Clerkenwell Design Week

After a two year hiatus, Clerkenwell welcomed thousands of guests for one of the UK’s leading independent design festivals. There was great enthusiasm and excitement within the creative industry as exhibitions and resident showrooms opened their doors to the design community and wider public in the EC1 district.

Along the pink trail, numerous exhibition hotspots hosted talks by leading designers and architects, as well as events, workshops and installations. Audiences received unrivalled exposure to the latest designs and innovative ideas which are set to shape the tomorrow of the design industry.

Some of the most exciting exhibitions included Design Fields, Light+Rising Stars, Project & Contract, Elements, British Collection, Detail, Pop, Covered, and Ceramics of Italy - all housed in some of the area’s most fascinating venues.

After the challenges caused by the pandemic, it was energising to see everyone connect face-to-face once again. We all certainly now have a new level of appreciation of just how important events like these are for sparking ideas and collaboration!

One event that stood out was British furniture designer Benchmark's launch of new solid-wood workspace additions to their ‘Victoria’ collection. These are especially mindful of the growing need of sustainable manufacturing in furniture design, demonstrating how iconic designs can be reimagined with positive environmental impact at the forefront. Another favourite was Pop exhibiting repurposed artwork and furnishings created using unused items (mannequins, old cabinets, etc.).

We had the pleasure of attending an inspirational conversation with founders of Space Copenhagen, Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou, at Frederica. It was driven by a focus on how interior design can influence our mood, energy and atmosphere, drawing upon their fundamental interest in understanding human behaviour and using this understanding to influence slow aesthetics and longevity.

All in all, the team had a fantastic time attending such brilliantly organised events. More than anything, it was just great to see lots of familiar, as well as many new, faces from the industry all in one place!