Despoke

Shelving system in the Shenzen pavilion

'Community Bench'

'Draw Me Close'. Powder coated steel. Limited edition artwork (1 of 7).

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These bottle tops were created by Korean industrial designer Junggi Sung as part of a collection named ‘Positive Piece’. The collection aims to encourage viewers to think more deeply about the fundamental elements we take for granted in our daily lives such as air water, wind and earth.

The top of Sung’s ‘Uncomfortale Bottle’ imitates the shape of a conventional water tap and was designed in order to make people think more carefully about how they use tap water. Sung explains; “Recently, drinking water out of PET bottles has become the norm…yet we can still easily drink water out of the tap. This design aims to inspire us to be more cost and energy-efficient and also to take simple actions for our environment. This is a positive piece.”

Find out more at www.junggisung.com

When it comes to designer lighting we at Despoke are drawn in like flies. Here’s a pick of our favourite light pieces from this year’s 100%Design exhibition.

Hanging cloud light

Dafne lamp by Idiha Design

Red Rope Lamp by Crop Design

Lighting by Fortuny UK

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Whilst wandering the aisles at 100% Design we stumbled across an intriguing little hut; a seaside themed wendy house if you will. This playful stand at D96 showcases the talents of the team at Creative Trust, an innovative company based in Kent who provide quirky design solutions to fit any brief.

The Creative Trust team includes graphic & product designers, illustrators, movie makers, photographers and 3D model makers – all of whom are on hand to bring even the most hair-brained of ideas to life.

Their stand at this years 100% design is a cute little house made entirely of cardboard and completely illustrated by hand. The interior  is jam packed with a quirky array of cardboard furniture, from cardboard frames and chairs, to a full size working cardboard piano. This enchanting little abode is an undeniably impressive achievement and certainly proves the Creative Trust’s claim; “We like to think there’s nothing we can’t produce or illustrate on.”

In recognition of this feat, the stand was awarded the coveted Blueprint prize for Best Exhibition Design at this year’s show.

Austrian designer Philip Bruni is showcasing his newly launched Billard edition of the Pinocchio vase. These porcelain vessels are inspired by Pinocchio’s long nose and the character’s adventurous nature. Bruni explains; “when [Pinocchio] falls down, he immediately gets up. He is a tumbler….if he gets nudged, he nudges as well.” They certainly make for a cute and colourful edition to the Augarten showcase at this year’s 100% Design.

Augarten: Viennese porcelain manufacturer.

As part of today’s exploration of European design nations we make Greece our final stop. Design Greece is proudly showcasing a selection of work from the country’s leading manufacturers and designers including Kostantia Manthou and Paul Mitsios. From a quick saunter around the exhibition it quickly becomes clear that Greece is a nation possessing impressive design talent, taking an innovative yet traditional approach to design.

Gregory Trackas of Homad told Despoke that in his opinion everything could be argued to originate from Greek design due to the inherent influence that the ancient Greeks had on every aspect of modern culture. Homad’s designer; Paul Mitsios agreed, and went on to explain; “design in general is influenced by local tradition, each piece has a flavour of it’s own locale.” In recent years however, the very sense of locality has been diluted, taking on a more universal feel due to the globalisation of design, Trakas added that Italian influences are now commonly found in Greek design.

At the back of Earls Court 2 you will find a whole hub of stands dedicated to 100% Futures, an area of 100% Design introducing tomorrow’s talent to the world. There is a diverse range on work on display but one thing each exhibitor has in common is the potential to make it big, setting the standard for the designs of tomorrow. Edgy, exciting and bursting with innovative ideas, 100% Futures is a fantastic showcase of elite, emerging talents. We at Despoke couldn’t resist but sneak a peak into the crystal ball and dive into the heart of 100% Futures. Here’s what we found…

This fresh, bold rug by Grizz Design would certainly add a splash of colour to your front room. The design combines playful shapes like spilt paint or strips from a child’s collage, with more regimented pixelated patterns.

Surely this represents the furniture of the future; a re-chargable illuminated table by Clay Designs, only launched this week. The table is the company’s debut piece of ambience liberated furniture, aptly named ‘Squill’ – Square illumination. It is a sculptural, cable-free illuminated coffee table with a charge life of 12 hours which should outlast most social gatherings.

How could we resist photographing these cheeky chaps with their wide puppy dog eyes? Berlin based designer Uta Koloczek has created a gang of colourful Chihuahuas and pugs, redefining the classic idea of the porcelain figurine.

One of the most popular hot spots at this year’s 100% Design exhibition has got to be the Re-Loved Lounge, a communal cafe space for guests to take a break from the busy exhibition trail. Far from simply being a dining area, the Re-Loved Lounge is an interactive exhibition space showcasing vibrant pieces of work by a selection of African and African-Caribbean designers.

The lounge was commissioned as part of the African & African-Caribbean Design Diaspora, a festival of events taking place as part of London Design Week. The Festival is a celebration of diversity, highlighting creative talent within the African and African-Caribbean community in the UK. As Clemens Hackl, Creative Director at AACDD puts it; “There is such an incredible array of creative talent within the black community…Let’s see it!”

The Re-Loved Lounge is just one of several AACDD exhibitions on display over the course of the festival. The brief for the designers was to ‘re-love’ and ‘up-cycle’ discarded furniture, transforming it once again into desirable objects for the home. These recycled works take on African and African-Caribbean design inspiration in fabrics, colour schemes and accessories and in their resulting beauty, challenge the ethos of our throw-away consumer culture.

Rather than showcasing these pieces in the sterility of an exhibition stand where they would become spectator pieces, curators of the space were keen to put together an exhibition that allows guests to interact with the work, to touch, feel and utilise the pieces. Laurence Kanza, who’s own work makes up parts of the collection explained; “these pieces are vibrant and colourful and it makes sense that they should be part of a living space”. These ‘vibrant’ colours and patterns are reflective of the warm and joyful culture that inspired them, resulting in one of the most inviting areas of the exhibition.

Designers whose work makes up the Re-Love Lounge include Laurence Kanza (La Petite Congolaise) and Emamoke Ukeleghe, whose daringly colourful fabric designs make a bold and beautiful statement throughout the space. The large central banqueting table was created by Alexander Mulligan using recycled wood and the string of hanging lights above the table were made using recycled wine bottles, designed by Taslim Martin.

Above: “Rescuing The Supermodel” by artist Adjani Okpu-Egbe, on display in the Re-Loved Lounge.