London Design Festival 2023: unmissable installations and events

The capital’s biggest showcase of talent is back for the first time since 2019. It returns to its former home in Shoreditch’s Truman Brewery, where you will discover work from cutting-edge design brands, international pavilions and makers. Formerly known as Tent London, the four-day event will greet visitors with an immersive entrance designed by 2LG Studio in collaboration with popular paint brand Lick. Elsewhere, expect bold pieces from international studios, such as the ‘Mini-Tagadà’ chair (pictured) by architecture firm Stamuli AB. 21-24 September, londondesignfair.co.uk

Design it-boy Andu Masebo, this year’s V&A emerging designer, traces the life of an Alfa Romeo car that was scrapped as part of the capital’s ULEZ (ultra low emission scheme) with ‘Part Exchange’. ‘Cars in particular have a unique ability to enter into our lives and bear witness to the stories that shape us,’ Masebo says. He will show furniture pieces made from the car’s bodywork. 16 September–15 October, vam.ac.uk

This now-yearly show explores the latest innovations in sustainable materials. Highlights for 2023 include an installation formed of citrus peel, pineapple fibre and hemp by Tanja Kirst (pictured) and a desk made of plastic waste by Smile Plastics. 20-23 September, materialmatters.design

London-based maker Rio Kobayashi’s first solo show will be on display for 10 days as part of Brompton Design District’s programme, and is a great insight into the world of this playful designer and woodworker. Exploring the themes of conviviality, collaboration and friendship, it features pieces like ‘Fish Table (Fatty Tuna)’, a chunky, fish-shaped dining table that pays homage to the beauty of gatherings. 14-24 September, riokobayashi.com; bromptondesigndistrict.com

Anyone for a party? Renowned homeware brand Buster + Punch will mark its 10th birthday during LDF by launching a very special lounge chair: ‘Chopper’. Originally designed five decades ago by the late Marcello Minale – the father of Buster + Punch’s founder Massimo Buster Minale – this piece has been transformed and is now available in metal with a 70s-style frame reminiscent of the bike it is named after. 18-22 September, busterandpunch.com

Few people do psychedelic colour better than Bethan Laura Wood, so a chance to see her take on bathroom design is not to be missed. The designer has taken four of Kaldewei’s classic enamel designs and reimagined them (with all on display for the first time at CP Hart’s flagship showroom in Waterloo). The collection’s title may hark back to the dreaded bathroom colour of yore, but this is no throwback – expect a cutting-edge take on bathroom design. kaldewei.co.uk

‘Sensory living’ is Fred Rigby Studio’s theme this year, and it has paired up with tableware brand Monoware to investigate how ‘contemporary living spaces can enhance the human experience through a meticulous integration of layout, colour, materials, shape and form’. The British furniture and interior-design studio’s space near London Fields will showcase its ‘Raindrop’ tables in new colourways, alongside special, limited-edition Monoware ceramics. 16-24 September, monoware.com; fredrigbystudio.com

If you’re looking for a moment of calm amid the London Design Festival hubbub, go to St Paul’s Cathedral, where Spanish artist Pablo Valbuena is presenting ‘Aura’, a sound-and-light display to soothe the soul. The live installation translates the everyday noises of the cathedral into a pulsating beam of light. The project is part of a wider London Design Festival series marking the 300th anniversary of Sir Christopher Wren’s death. 16-24 September, stpauls.co.uk

Furniture brand Porro opened its King’s Cross showroom last year, and is unveiling its ‘Linea’ collection. The firm worked with designer Alessandro Mendini’s archive, as well as his two daughters, Fulvia and Elisa, to create cupboards with patchworks of inlaid acetate. 16-24 September, porro.com

For LDF, Aram’s Drury Lane store is celebrating the work of Eileen Gray. The exhibition will include many of the designer’s well-known furniture pieces (many of which were created for her own home, the architecturally stunning Villa E-1027), but the real highlight will be four new rug designs that focus on Gray’s artwork. The rugs display her different sides, says Aram’s managing director Daniel Aram, ‘sometimes minimalist modern, sometimes colourfully playful, but at all times innovative and interesting.’ 16-24 September, aram.co.uk

Illustrator James Daw (right) is the star of this jam-packed exhibition hosted at the hipster hotel, where he has created an interactive collage to line the lobby walls. Made in collaboration with 4D animator Lisa Sheehan and photographer Anna Rotar, the immersive artwork features Daw’s signature playful graphics in a contrasting monochrome colour scheme. 16-24 September, hartshoreditch.com

Home to its own event earlier in the design calendar, Clerkenwell is an area synonymous with stylish furniture and homeware. For London Design Festival, the neighbourhood’s must-visit destination will be inside the iconic store of Danish design powerhouse Fritz Hansen, which will present key launches from its autumn/winter 2023 collection. ‘Taburet’ (pictured) by award-winning designer Cecilie Manz is just one of the highlights. 18-22 September, fritzhansen.com

This sustainable lighting brand started out life as a business idea between three university friends who wanted to achieve a low-carbon world with their specialist, energy-efficient LED bulbs. Now in its eighth year, the disruptive brand moves from its headquarters in Vyner Street to its first permanent showroom on Rivington Street. Be one of the earliest to come through the doors and discover its array of design pieces. Opening 22 September, tala.co.uk

Led by Wax Atelier in collaboration with the Blue H’mong craftswomen of Pa Co village (Mai Chau), and Kilomet 109 (Hanoi), this exhibition at Centre 151 (an independent charity and cultural space in Hackney) explores the craft of Vietnam through the lens of the Mother Goddess – an ancient Vietnamese tradition of worship of female deities and mother spirits seen as protectors of nature. A highlight is the bespoke trimmings from Brian Turner Trimmings (pictured). 16-24 September, waxatelier.com

‘We thought they were far too grown up for us, so were pleased as punch when they suggested a collaboration,’ says Pooky founder Rohan Blaker of this seemingly most unlikely of collaborations, taking GP & J Baker’s archive patterns and reimagining them with youthful exuberance as a new range of lampshades. Be the first to view the collection at GP & J Baker’s showroom in Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour as part of Focus/23. gpjbaker.com; pooky.com

Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou, the Danish design studio’s founders, are transforming &Tradition’s London showroom into a cosy dining space for LDF. It’s a chance to showcase new design (most notably the ‘Trace’ display cabinet, pictured) alongside some of Space Copenhagen’s enduringly popular pieces. ‘The setting is invitational, encouraging visitors to sit down, lounge and mingle,’ say the duo. 18-22 September, andtradition.com