The 6-day immersive design experience concluded with over 360 entities coming together to provide free-to-attend events and activities at its main hub in Dubai Design District (d3).
Celebrating and promoting Dubai as a hub for creativity and innovation, Dubai Design Week is one of the region’s most significant cultural events. The eighth edition took place from 8-13 November 2022, focusing on design for a sustainable future under the theme of ‘Design with Impact’. This theme was integrated into the week’s activities through a range of disciplines including architecture, product design, interiors and multimedia, by both celebrated and up-and-coming international and regional designers.
A core component of Dubai Design Week has always been engaging installations, an expression of design by way of large-scale architectural or experiential presence staged by brands, designers or special collaborations. The 2022 festival showcased over 20 large-scale, immersive installations dotted all across the district.
The line-up included major global names such as Stella McCartney, OBMI and Grounded Design that staged activations alongside +120 UAE-based designers demonstrating the growth of the UAE’s creative scene while also reaffirming Dubai’s position as a central hub for design and creativity. Visitors discovered a series of exhibitions that explored design at the junction of technology, craft, architecture and academia such as Matter-ials, Designing Women and more.
Delving into topical themes such as the Metaverse, design in the digital realm was explored through the special exhibition, Design in the Metaverse, powered by Dubai-based MetaDecrypt. The space also held a dedicated talks programme on the topic.
Continuing its global mission, world-renowned fashion brand, Stella McCartney showcased the ‘Future of Fashion' exhibition. The travelling, outdoor exhibition, in partnership with Chalhoub Group invited visitors to discover the limitless possibilities of material innovation for creating a more nature-positive market. Guests explored curated items from Stella McCartney’s over two decades of conscious leadership, such as the Frayme Mylo™️ bag – the world’s first-ever luxury bag crafted from mycelium, created in partnership with Bolt Threads and nestled amongst a central mushroom garden.
Iwan Maktabi, the leading destination for antique, modern and designer carpets and textiles, unveiled the Terminal G capsule collection at d3. The first of its kind, Terminal G is a curated collection of carpets by creative designers from five countries of the Gulf region: Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
In parallel Dubai Design District (d3) ran its annual d3 Architecture Exhibition. Now in its third year, the exhibition showcased a collection of eight international and regional architectural works that demonstrate the innovation of sustainable materials and design, combined to have a positive impact on the environment.
The headline event of Dubai Design Week, Downtown Design, featured more than 200 international and regional brands, from over 30 countries presenting stand-out designs complemented by immersive installations and elevated F&B experiences. The UAE Designer Exhibition’s third iteration was showcased at the fair where both emerging and established UAE-based talent from different design disciplines presented their works.
Throughout the week, over 100 talks and workshops took place. The line-up featured compelling keynotes and panel discussions at The Forum focusing on the business of design and hosted high-profile international speakers, including multi-award-winning interior designer Kelly Hoppen CBE; Florence-based designer Duccio Maria Gambi alongside renowned regional experts such as Kuwaiti architect Jassim AlSaddah.
The Maker Space hosted dynamic workshops for design enthusiasts of all levels and ages. The programme included workshops such as Mycelium Experiment, where participants crafted with mushrooms and mycelium while learning about their value to the planet. As well as a range of design disciplines to enhance visitors' design skills.
For the first time, the Design Market by FLTRD took place across the entire week offering a retail experience from over 100 regional brands full of homegrown offerings that span from homewares to ready-to-wear.