Highlights from Design Junction 2015: London Design Festival

Design Junction 2015, London Design Festival, Photo © Nick Hughes | Yellowtrace

Neat set-up by Wrong for HAY at DesignJunction2015. Such an extraordinary space.
Photography © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

RUBN Lighting at DesignJunction2015 was a personal favourite. How amazing is this set up? Hawt!
Photography © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

Left: Amazing spaces at the old Central St Martins College, set to be transformed into luxury residential development. Yes please! Right: Paper furniture and lighting by Molo Design.
Photography © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

Left: ‘Flame’ installation by LUUM. Right: Blackbody OLED installation.
Photography © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

Left: Always inspiring Atelier Areti. Right: Lamps by Copenhagen-based Lindholdt Studio.
Photography © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

Left: Array of lighting cables. Right: New Scottish watch brand Nomad released a time peace by London designer Samuel Wilkinson.
Photography © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

Top & Left: Swedish brand String set up a striking room display that won the the overall best stand award. Right: French brand La Chance.
Photography © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

Danish mega-brand Fritz Hansen.
Photography © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

Left: Vitra. Right: ‘A Child’s Dream’ charity project.
Photography © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

During the last few years of regular attendance at Milan Design Week, all my London friends used to make a point of going to Design Junction to see the show. At first I tagged along, and and each time, I was left feeling underwhelmed. A lot of hype, not enough substance (to match the hype), I thought. To this point, earlier this year in Milan, I simply decided to scratch Design Junction off my list, because I knew my precious time was going to be spent more wisely elsewhere. Why am I talking DJ down so much? Well, I’m not – at least I don’t meant to. I’m just telling you the truth about my honest experience.

Enter London Design Festival 2015. I thought, I ought to give these dudes another chance. After all, I would be seeing them on home turf, and that ought to mean something, right? Too right! Because this time, I walked away from the show feeling informed, inspired and 100% satisfied because Design Junction 2015 delivered the goods. Hooray!

As it turns out, this year’s Design Junction was the most impressive and ambitious one to date, not to mention the EPIC venue choice! Located acros two landmark buildings – the former Central Saint Martins College and Victoria House B1 – design-crazed punters had four days to experience what the world of contemporary design has to offer. Leading international design brands (think Herman Miller, Vitra, Modus, Andreu World and Fritz Hansen) exhibited alongside new emerging talent, interesting installations took place in unexpected spaces, flash factories brought the process of production to life, and pop up shops represented entrepreneurial designers and brands.

There was a strong presence of lighting this year, showcased via the brand’s spin off show launched in 2013 called LightJunction. Located across the entire ground floor of The College, lighting for the contract and residential market from decorative lighting brands included the likes of FontanaArte, Northern Lighting, RUBN Lighting, Lindholdt, Brokis and many more. British lighting company LUMM (launched earlier this year at Euroluce 2015) lit up the The College staircase with a stunning installation featuring their chandelier called Flame. Innovative lighting brand Blackbody transformed the Holborn entrance with 100s of OLEDs.

For this year’s charity project – A Child’s Dream – twenty-one leading designers had personalised Vitra’s iconic Eames elephants, sold online in aid of Teddy’s Wish.

And that about sums it up. More images in the gallery below. Enjoy!

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