out and about :: may design series

Following recent news of the demise of May Design Series, I thought I would share my highlights from this year’s show. Organiser UBM has decided to concentrate its efforts on more niche shows such as kbb, Sleep, Decorex and Ecobuild. “Our exhibitors and visitors have informed us they want a more curated experience,” said UBM’s Alison Jackson. “In a world of information overload, our visitors need a focused event that exhibits the best and new product and thinking within that sector and takes a deep dive into the future of the sector, engaging with new ideas and trends and networking opportunities within that niche of the industry.”

So, for one last time, here are my best bits from May Design Series…

From top to bottom, left to right:

• I was absolutely blown away by Wael Seaiby‘s Plag vessels – made from plastic bags. There is a developing trend that I highlighted in Issue 02 of our sister publication Fiera Magazine for the use of waste as a resource – but with the caveat that the products doing this successfully look beautiful – often completely unrecognisable from their source material. I think this work, part of New Design Britain and one of the Design Council’s Ones to Watch, is a fantastic example of that trend.
• May Design Series were also showing some more established British designers, and it was lovely to get another look at the fab LovedUp by Deadgood, designed in 2011.
• Charles Parford-Plant‘s Tension table is completely flat-packable and held together with off-the-shelf rubber bands. I love the contrast between IKEA-style assembly and the opulence of marble. Charles was another designed selected for the New Design Britain showcase.
• I loved Tom Parfitt‘s concrete Maya side table, selected by Heal’s as part of their Heal’s Discovers programme. “I love the physicality, solidity and natural beauty of concrete,” said Tom. “Clean simple lines create a visually pleasing form by cutting away from a block the same shape in two different planes.”
• It was a pleasure to meet Graham Ikin and the team at Treniq. The base of the Diana side table is made from spalted beech – wood that has been discoloured by fungus.
• I loved the simple geometric patterns in Hannah Sangwin‘s textile designs – another New Design Britain graduate and definitely one to watch!
• Yellow always catches my eye, so it was no surprise that I spotted Bi Silla by Silvia Ceñal for Two.Six. I like its unusual form, designed to make people feel comfortable sitting alone in lobbies.
• I’ve been a fan of Tom Raffield‘s work for as long as I’ve been a fan of design and it’s always a pleasure to spot a little bit of Cornwall on my travels. This is the Loop Chair, originally designed in 2011.
• Sang A. Choi‘s chair from Buckingham New University’s stand caught my eye – I love its ball seat designed to promote a healthier sitting position in live work spaces.
• Eden by Anastazia Hadjiyiakoumi is a collection of woven interior fabrics inspired by Cornwall’s Eden Project. “I was excited by the bold colours and natural forms seen in the plants and flowers in the both the tropical and the Mediterranean gardens,” she said. “I was also fascinated by the contrast between the large-scale manmade structure of the bio-domes and the natural worlds inside them.”
• Another design from Bucks New University, Sam Bend‘s chair “designed partly with Ercol” caught my eye. Sam said, “I believe an object should serve a purpose first and foremost,” and has therefore combined a generous seat with a flexible armrest to create an comfortable, ergonomic chair.
• I met the ladies from Orwell & Goode at Home London at the beginning of last year, so it was great to see them again with lots of new work to show.  Founders Zuzana Orwell and Bronagh Goode describe themselves as a “smiley duo of designer printmakers” and are based in the Scottish Borders.
• Dar Leone create printed textiles inspired by Africa and Asia, playing on founder Isatu Funna’s Sierra Leonean heritage. I just loved the hot pink!
• And last but not least, the fabulous Galvin Brothers – their business was formed as a partnership between Matthew Galvin (designer) and Andrew Galvin (joiner) in March 2012 building on their father’s 61 years of joinery and cabinet making experience. A talent for wood clearly runs in the family.

Further reading for the especially geeky:

• out and about :: the fiera edit
• out and about :: stockholm
• out and about :: twelve at stockholm furniture fair 2015
• out and about :: ambiente frankfurt