Tomoni Sayuda. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
Tent London featured both curated rooms and areas where designers had paid for stands. In Tent Digital I loved this whimsical piece by Tomoni Sayuda even though I have no idea what it’s purpose was: ambient sounds were played when the glowing eggs were placed in different nesty holes.
Kingston University had cleverly invited all their now famous alumni, including David Chipperfield and Ed Carpenter of the ubiquitous pigeon lamp, to display their designs in the Made in Kingston room – thus creating the biggest promotional tool ever known. Very very savvy. The only Kingston graduate show I had time to look at was the MA Illustration show; read my review here.
And then onto the stands…
The Modern Garden Company make exterior furniture, and I was most taken with Rock, fun felt wool cushion seats that will even work in the great outdoors, allegedly.
Bespoke lamp stands from Alex Randall featured antlers and a swarm of stuffed rats from Susan Labarre dubbed the “most nightmarish lamp ever created…”
Beautiful abstract carpets from Danish textile designer Naja Utzon Popov are designed in her East End workshop and woven by skilled artisans in India.
Kitchen clocks that once graced the walls of 1970s German kitchens were lovingly sourced, repaired and displayed by London Timepiece. Confusing name though.
A vuvuzela lamp! Whatever next! Very amusing. From John Edwards.
The JJAM Curators Collective had put together a fun collection of designs made using the most banal everyday item – the yellow dishcloth. Stand outs included Polish it Off! by Dora & Fullard, So Much Time So Little To Do (I wish!!!) by Cure Studio, and A Word about Fashion by Catherine Ann Haynes.
So Much Time So Little To Do (I wish!!!) by Cure Studio
Polish it Off! by Dora & Fullard
A Word about Fashion by Catherine Ann Haynes
Recycled fabric covered armchairs by Kelly Swallow reminded me of local shop Squint. But anyone who refashions old fabrics has got my seal of approval – there’s room for many of these bespoke designers up and down the country.
The Makaranda collection by Quirico featured vibrant brightly patterned and coloured foot stools and pouffes – although I somewhat balked when I discovered the price – a mere £425 each. Oh what it must be to have a huge disposable income.
There was some lovely delicate jewellery on display from Clerkenwell based shop Family Tree.
Miller Goodman make wonderful wooden block games out of rubberwood for kids.
Very clever plastic fold up Flux Chairs, but I wasn’t convinced of their comfort levels.
And a big mention surely has to go to the huge blue rope Knitting Nancy interactive installation from Superblue that was prominently installed as everyone came in. Fabulous fun, and a serious nod to the impact of craft techniques on the entire design world. Read about the LAB CRAFT exhibition at Tent here.
Categories ,Alex Randall, ,Catherine Ann Haynes, ,Cure Studio, ,David Chipperfield, ,Dora & Fullard, ,Ed Carpenter, ,Family Tree, ,Flux Chairs, ,JJAM Curators Collective, ,John Edwards, ,Kelly Swallow, ,Kingston University, ,London Timepiece, ,MA Illustra, ,Makaranda collection, ,Miller Goodman, ,Modern Garden Company, ,Naja Utzon Popov, ,Quirico, ,squint, ,Superblue, ,Susan Labarre, ,Tent Digital, ,Tent London, ,Tomoni Sayuda, ,vuvuzela lamp
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