TDC’s ‘One’s to Watch’ for LDF 2024

Next week, London Design Festival will return for its 22nd edition, spotlighting the power of design and how it can help to solve societal challenges. Though this has never been an easy thing to convey – especially to those outside of the creative industries – the fact that the Mayor of London is this year’s Principal Supporter proves that design is starting to get the recognition it deserves. 

Over 300 events will take place across the nine days of the festival, including exhibits, installations, workshops and more. There will be 11 Design Districts as part of this year’s Festival each with its own unique personality that reflects the local community, from Bankside and Battersea to Chelsea and Dalston.

Expect projects that interrogate our relationship with technology, the growth of AI, materials and bio-materials, eco-conscious design, sustainability and community-driven design. Themes of joy and play have been prevalent at other international festivals, such as Milan Design Week and Three Days of Design in Copenhagen, and it seems that this emerging trend will continue at LDF. Designers will be examining its integrity as a concept and celebrating its manifestations across different areas of our lives. 

There’s no doubt that LDF brings so much to the industry and the capital but, while it’s nice to be able to celebrate the many different strands of design all at once, it can also be overwhelming because there’s so much to see and do. To help you plan your week, we’ve put together a handy guide of the most interesting and innovative projects that we’ve heard about on the run up to the festival. 

Brompton Design District

Tai Ping

Carpet designer Tai Ping will present its new Biophilic Collection and Biophilic Series, two new offerings made with undyed, natural and sustainable materials. The aim of this collection is honour the environment in design as well as function, taking inspiration from organic forms and landscapes.

Award winning environmentalist, designer and maker Sebastian Cox will also create an installation at the Tai Ping showroom, which reflects on the natural beauty of raw materials and showcases the value of craftsmanship. 

Transport for London 

Transport for London’s digital experience and award-winning TfL Go app will present ‘Cycleways, maps and routes’ at this year’s LDF, an exhibition and design tour exploring how data and design are used to develop digital features for cycling in London. You’ll be able to meet the team behind the app design and learn more about how TfL Digital are designing new products and experiences. They’ll also be running a talk about how they use data and design for a better digital cycling experience in London. 

‘A Squashed Space’ by Faye Toogood

Taking over the Poltrona Frau flagship store in Fulham Road, Faye Toogood will present a bold installation celebrating the award-winning Squash collection, first presented during Milan Design Week earlier this year. The immersive and playful installation ‘A Squashed Space’ is the result of Toogood’s restless experimentation with Poltrona Frau’s unrivalled leathercraft.

Expect hand-painted folk-art motifs on the flagship store windows and distinctive products from the Squash Collection, including armchairs, mirrors, tables and rugs celebrating a unique fusion of contemporary creativity and timeless leathercraft. The leather panels used showcase a patchwork of Poltrona Frau ColorSphere® hues, specifically Panna, Shara, Steel Blue, Mineral Blue, Siam, and Garnet, as selected by the designer. 

One of the most notable aspects of this collection is that the leather used is entirely Impact Less, which refers to an innovative initiative by Poltrona Frau which uses renewable energy sources and a pioneering tanning process that significantly reduces water and chemical use. 

Bankside Design District

Project Love 

Renowned British designer Clive Grinyer’s latest venture Project Love will explore how design can foster empathy, compassion, care and love in our daily lives: for ourselves, our communities, society and nature. Sponsored by the Fetzer Institute, the exhibition will showcase the work of 16 designers’ prototypes, interactions, artefacts and rituals for love in the workplace, on the commute, with refugee football teams and more.

This is a provocative and thoughtful journey that will inspire and stimulate the discussion about the role of design with what IDEO’s Tim Brown called “a new movement in design”.

Sugar Studio 

Responding to the theme of ‘Typeface and Typography’ for this year’s Bankside District, Sugar Studio is showcasing ‘Growable Graphics’, which are essentially eco-typefaces made from living organisms, blending biophilia with modern typography. The studio will also be running a pop-up shop with custom artworks crafted from living plants and sustainable souvenirs.

Material Matters

One of our absolute favourite events at LDF is Material Matters, bringing together over 50 world-leading brands, designers, makers, and innovators to investigate and celebrate the importance of materials. The third edition of the fair includes five floors of products, installations, curated spaces, and an extensive talks programme.

If you’re looking for something a little different this year, one of the not-to-miss exhibitors is material design research practice Studio Sanne Visser with its interactive installation ‘Locally Grown’. The practice will be offering free haircuts to visitors, who can then see their ‘waste’ hair spun and turned into rope alongside an exhibition of products using hair yarn, cord and rope created in collaboration with a group of likeminded designers. 

We’ll also be checking out PriestmanGoode’s ‘Moving Responsibly: A Material Journey’, which explores the use of materials in public transport and how responsible choices will lead towards a better future. Also look out for SofiaHagen and Studio Marmi’s collaboration HEMPLA,  a meditation furniture set that creates a sanctuary to relax and meditate.

Battersea Design District

Terra Carta Design Lab at Royal College of Art 

At the Royal College of Art, LDF visitors can view the work of ten finalists for the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Terra Carta Design. The projects are examples of high impact solutions to the climate crisis, ranging from early wildfire detection systems to novel fashion textiles that regenerate wetlands and immersive digital experiences. 

Shoreditch Design District

Currency of the Future – Shoreditch 

While the future of money is usually predicted by financial experts, the Bank of England Museum and KesselsKramer London are giving that job to artists with the ‘Currency of the Future’ exhibition. It will pose many questions about what the future might look like: Is it time-based? Is it a bartering system? Is it personal and what value does it have? Is it based on hugs?

For the second element of the London Design Festival and the Bank of England Museum show, KesselsKramer will open a barter bank for one week only (16-21 September) at their Shoreditch gallery on Charlotte Road. This interactive installation invites participants to make an exchange of art which is produced in the exhibition space, or online, with an algorithm to decide whose art you will get and who gets yours. 

SPECTRUM 

Hart Shoreditch collaboration with 2LG Studio will culminate in an immersive exhibition titled SPECTRUM, which uses the hotel’s spaces to bring an inclusive exploration of colour to life in line with the studio’s design ethos.

Expect an imaginative and sensory journey through Hart Shoreditch, exploring human and personal connections to colour that evoke memories and invite conversations. 2LG’s chosen collaborators for the immersive installation include composer Quentin LaChapele, digital artist Lucy Hardcastle, and 3D print pioneers Sheyn, which will be utilising its new eco textiles and vegan leathers. This space will merge elements of video projection, 3D printing, bespoke upholstery, evocative scents and a rich soundscape. 

Lee Broom 

Lee Broom’s new Alchemist lighting collection will make its London debut at LDF2, following its initial launch in New York earlier this year. The collection exemplifies a balance and interconnection of sculptural metal forms containing light, exploring the idea of turning base metals into noble objects of desire.

Inspired by Paul Coelho’s  novel ‘The Alchemist’ by Paul Coelho, Broom sought to convene the physical ideas around alchemy with the metaphysical aspects by referencing themes of astrology, mythology and folklore. The collection comprises four unique lighting ranges: Mythos, King, Solstice and Gemini. 

No Design District  

Morrama

Morrama is inviting visitors behind the curtain to see the inner workings of its award-winning studio for LDF, with an exhibition that give a unique insight into the day-to-day studio projects. The team will also showcase projects from the Morrama Lab division, which focuses on future-facing design, from prototypes to never-before-seen visuals of various projects created in the last 9 years.

Talks will be hosted by the Morrama team along with special guests, covering innovative materials and inspiring speculative design. If you’re planning to attend the party, you can expect free drinks, food from Wagamama and DJs as well as a chance to discuss projects and the industry direction with the whole team.

Tom Dixon

Tom Dixon unveils its new AW24 collection at its newly refurbished King’s Cross shop in Coal Drops Yard for this year’s LDF, marking the first time that the collection will be shown on home turf. Key pieces include the Plump and Fat collections – the epitome of luxury and comfort – the highly crafted Slab and Ottoman and the latest in Tom Dixon’s lighting range, including their celebrated portable lights: Bell, Melt and Stone.

Look out for the daily aperitifs, prize giveaways and talks throughout the week.

Karel Martens x Pentagram x Liberty

Dutch graphic designer Karel Martens was first introduced to the liberty team by Pentagram partner Harry Pearce, which led to an invitation to curate a capsule collection of designs for SS24. The collection is a continuation of Liberty Letters – a sell-out capsule collection of 21 products including bags, scarves and a range of fabrics – which was the result of a collaboration between Harry and the Liberty fabric design team in 2023. 

In the spirit of Liberty, both designers were given free reign to create patterns that will become part of the iconic fabric archive. As part of the installation, visitors can watch a film on Karel and his work, and pick up a copy of a limited edition newspaper designed by Pentagram.

Pearlfisher 

Drawing on its 30+ years of experience working with iconic brands, Pearlfisher will host a live event with CEO Jason Brown and a surprise guest brand keynote speaker to share thoughts and insights on reinforcing iconic brand behaviour..

The talk will delve into how brands can maintain their iconic status while evolving to meet new consumer expectations and interrogate the role of strategy in driving a brand’s longevity and continued relevance.