Top 10 Interactive Events at the London Design Festival 2007

by Leonora Oppenheim

This year's festival proves that design—more than ever—is an interactive experience. Throughout the next 10 days there are plenty of workshops, talks and one-day events across the city where everyone gets a chance to be a designer. Below are our top 10 recommendations (again, in alphabetical order) for getting involved.

1.) Blueprints Design Talks
The series of seminars hosted by the magazine provides a platform for leading design figures, such as Ross Lovegrove, Sebastien Wrong and Zaha Hadid, to contribute to debates on design and London. 17-22 September 2007
Royal Festival Hall
Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX map
tel. +087 871 663 2501

2.) Craft, Creativity & the Computer Controlled Age
The Crafts Council and the Materials and Design Exchange (MADE) present a lively discussion chaired by Sir Christopher Frayling to consider what a dialogue between the materials industry and the aesthetic world of contemporary craft might deliver.
17 September 2007, 5:45-7:30pm
Royal Festival Hall, Function Room, Level 5
Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX map
tel. +087 871 663 2501

3.) iDesign: design for life
Dynamo London's unique one-day conference examines the impact of digital interactive media on a host of design related industries.
17 September 2007, 9am-5:30pm
Southbank Centre, Purcell Room
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX map
tel. +087 871 663 2501

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Top 10 Things to See at the London Design Festival 2007

by Leonora Oppenheim

It’s the official launch of the London Design Festival tomorrow, which will precipitate thousands of people to leave their own little corner of the city or the world and start zig-zagging across town in order to take in the latest and greatest innovations in design. As the Festival gets larger and longer every year, the variety of talent on show grows as well and the zig-zagging becomes more frenzied. Fortunately CH is here to point you in the right direction. The big shows such as 100% Design, Tent London and Designers Block are easy to identify, so below you’ll find 10 recommendations for some smaller gems in alphabetical order. We hope it saves you some time and some foot-ache.

1.) Cockpit Arts Deptford Open Studios
An opportunity to see behind the scenes of this busy creative hub; explore the studios; meet the designer-makers; and buy or commission the latest in interior and fashion design.
14-16 September 2007
Deptford Studios
18-22 Creekside
London SE8 3DZ map
tel. +020 8692 4463

2.) Established + Sons: Elevating Design
A discourse on the area of design currently in the spotlight—the newly-termed "Design Art"—the ground-breaking (and invite-only) exhibition of objects represents the most extreme interpretation of the genre put together by one of the current biggest names in design.
17-24 September 2007
P3 Space
Westminster University
35 Marleybone Road
London NW1 5LS map

3.) Grandmateria
New commissions from a selection of U.K. emerging designers including Stuarrt Haygarth, Julia Lohman, Peter Marigold and Mortiz Waldemeyer. The exhibition also celebrates the concept launch of Gallery Libby Sellers, founded by the former Design Museum curator, to nurture and promote design talent.
19 September–14 October 2007
Gallery Libby Sellers
1-5 Exhibition Road
London SW7 2HE map
tel. +07774 113 813

4.) H-Van at Caravan
Caravan proprietor Emily Chalmers, an established Interiors stylist and author, has branched out for this year's festival with the Caravan Citroen H-van. The vintage automobile design classic will be parked outside the shop, exhibiting specially commissioned work for the festival.
20-23 September 2007
Old Spitalfields Market
Spitalfields, London E1 6BG map
tel. +020 7247 6467

5.) Jaime Hayon at Bisazza
The artisan tilers commissioned fave CH designer 5.) Jaime Hayon to make a unique collection of vases. Created using striking black and white ceramic pieces, they enhance the texture and allure of the gold and glass mosaic.
15-25 September 2007
Bisazza Showroom
60 Sloane Avenue
London SW3 3DD map
tel. +020 7584 8837

6.) New Designers Selection
This showcase of 50 young designers emerged from the New Designers event in July 2007, inspiring design from the freshest thinkers of today.
20-23 September 2007
The Gallery at Oxo Tower
Bargehouse Street
South Bank, London SE1 9PH map
tel. +020 7288 6738 or +020 7401 2255

7.) Size + Matter: The Materials Project
Matching leading architects (Zaha Hadid and Amanda Levete) with public venues and materials manufacturers, this exhibitions consists of landmark installations that blur the boundaries between architecture, design, engineering, sculpture and fantasy.
15-25 September
Sites around Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX map
tel. +087 871 663 2501

8.) Tom Dixon: 500 Blow Lights and Great Light Giveaway
With plans afoot to ban the sale of traditional incandescent bulbs in the E.U., Tom has designed and arranged for the manufacture of a recycled plastic light, which uses a low-energy compact fluorescent light bulb. Once again the designer has Trafalgar square as his playground for the an installation and will give away 1,000 of the lights on Wednesday, 19 September 2007, on site.

9.) Trash Luxe
A collection of young and talented designers who specialize in finding beauty in humble materials or salvaging otherwise unwanted goods, which they use to create dynamic, luxurious pieces, exhibit at Liberty
20-30 September 2007
Liberty
Regent Street
London W1B 5AH map
tel. +020 7734 1234

10.) 26 Posters
Writer's group 26 partnered with JC Decaux to use their billboards to demonstrate the power of language in design. Matching leaders of the creative community from design, advertising, marketing and communication, 26 pairs have each responded to the challenge of writing stories of up to six words. See more info and the posters here.
Various locations in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow

Alyson Fox for Keep Calm

by Ami Kealoha

We were early fans of U.K.-based Keep Calm and their eye for art and design that evoked simpler times, so it's good to see them branching out as an online gallery but staying true to the overall aesthetic with these latest limited-edition prints. The illustrations are by multi-talented Texan Alyson Fox, who has also been getting a decent amount of word-of-mouth praise, and can be picked up from Keep Calm for £45 each plus postage. (Click images for detail.)

Loomstate for Barneys Green Reflection Jeans

by Ami Kealoha

With a new cut and the only eco selvage that we know of, there's a lot to like about Loomstate's new Reflection jeans for Barneys.

Part of a larger line by Loomstate called Barneys Green, the pioneers of eco-chic denim make Reflections from organic cotton (like all their jeans). But, what sets these raw denim jeans apart from the cadres of similar organic jeans that have been popping up recently is Loomstate's use of narrow vintage shuttle looms to create true selvage (they chose green, of course) without the waste usually produced by the commonly used wider versions.

Cut-wise, the women's style is like a slightly exaggerated pair of A.P.C.'s New Cures: the waist sits a bit higher (they have a 9 1/4" rise), the leg is straight and somewhat narrow and there's an appreciable attention to detail. Those details don't come cheap though, they're $295 from Barneys.

Both the women's and the men's version (named Prophecy) share subtle design elements like a plain cream label, Loomstate's trademark polka-dot pocket lining, an actually usable coin pocket and a vintage white button with the Loomstate logo in relief.

The limited-edition men's pair feels like they have been worn 100 times and are already well-broken in—though they're made with raw denim. A relaxed straight leg fit, inspired by '60s-era styles, it doesn't seem like they'll stretch too much and a natural wear will come on quick. They run a little big but they're the kind of jeans you'll have around for a long time. See a picture here.

by Tim Yu and Ami Kealoha