Lee Broom Picks the Best of London Design Festival Inline
Photo: Ruth Ward / Courtesy of LDF1/13Design Junction—A Child’s Dream
“A Child’s Dream was a project featured at Design Junction, where 21 world-renowned designers, including Zandra Rhodes, Sir Kenneth Grange, Neri & Hu, and myself, were asked to customize the iconic Eames Elephant. The result was a playful presentation from hand-painted stripes to my own liquid printed faux-marble elephant. The project also raised money for Teddy’s Wish to aid research into Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).”
Photo: Courtesy of LDF2/13Somerset House—“My Grandfather Tree” by Max Lamb
“The exhibition put on by fellow British designer Max Lamb was a tribute to his grandfather and an old ash tree that had been growing on his farm in Yorkshire. When the tree started to rot, Max wanted to preserve its history, so he worked with a tree surgeon to cut the tree at regular intervals, using the cut pieces as stools or tables. A collaboration with Gallery Fumi, it was a poetic presentation and a personal one.”
Photo: Courtesy of LDF3/13Multiplex by Tom Dixon
“Tom Dixon presented Multiplex at the Old Selfridges Hotel, a department store of tomorrow. The show brought together design, technology, fashion, film, and interiors to explore how the future of retail might look, sound, smell, taste, and feel. It was an epic presentation with just the right mix of brands from different disciplines to create a complete multisensory experience.”
4/13Factory cohosted by The Future Laboratory with Benchmark and 1882 Ltd.
“Factory was a show cohosted by The Future Laboratory that brought together designers Benchmark and 1882 Ltd. New designs, like the beautiful ceramic pieces by Kiki van Eijk for 1882, were on display, and the designers shared their love of creating with hands-on demonstrations and interactive displays held at The Future Laboratory’s Elder Street home in historic Spitalfields.”
5/13SCP London
“Shoreditch stalwarts SCP presented ‘Sofa in Sight’ in its Curtain Road location just around the corner from my store. The exhibition focused on modern upholstery, showcasing six sofas by six different designers, including Faudet Harrison and Terence Woodgate (pictured). SCP presented some of the best upholstery I have seen in years in this single presentation.”
© James Merrell6/13Pinch
“London-based design studio Pinch presented its latest creation, Nim, in an atmospheric old school in the Shoreditch Design Triangle area. Nim is a beautifully simple coffee table made from Jesmonite. Nim captures all the movement, power, potential, and beauty of the natural world expressed as a new man-made object.”
7/13Tent London—Janie Knitted Textiles
“As always, there was an abundance of new talent at Tent London in Shoreditch. In particular, I loved these pendant lights by first-time exhibitors Janie Knitted Textiles. Oversize and handmade from British wool, they reminded me of the ’70s, but the dip-dye treatment gives them a contemporary edge.”
8/13100% Norway—Hallgeir Homstvedt
“Another area of Tent London that displayed some strong pieces was 100% Norway, a stable of young Norwegian designers who descend on London for the festival every year. Hallgeir Homstvedt presented Fauna, a range of animal figures inspired by and created from rocks found in the Nordic countries. I particularly love this mix of various stones, which I think would make great bookends.”
9/13100% Norway—Andreas Bergsaker
“Another attraction for me at 100% Norway was Blossom byAndreas Bergsaker: a simple design which consisted of a beech wooden tray with two mirrors—one magnified and one regular—and a light that mimics the design of the mirrors. It was beautifully crafted and would enhance the dullest of dressers.”
Photo: Mark Cocksedge / Courtesy of LDF10/13Victoria and Albert Museum—Zotem by Kim Thomé for Swarovski
“The V&A is a major hub of the London Design Festival every year, and 2015 was no exception. Zotem, a towering installation by London-based Norwegian designer Kim Thomé, was embellished with 640 Swarovski crystals and stands tall in the museum’s grand entrance.”
Photo: Luke Hayes / Courtesy of LDF11/13The Flower Shop by Lee Broom
“My own show was The Flower Shop. In celebration of the launch of my debut collectsion of vases called Podium, I transformed my Shoreditch flagship store into a temporary flower shop for one week only. Alongside the new vases was my collectsion of lighting and furniture launched in Milan Design Week earlier this year, all surrounded by a sweeping array of over 4,000 fresh flowers.”
Photo: Courtesy of LDF12/13Victoria and Albert Museum—The Tower of Babel by Barnaby Barford
“One of my favorite installations by far was The Tower of Babel at the V&A. Created by artist Barnaby Barford and standing an impressive 6 meters high, the Tower comprises 3,000 bone china buildings, each one unique, each depicting a real London shop photographed by the artist. At its base, the shops are derelict, while at its pinnacle are the crème de la crème of London’s exclusive boutiques and galleries. My own store Electra House was included in the installation, and all pieces were available to buy.”
Photo: Courtesy of LDF13/13Victoria and Albert Museum—The Cloakroom by Faye Toogood
“Another highlight of this year’s event at the Victoria and Albert Museum are the sculptural garments by Faye Toogood scattered throughout the museum. Visitors could also check out one of the 150 Faye Toogood Oil Rigger coats made from Kvadrat textiles to wear around the V&A.”
