VG&P

Icon Magazine

THE LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL was back on top form in 2009. After a tumultuous year, we had expected a subdued affair. Sure enough, there was less glitz, but no shortage of interesting new work- and we detected a very welcome trend towards the solid, the handsome and the well-made.

THE DOCK
Tom Dixon took a risk setting up shop at a venue a bus ride away from a Tube station in deepest west London but despite the detour it was well-visited. The Dock took over three canalside buildings in Kensal Rise. In the Wharf Building, Tom Dixon set up a permanent showroom of his collection (01) and was showing off the new threelegged Offcut stool ( 02) and a bar stool in the Slab series. At the Canal Building Dixon invited a host of international brands and designers to exhibit. Here, London-based Ed Carpenter and Andre Klauser's start-up Very Good and Proper showed its 1940s school chairinspired tubular steel and wood Canteen Utility Chair ( 03). It comes in a brilliant choice of bright, disco colours. The White Building provided space for younger designers to show their work. Notable exhibits came from Philippe Malouin, who showed a series of products that clip onto standard metal rails including a small table top and light ( 04) and Simon Hasan showed his new collection of pieces that revive traditional craft techniques (os).