out and about :: fiera edit at may design series

I was recently asked by UBM to curate a small exhibition at May Design Series focussed on the new design talent I had been spotting in my role as editor of Fiera, an independent biannual magazine discovering new talent at the world’s design fairs. I scoured design shows in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Frankfurt to unearth the best new talent and present a selection of up-and-coming designers whose work is original, thought-provoking, problem-solving – and sometimes all three. I was so proud of the final result. Here is the work I selected:

From top to bottom, left to right:

• Alexander Spenst‘s tea caddies are an experiment in colour and form.
• The shape of Into the Blue by Gróa Ólöf Þorgeirsdóttir is inspired by a seashell and its colour by the blues of the ocean. Each piece of fabric is hand-tied.
• Friedemann Bühler‘s vessels are turned on the lathe from whole sections of tree trunk, and are so delicate that in parts you can see right through them.
• Glen Baghurst‘s Outdoor Events Chair was inspired by the campaign furniture used by the British when touring the British Empire. Made from leather and powder-coated iron, Glen imagines that it might be used for a night under the stars watching open-air theatre.
• I love the Pool Chair by Yoin – inspired by swimming pool ladders. “When I climbed up from the pool, I grabbed a pool ladder that gave me a feeling which was very comfortable,” said the designer. “I was also fascinated by the gentle lines of the ladder.”
• Laura Jungmann‘s Samesame collection is made by re-blowing existing mass-produced glass bottles. She worked with glass-blower Cornelius Réer using traditional mouth-blowing techniques to make the collection.
• Diversity of Mass Production by Robin Hohn is made in two-part moulds, so every one is different. “The charm of traditional craftsmanship is combined with the advantages of modern manufacturing processes making it possible to generate and to discover future production methods,” he said.
• We were very lucky to be exhibiting Troels Flensted‘s Poured Bowls for the first time outside of his native Denmark. The Central Saint Martin’s graduate has recently set up his own studio in Copenhagen and it’s so lovely to see him doing so well.
• I first spotted Alicja Patanowska‘s work at the Lodz Design Festival in Poland and she has gone from strength to strength ever since, appearing in the New Talent section at Ambiente Frankfurt, winning the 2015 confessions of a design geek bursary, and having not one, but two stands at Clerkenwell Design Week! Go Alicja!
• Carlos Alves Ludovico‘s Fruit On Top cake emphasises the importance of healthy eating, elevating fruit to the status of the “cherry on top.” The height of each slice indicates the carbohydrate value of each type of fruit, to help those keeping an eye on their blood glucose levels make the right choices.
• Concerned about how distracted we’re becoming by social media, Berlin-based designer Weng Xinyu designed the Balance Lamp. It only switches on when the counter-weight of a smartphone lifts the light source off the surface of the desk, illuminating the user’s working space and allowing them to fully concentrate on the task in hand.
• Made by Michael aka Michael Daae Christiensen is another new designer who keeps popping up – I’ve seen his work at Northmodern Copenhagen, the Stockholm Furniture Fair and we were lucky enough to have three of his pieces of furniture at the Fiera Edit.
• Chudy & Grase‘s Mitto is a revolutionary new take on the kettle that, at the time of writing, has already raised €730,582 against a €150,000 Kickstarter goal.
• Georgina Walters’ Nudel is a cabinet inspired by transparency, juxtaposition and… badminton rackets! I love the orange.
• And finally, Jenny Nordberg’s 3 – 5 Minutes collection comprises items of furniture she makes by hand within, you guessed it, three to five minutes.

A huge thank you so all the new designers who took part, to Jeremy and Jese at magCulture for the fab Fiera Edit logo and help with stand design, and to the fantastic team at UBM who made the whole thing, not only possible, but a pleasure. Most of the designers featured appear in Issue 02 of Fiera Magazine, which is out later this month. To get your hands on a copy hot off the press, and four gorgeous limited edition postcards, pre-order your copy here.

Further reading for the especially geeky:

• out and about :: stockholm
• out and about :: twelve at stockholm furniture fair 2015
• out and about :: ambiente frankfurt
• out and about :: greenhouse, sff15