Design shows around the world are taking over the fall calendar. In Helsinki, Paris, London, Istanbul, Brussels, The Netherlands, Tokyo and beyond, designers will be invited to view the latest trends in design in real-time. From exhibitions, seminars, workshops, fashion shows and shopping experiences to extravagant launch parties, there's much to see this September and October for design enthusiasts and professionals.
Beginning August 29 and running through November 25, the 13th International Venice Architecture Biennale features for the first time a U.S. pavilion designed by the Brooklyn creative studio Freecell. The space will feature a lively system of banners that will frame an archive of 124 urban interventions. Collaborating with Sausalito-based communication design studio M-A-D, the pavilion will feature a supergraphic that serves as a bold counterpoint to the banners and acts as an installation in and of itself. Continuing into the courtyard, NYC-based studio Interboro (and winner of the 2011 MoMA/PS1 Young Architects Program) designed an "outdoor living room" that will serve as the pavilion's hang-out and workshop space during the three months of the Biennale.
Design September in Brussels takes place throughout the month of September. For its sixth anniversary this year, the festival will put forward the different applications of furniture design, product design, urban design, architecture, prototypes, strategic design, jewelry creation, illustration, food design, and new this year graphic and textile design. New this year, is an exhibition of Young Belgian Design, featuring six galleries dedicated to creations by Belgian up-and-comers.
Helsinki Design Week in Finland will open the first floor of the Old Customs Warehouse to the public for the first time ever. The unique turn-of-the-century loft space provides a contrasting backdrop to the modern pieces and ideas for the home.The exhibition is curated by Kari Korkman and is being produced by Helsinki Design Week. It is the main exhibition of Helsinki Design Week and part of the Helsinki World Design Capital 2012. The Opening Night will be on September 7, and the exhibition will be open to the public from September 8-16.
Next up is PARIS DESIGN WEEK, from September 10-16. Launched in September 2011 by the organizers of MAISON&OBJET, the show will include 150 venues throughout the city and over 250 participants. In an eventful atmosphere, showrooms, design galleries, art galleries, concept stores, architecture and design agencies, cultural institutions but also hotels and restaurants, will present their latest collections, thematic exhibitions, international brand presentations and latest expressions in culinary design in the dynamic style characterising MAISON&OBJET. Fashion, decoration, art, design, cuisine—all the latest will be on hand throughout an itinerary filled with surprises and design.
A quick chunnel train brings you to London to celebrate the 10th anniversary of London Design Festival, September 14-23. Conceived by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans, the Festival was originally designed to pay tribute to the capital’s creativity and innovation; ten years later, this aim has been achieved beyond all expectations. “It is especially exciting to be staging the 10th London Design Festival in September during the year of the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee,” said Sorrell. “Over the last 10 years, we have grown the Festival across the world's creative capital and this year, the Festival will be better than ever as we join in the celebrations and put the spotlight on design.” Read more about this year's highlights here.
Back home in the American Southwest is Phoenix Design Week from September 24-30. The show was started in 2009 to help connect the Phoenix design community with a week of events and exhibitions . It will feature its 4th Annual Poster Exhibition with this year’s theme of “Here & Now.” A selection of the posters submitted will be printed and shown during Design Week. Now in its fourth year, 2012′s Design Week will welcome thousands of designers from around the country to participate in the city’s exciting culture and creativity.
Next, the seventh edition of the Istanbul Design Week will run from September 26-30 with a full program of new projects in design, trend, fashion, science architecture and technology, exhibitions, workshops and conference guests. The week's events will introduce Turkey and the design culture to the whole world along with the interest of international designers and media. The design world will host design exhibitions and designers from all over the world for a week. By using the Old Galata Bridge, connecting both coasts of the Golden Horn, as the event and the exhibition area, participants and visitors will have a unique experience full of fun and design.
Hopping over to Austria, the country's most important international design festival, The Vienna Design Week is held from September 28-October 7. It offers new product design, industrial design, and furniture design, with a focus on uniting the flourishing design scenes of Central and Eastern Europe, and certainly beyond.
The 10th edition Dutch Design Week takes place October 20 through October 28 in Eindhoven, The Netherlands featuring the work of more than 1,800 designers in industrial design, spatial design, and graphic design to textiles, sustainable design and design management & trends.
From October 30 to November 4, Tokyo Designers Week's celebrates its 27th year this year as an urban style design event featuring design, fine art, music and workshops. Architect Sou Fujimoto was appointed as the creative director to design the exhibition site, which consists of tents connected in the shape of a circle, where an open space is built in the middle.
With so much new design to see this fall, get your passports ready for a tour de design.
