Excitement builds as Design London approaches

After 25 years under the name “100% Design”, the large trade exhibition of the London Design Festival has morphed into “Design London” and is ready to take center stage in the British capital during September 22^nd-25^th.

Marlon Cera-Marle, Director of the Design Division at Media 10, the holding company tasked with arranging the exhibition, shares some of his thoughts with us leading up to the festivities.

“I’m responsible for the curation of the exhibits as well as the feel and look of the show overall, as well as for the publications related to it,” Marlon replies.

“As for what is most important, probably relationships. Also, keeping your ear to the ground to follow what is going on, as design is a bit like fashion. Things can change dramatically overnight, so trend forecasting is important.”

“I’m not really one to put a theme on an event as they can sometimes limit what brands bring. We would prefer having the design take the forefront with people bringing their own ideas. Unofficially, however, there is a big focus on regeneration, sustainability, and circularity. And obviously the elephant in the room which is post-Covid adaptation.”

“But really, we like to allow the narrative come straight from the designer.”

“I’ve worked with Aritco a number of years, and it is a very interesting company. In contemporary design, what you normally want to do is remove yourself and think of what the audience, in this case architects and interior designers, wants to see. Aritco have consistently shown that they understand the needs of architects and designers since they can showcase how their product can work with any canvas that is put in front, but then allow for the practicality of what the product actually is, a lift.”

“Aritco stands out from the crowd and shows really well how technology and aesthetics can combine. They fit in seamlessly at Design London.”

“A feeling of celebration, of course, as this is the first large scale contemporary art fair after Covid that’s occurring in the form it is meant to occur. That is, a live exhibition with no major restrictions like staggered visiting times and so on.”

“There’s a great need at the moment for actual personal interaction, as well as enjoying design as it should be enjoyed, allowing for in-person feel, look, touch, and not through a screen. I’m excited about it all coming together!”

“I wouldn’t even say there’s three, I’d say there’s one. To make someone stop, to captivate the audience with pure aesthetic. After that, there’s elements two and three which are practicality and narrative. If it is viable and how many times it can be used, as we live in a society where we don’t want to throw things away anymore.”

“But for me, the key is simply the aesthetic. What makes you stop and think ‘I want that in my home’ or ‘I want that in the project I’m curating’. That’s what it is all about.”

Thank you, Marlon, we look forward to the festivities kicking off!