Just announced: Yinka Ilori joins the CDW line-up alongside Sebastian Cox and Nipa Doshi
23-25 May 2023
April 17, 2023
Above (from left): Yinka Ilori x Domus; Sebastian Cox; Nipa Doshi of Doshi Levien
Multidisciplinary artist and designer, Yinka Ilori, is the latest name added to the exciting line-up of Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) 2023. He will be joined by fellow designers, Sebastian Cox, and Nipa Doshi of Doshi Levien. The 12th edition of the festival returns this May (23 – 25) with its biggest programme yet, featuring a total of over 600 industry events.
Yinka Ilori x Domus
Domus has teamed up with Yinka Ilori to create his debut tile collection – Yinka Ilori x Domus. Launching at CDW, Yinka Ilori x Domus introduces the London-based designer’s eclectic mood-boosting colour palette and patterns across two new ranges, aiming to encourage playfulness, joy and boundless possibility into surface design and interiors. To mark the launch, Ilori will present a window display installation in his characteristic style, demonstrating the creative potential of the new collection across both ranges. The installation will be on view at Domus Clerkenwell on Great Sutton Street.
Sebastian Cox
Known for his heirloom furniture produced from a nature-first perspective, Sebastian Cox will launch his first lounge chair made in British-grown wood and upholstered in entirely natural, sustainable and non-toxic materials. His other key pieces shown in British Collection include the Quartered co-working table, featuring four dramatic legs carved from a single trunk, and a new tabletop edition of the Chalara light, created in collaboration with SCP.
Nipa Doshi
The designer will close the talks programme, Conversations at Clerkenwell, on 25 May (15:00). She will speak to Kaye Preston, Editor of OnOffice, about her recent projects and the significance of colour in design across a client base which varies from furniture and accessories to textiles.
In addition to some of the best names from the industry, this year’s festival welcomes more than 300 design brands and makers exhibiting across 11 temporary venues and six design destinations. Together with a network of over 130 local showrooms, they offer architects and specifiers, interior designers and the general public alike the opportunity to experience everything from new furniture and lighting to kitchens and bathrooms, materials and surfaces, decorative accessories, and more.
Here are some of the highlights from key product categories:
LIGHTING
Home to international lighting brands, Light is a dedicated exhibition located within the subterranean House of Detention, a former Victorian prison. While Spark & Bell will launch a handmade, long bone China shade named Kinvara, Studio Lloyd, a Cape Town-based lighting studio led by designer Ashlee Lloyd, will exhibit at CDW for the first time – with some of its custom-made crochet statement sculptures including Amoeba and Sayari.
Above (from top left clockwise): Crochet lighting sculpture by Studio Lloyd; Elli pendant from Aromas; Bioo Lux from Bioo
Also new to the festival is Pablo, the brainchild of industrial designer Pablo Pardo. The brand will showcase Totem, a new LED lighting system of blown opal glass shades designed around a modular platform – alongside other pieces such as T.O and Bola Lantern.
From Spain, Aromas will present its newly launched ranges, Elma by Jose Fornas and Elli by JF Sevilla; while Bioo, founded by entrepreneur Pablo Vidarte, will introduce its award-winning Bioo Lux, the world’s first lamp that can be switched on and regulated through human contact with a living plant.
Visitors to Light will also find a variety of decorative and architectural lighting designs from the likes of Lladro, Jonathan Coles, Abalon, Tom Kirk, Studio Haran, Franklite and Erco, among others.
Meanwhile, exhibiting in both Light and British Collection, Curiousa will show its new Wave chandelier made up of five hand-formed glass vessels threaded onto beams of light. Chelsom, new to the festival and one of the show sponsors, is set to unveil its brand-new collection, Edition 28, in Old Sessions House – following its 75th anniversary in 2022.
Look out for other brands including Zero, Astro, Erco and Fritz Fryer – all of which will host product presentations in their Clerkenwell showrooms as part of CDW.
KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS
Many established names from the kitchen and bathroom industry will return to the festival this May. Ideal Standardwill bring three new designs by Palomba Serafini Associati to its Clerkenwell Road showroom. They include the Gusto tap series building on the brand’s kitchen offering, and the Alu+ shower systems designed to offer a spa-like experience.
Above (from left): RAK-Valet from RAK Ceramics; Habito mixer from Gessi; Chiasso mixer from BAGNODESIGN by Sanipex
On St John Street, Japanese bathroom manufacturer TOTO will focus on its new washlet models shown in the UK for the first time. Neighbouring showroom, RAK Ceramics, will have a whole host of new surfaces, brassware and sanitaryware on display – from RAK-Valet by Patrick Norguet to CookingRAK, a hidden induction cooking system designed to create a multifunctional kitchen space for everyday use.
Over at Design Fields, German ceramic specialist Villeroy & Boch, now in its 275th year, will launch an extensive range of bathroom taps and fittings – as well as a new designer collaboration. Also joining the line-up – and new to CDW – is Fiora from Spain. Its semi-modular bathroom furniture collection, Rok, features modern straight lines while offering great versatility with its various design and customisation options.
Recently opened on Charterhouse Street, the BAGNODESIGN Architecture + Design Gallery will display its new mixer range, Chiasso – alongside its furniture line, Alpine, which can be configured to work for multiple settings. On Farringdon Lane, Gessi will present its new Habito mixer collection featuring six decorative patterns and 13 finishes of its signature Woven Metal.
Watch this space – more kitchen and bathroom showrooms are set to announce their programmes for CDW in the coming weeks – including Kohler, VitrA and The Splash Lab.
GREEN LIVING
In its Cowcross Street showroom, Fritz Hansen will celebrate the introduction of its first outdoor furniture line, Skagerak by Fritz Hansen, within a curated indoor garden feature. Designed in collaboration with Hugo Passos and Aurelién Barby, each piece of the new collection is sold as a flat-pack and made from the highest quality, sustainably sourced FSC-certified teak, which ages beautifully and requires minimal maintenance.
Returning to CDW, Plant Designs (Old Sessions House) will showcase its bespoke plant displays – all 100% natural and made using real plants that have undergone a natural preserving process. They can be installed in areas without natural light and require no watering or pruning.
Vantage Spaces on Farringdon Lane is another one to visit for more biophilic designs including green walls and living and replica planting.
Above (from left): Plank chair from Skagerak by Fritz Hansen; bespoke pieces by Japanese artisans from Yuzemi; Origami vase from Keramik
COLLECTIBLE DESIGN
New to the festival, Yuzemi (Platform) sources and commissions one-of-a-kind objects – handmade by a selection of Japanese artisans – for hospitality and interior design projects. Some of their works in ceramic, glass, metal and textiles will be on display, from decorative pieces to everyday utensils.
Also new to CDW is Greece-based Keramik (Design Fields) – which specialises in sustainable designs using clay as a primary material combined with 3-D printing. Expect to see its side table, Monolith, printed solely in one piece – as well as its dining table, Talon.
James UK (British Collection) designs contemporary furniture handmade by a team of skilled manufacturers in the UK. At the festival, the British company will launch new upholstery including Emel, a modular sofa offering flexibility and scalability for commercial settings.
Anne Davison Studio (Platform) will join CDW for the first time, offering limited edition art prints, tufted rugs in 100% new wool, and digitally printed linen and silk cushions, all created and sustainably produced in the UK. Meanwhile, Tatie Lou (Light), founded by textile designer Louise Wargnier, will bring its latest wallpaper and fabric designs to Clerkenwell.
THE NEXT-GEN
Collaborating with the festival once again, the London Metropolitan School of Art, Architecture and Design has selected a group of BA Product Design students to present 23 columns – each one a personal response to the colours and dynamic landscapes of London. During CDW, visitors to Colours of London (located at YOTEL on Clerkenwell Road) will be asked to vote for their favourite design – with the winning student having their colour palette mixed as tester pots by Mylands.
Above (from left): Colours of London from the London Metropolitan School of Art, Architecture and Design; Pachamama wallpaper by Tatie Lou; Viaduct x Smith’s Rules
Next Generation Design is a project by Scale Rule to showcase the creativity and talent of young Londoners as the next generation in architecture, engineering and design. Its purpose is to give students, young professionals and other members of the community an opportunity to collaborate and to have a say in their built environment.
Situated in Cowcross Yards, the installation will be a sculpture designed by students from the University of Westminster as a response to the site, using a standardised kit of parts developed by Scale Rule. At the end of CDW the installation will be demounted, with the kit preserved and ready to be used again in the future, such as in a totally different function or configuration.
WORKSHOPS
On Summers Street, Viaduct will present new designs from brands including Bensen, E15, Emeco, Mattiazzi and Montis. Located in a former ink factory, the furniture and lighting showroom will also host Smith’s Rules, a master of letterpress, who will demonstrate the art of typography through a series of workshops (book here).
NEW INSTALLATION
Texaa will return to Spa Fields this May with a unique acoustic installation. CDW visitors will be invited to walk through two areas – shaped identically but with dramatic architectural differences – to experience the impact of sound on the perception of space. A series of events will also be hosted throughout the festival.
Above: Texaa’s installation in Spa Fields during CDW
The 12th edition of Clerkenwell Design Week takes place across EC1, London from 23 – 25 May 2023. For more information, please visit clerkenwelldesignweek.com.
PRESS CONTACT
For press enquiries, please contact Belinda Fisher and Patricia Gill at Friends & Co: cdw@friendsandco.co.uk. Press registration: clerkenwelldesignweek.com/pr
NOTES TO EDITORS
Clerkenwell Design Week, 23 – 25 May 2023
Website: clerkenwelldesignweek.com | Instagram: @clerkenwelldesignweek
Twitter: @cdwfestival | Facebook: @clerkenwell.design.week | Hashtag: #CDW2023
2023 exhibition venues
- Design Fields – home to international furniture and interiors brands;
- Contract – home to commercial interiors;
- Light – home to international lighting brands;
- Project – home to workplace furniture and solutions;
- Elements – home to architectural hardware and finishes;
- British Collection – home to the best of British interiors brands;
- Detail – home to luxury interiors;
- Platform – home to emerging design talent;
- Old Sessions House – home to brand pop-ups and activations, and also the festival hub offering CDW visitors free access between 23 – 25 May;
- Ceramics of Italy – home to Italian tile brands; and
- (NEW) Catapult – home to contemporary design for office, hospitality and retail.
Visiting information
- Visitors can register for their FREE festival passes via clerkenwelldesignweek.com.
- All visitors require a visitor badge to access the exhibition venues and showroom events.
- Exhibition venues are open 10:00 – 18:00 on Tuesday, 10:00 – 21:00 on Wednesday, and 10:00 – 17:00 on Thursday. Showroom opening hours vary.
- Closest underground stations: Farringdon and Barbican
- Bus routes: 19, 341, 38, N19, N38, N41, 55, 48