London Tent 2012 Report

The second stop during my trip to London Design Festival was this years Tent event. One of larger events being held over the 10 day festival. The event was held together with Super Brands London and was put on show in the Old Truman Brewery.
With such a vast amount of design talent and innovation it was hard to highlight the best on display.
The stand that stood out the most for me at this years event,had to be the carved geometric wood pieces by Hungraian designer Laszlo Tompa. His collection included a range of lighting aswel as stylishly carved boxes. The innovation, skill and standard of craftsmanship was next to none.

Another intriguing piece of design was the domino covered cabinet designed by Dutch design company Schelling and Borsboom. Stylist design with a bit of humour.

This next piece was probably one of the designs I have talked about the most since London Design Festival. A coffee table design by UK designer Toby Poolman which captured your attention as soon as you entered the top floor. A piece which demonstrated excelent innovation and craftsmanship but made the user question its production and the characteristics of its wood material.

It was great to see Eco design palying a big part of this years London Design Festival. One of the best examples of eco design and upcycling was the work of UK designer Sarah Turner. Her beautiful lighting has been designed using recycled plastic bottles which she cuts and forms into 3 dimensional flowers. When speaking to Sarah, it didnt suprise me to hear that she was commisioned by Coca Cola to design a chandelier for this years London Olympics.

London 2012 Preview

Continuing on with his metalic experimentation and lighting, Tom Dixon has created the "Lustre Pendants" which will be showcased in September at this years London Design Week. The collection of lights which exhibit an iridescent sheen which is a result of applying a specialized glaze composed of minerals and precious metals to the ceramic shades and firing them at 1200 degrees celsius. The ceramic forms of each pendant bring together lines and shapes derived from Mayan temples and the archiecture of the Art Deco period. The "Lustre Pendants' are the first ceramic designs in the studio's collection 'Luminosity' which will all be shown at London Design Week at Luminosity at the Dock. 

Tent London 2012 Preview

Tent London have produced an ever-evolving design show for six years now and this year’s upcoming September 2012 edition brings together over 200 international exhibitors from over 26 countries. With the shows content expanding each year it always remains ahead of the curve. An event not to be missed full of inspiration, showcasing the best in London Design aswel as some top Irish designers and other design from around the world including Hungary, Norway, Japan,Taiwan and The Netherlands.

This weeks preview highlights the colourful and exciting work of Yorkshire based furniture designer Anthony Hartley. Having exhibited at Tent last year it is great top see Hartley back again showcasing his bright, fresh and engaging furniture which captured the attention of .
First launching at Tent 2011 The Edna Collection is a range of oak cabinets with a single multicolored laminated ply drawers which Hartley hand sprayed and lacquered to a high gloss finish. The addition of aluminum legs takes this collection to a level that not only is fun but combines elegance and style also.

This year at Tent we will see the Core Collection being showcased. This collection of pieces are made from clean and simple MDF or ply template shapes, sprayed in Hartley’s trademark fun and engaging colour palette. The innovation comes in the joining of the templates, which uses multi-coloured cable ties to secure them, and which can be easily assembled without tools. The cable ties are incorporated as a design feature, each one is inset in a small perfect groove which reinforces the clean and simple lines of the pieces.

Claire-Anne O'Brien at TENT 2012

Irish-born designer and recent graduate from the Royal College of Art, Claire-Anne O’Brien has expanded her collection of carefully detailed knitted furniture for this years up and coming TENT Exhibition during London Design Festival. Pattern and form play a big influence in her work combined with research on traditional crafts and materials such as basket making and lace work. Inspired by elements of the knitted stitch itself such as rings and loops, these structures are revealed and celebrated through exaggerated scale into bold and textured forms. Passionate about wool, O'Brien is currently developing new fabrics using a wool made especially in a mill in Yorkshire which will then be knitted by a team of knitters around the UK and Irelan. Claire-Anne will celebrate the creativity, imagination and innovation present in Ireland today while highlighting the unique skill and craftsmanship with which Irish products are made. Tent London takes place from the 20th - 23rd of September at the Old Truman Brewery in East London.