GLOBAL INFLUENCERS

London Design Festival is a celebration of design from around the world, so we take a closer look at what our favourite international brands are up to

KARTELL

( 16– 24 SEPTEMBER) To mark the design’s 50th anniversary, Italian brand Kartell has invited a host of designers to re-interpret its ‘Componibili’ storage unit (right). The likes of Ron Arad, Missoni, Nendo, Piero Lissoni, Antonio Citterio and Philippe Starck have turned their hands to the bestselling piece. It’s been transformed into plant pots, a console table and even pop art soup cans. See the exhibition at Kartell’s flagship store on Brompton Road ( kartell.com).

MOLTENI & C

( 16– 24 SEPTEMBER) Italian furniture brand Molteni & C is collaborating with Danish textile house Kvadrat to present Amare Giò Ponti, a documentary film honouring the legendary architect and designer. It’s also launching contemporary interpretations of some of Ponti’s greatest pieces (above), presented as part of an in-store installation by Vincent Van Duysen (molteni.it).

ANTHROPOLOGIE X LIBERTY LONDON

( 16– 24 SEPTEMBER) British institution Liberty London is lending its classic floral patterns to American import Anthropologie’s designs. Furniture will be upholstered in various prints, including an updated version of William Morris’s ‘Strawberry Thief’, while tableware, textiles and stationery will be covered in re-imagined heritage patterns (right). The collection is launching in Anthropologie’s Regent Street store – catch the floristry workshop on 16 September (anthropologie.com).

CAPPELLINI

( FROM 18 SEPTEMBER) Contemporary Italian furniture brand Cappellini is opening its first space in the UK in time for LDF. ‘Cappellini Point’ on St John’s Street will act as a stylish place to meet (think natural wood floors and alfresco areas) as well as a product showcase. It’s also where the brand will debut the ‘Telo Lounge’ seating by Sebastian Herkner (above), characterised by light metal frames and circular forms (cappellini.it).

POGGENPOHL

( 21 SEPTEMBER) Trekking the LDF trail is hungry work, so book in to German kitchen brand Poggenpohl’s chef’s evening to refuel. There will be live cooking demos using the latest Miele appliances and plenty of dishes to taste in the brand’s newly refurbished showroom on Pimlico Road (poggenpohl.com).

STELLAR WORKS

( 16– 24 SEPTEMBER) The Shanghai-based brand’s ‘Indigo: A Cultural Iconography’ exhibition at the Design Museum will be based around the ‘Ming’ chair ( below) by Chinese firm Neri&hu. It will present the seat in a variety of iterations, showing how traditional craft techniques can be combined with modern ones (stellarworks.com). ➤