters. Collectors, curators, and designers flock to savour a staggering array of art, design, fine antique furniture, precious jewels and vintage cars showcasing £1 billion worth of works from antiquity to contemporary. Standouts range from Impressionist paintings to unique diamonds. Within the first hour of the fair Apter Fredericks had sold an important mirror, a sale that was eclipsed by selling their pair of chinoiserie cabinets by Vile and Cobb to an American collector for a seven-figure sum. Another valuable sale belongs to Symbolic and Chase who have sold a 1912 Cartier Corsage for in excess of $20 million. These are accessible prices for the visiting troupe of shoppers at Masterpiece, which is now part of the glitterati’s social calendar. The prize for Object of the Year went to Tim Noble and Sue Webster’s ‘The Masterpiece 2014’ exhibited by Blain Southern and Painting of the Year to an ‘en grissaile’ maritime work by William van der Velde The Elder (1611-1693), offered for sale by John Mitchell Paintings. My highlights Richard Philip and Elizabeth Turk also highlight how Masterpiece is reinvigorating the market in the traditional fields and incorporating that with a new look at contemporary design. Masterpiece is well worth a visit - even though some of the art and antiquities really do belong in museums… www.masterpiecefair.com Categories
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