LDF 2011: 100% Design

100% Design has been going since 1994, almost a decade longer than the wider London Design Festival , which launched in 2003. But it’s as contemporary as ever with exhibitors selected by a panel of design experts to ensure quality and relevance. It’s primarily a trade show, but is open to the public on the last day. It’s a more mainstream event than the East London contingent, but offers a glimpse of the coming year’s trends and a chance to spot design stars of the future. Here are my top trends for 2012… I mentioned the trend for metal furniture, which almost looks as if it’s been drawn in 3d, in my post on Tent London , and this outdoor furniture from Kirv is another example.

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LDF 2011: 100% Design

LDF 2011: Origin Contemporary Craft Fair

This is Origin ’s second year of being part of the London Design Festival rather than a stand-alone event, and its second year at Old Spitalfields Market . It still has a slightly different feel to many of the events on offer, appealing to a slightly older crowd, and focusing exclusively on contemporary craft. It attracts some wonderfully quirky exhibitors – these Azurer pots (above) were so organic they almost seemed to be growing! And I’ve never seen anything quite like Clare Knox-Bentham ’s creations, which are hand “drawn” using plastic extrusion techniques. There was also a lot of very beautiful, quite understated ceramics, like Noa Ceramics ’ work (above), which is hand-crafted using antique Indian printing blocks and the pieces below from Derek Wilson , Kerry Hastings and Linda Bloomfield

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LDF 2011: Origin Contemporary Craft Fair

Branca by Marco Sousa Santos

When I was at Tendence 2010 , one of my favorite exhibitors was Branca — a new brand by Portuguese designer Marco Sousa Santos. Mr. Design Milk and I both fell for the beauty and simple elegance of the chairs.

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Branca by Marco Sousa Santos