Winner of the 2016 Interior Designer of the Year at CID Awards shares her top picks from the exciting range of brands for this year's edition of the fair.
Associate Director of Pallavi Dean Interior Design, Agata Kurzela is a well acknowledged member of the industry and amongst several other accolades recently bagged the 2016 Interior Designer of the Year Award at the CID Awards. With a keen eye for distinctive design and a penchant to strive for design excellence; Agata picks her favorites from the fair.
1+1+1
Scandinavian design collective 1+1+1 applies unpredictability as a medium for their highly unusual design process. Each product in their series is composed of 3 modules stacked on top of each other and each of these modules are independently designed by one of three collaborating studios located in a different country, without any exchange of information throughout the process; leading to the end result being a complete a surprise for everyone.
Lasvit
Lasvit returns each year to the fair with fresh ideas and collections and this year the brand presents a mobile light sculpture and the Ludwig chandelier by Maurizio Galante made with an aggregation of industrial glass tubes.
However my favorite is Fungo by Campana Brothers on display in the Lasvit offices at the Dubai Design District (d3). The irregular glass elements are inspired by mouldy glass-blowing forms found accidentally in the manufacturer’s basement. The six timber arms that support them appear as if hastily put together in a distant echo of the Camapana Brothers Favela furniture series.
Moroso
This family-run business continues to take design risks that produce whimsical and fresh results. Collaborations include young design firms such as Front Design, Raw Edges as well as established names like Patricia Urquiola. It would be impossible to pick one favourite item from the collection but this year we will see the striking Pipe armchairs by Sebastian Herkner, upholstered in the new Ralf Simmons fabrics for Kvadrat.
Apparatu
Apparatu is a family pottery workshop, who explore and challenge the traditional ways in which the material is used and formed. Imperfection and imprecision in their work is not a fault but becomes quality and a way of expression which is not just about being evidently hand-made but about broad masterly strokes.
Toru
Founded in Barcelona, this young collective of craftsmen and designers merge local leather industry skills with contemporary design. What is striking about their minimalist Clop chair is the form derived from a single bold gesture of folding the base material i.e the thick saddle leather.
Other
Paying homage to emerging designers this year’s addition of the fair will feature highlights from Destinations at Downtown Design presenting Design Weeks from Beirut, Barcelona, Taiwan, Reyjkavik and Addis Ababa. Being the landmark design fair in the Middle East it wouldn’t be complete without a range of regional and local flavor represented by a host of brands including NM Collection, Etqaan, Samovar Carpets and the highly anticipated furniture collection debut from Pallavi Dean.
To register to attend Downtown Design, click here
Lead image source: Gabriela Maj
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