As previously announced in February Design Days Dubai has been reformed and moved to 13-16 November to evolve into a key element within the Downtown Design 2018 trade fair, uniting the region's two leading design exhibitions, as an integral part of Dubai Design Week, the region's largest creative festival. Downtown Design 2018 is hold under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice- Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.
Visitors of Downtown Design 2018 will be able to experience a broad spectrum of design, from high-end manufactured furniture to handmade limited-edition objects. Curated to ensure quality, originality and relevance, both trade professionals and consumers can discover the latest trends from around the world and connect with the regional creative community to buy, commission and engage with contemporary design.
Taking place in its custom-built exhibition space on the d3 Waterfront again this year, in partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), the 2018 edition will present a selection of established and emerging exhibitors, comprising over 175 brands, including 40 regional designers. Italy will attend with many famous brands as Antonio Lupi, Artemide, Baxter, Cappellini, Cassina, Foscarini, Moroso, Poltrona Frau, Seletti and Trend amongst the other.
This November, Downtown Design will be introducing Downtown Editions; a new and curated section within the fair, showcasing limited-edition and bespoke design by individual studios, brands and designers from the Middle East and beyond, for industry and public visitors alike to discover and commission.
“Our sixth edition is the most ambitious to date with more than 65 new brands, the inaugural showcase of Downtown Editions and large-scale installations, debuting at the fair. Delivering a unique experience, award-winning architects H+A have master-planned the fair around the theme of ‘Liveable Cities'; new fair features will include bespoke café concepts, a pop-up retail destination, indoor landscapes and activations on the waterfront terrace. This new blueprint coupled with a fresh creative directionwill mark a new phase of growth and success for the fair.”
Rue Kothari, Downtown Design 2018 Director
An annual meeting point in one of the world's most progressive cities and a key event of Dubai Design Week, Downtown Design is the leading platform in the Middle East for the region's trade professionals and designenthusiasts to discover contemporary design from established global brands as well as regional design talent; this year the fair will unite design weeks from across the region, including Amman, Beirut and Casablanca,bringing some of the Middle East's brightest design talent to Dubai.
The Downtown Design 2018 talks programme at ‘The Forum' will present a dynamic series of industry talks and panel discussions, allowing visitors to gain valuable insight into the region's rapidly evolving design industry, innovation in design and market changes.
Highlights include multifaceted international designer Marc Ange, award-winning designer Ini Archibong and renowned product designer Matthew McCormick, speaking in the Middle East for the first time, whilst celebrity interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard will reflect on why diversity and inclusion are key to the sustained growth of the design economy.
Exploring how design practices can better respond to the unique demands of emerging architecture and design markets are Dara Towhidi, Partner of Foster + Partners, Tariq Khayyat, Head of Middle East at Zaha Hadid Architects and Matthew Utley, Associate Principal at Grimshaw Architects, alongside a series of workshops featuring industry experts and trend analysts.
Visitors can obtain their complimentary fast-track entry to Downtown Design 2018 by either registering online or downloading the Dubai Design Week app.
Discover more about Downtown Design 2018 here
