Words by Emily Martin
Last month two of London’s biggest design events, May Design Series and Clerkenwell Design Week, saw a host of companies and design studios throw open their doors to debate, educate and showcase ‘good design’ in the contract furnishing industries. And with talk of a recovering economy, the numerous design events taking place throughout the design calendar is perhaps proof that the UK’s £2bn design industry is far from endangered.
Yet with an ongoing concern about talent replenishment and design subjects vanishing from UK schools and universities, platforms to celebrate up-and-coming design talent are now included as standard at trade shows and design events, such as DX at the May Design Series and the Design Museum’s Designers in Residence programme. The industry is taking responsibility for promoting UK design talent and design education.
As trade events start to wind down for the summer students nationwide are gearing up to exhibit their university work. London is set to host two of the largest graduate events: Free Range and New Designers. This month’s FX diary details the Free Range graduate art, design and fashion fair, at the Truman Brewery, East London, New Designers at the Business Design Centre, Islington, and the RCA’s annual graduate show at its own campuses. This latter event will be showcasing its students’ work from a range of creative disciplines within the fields of design, fashion, photography, art, interiors and architecture. All of them offer an intriguing peek into the design studios of tomorrow. newdesigners.com; rca.ac.uk; freerange.org.uk
