As London Fashion Week and London Design Festival unfold, the city unfurls into a living canvas of creativity, reinforcing its stature as a global hub for fashion and design. The celebration embodies the spirit of an open and inclusive London, where innovation knows no bounds. It serves as a storyteller, unravelling hundreds of narratives that resonate with an ever-expanding audience hungry for fresh design perspectives.
This year, we are particularly delighted to turn the spotlight on some of NAMES' remarkable design-focused brands that have been instrumental in shaping this dynamic landscape.
AMEN stands as a beacon of avant-garde design, celebrated for its groundbreaking contributions. Their collaboration with Diana Picasso, abstract Light Sculptures, and eco-friendly mycelium mushroom packaging exemplify their boundary-pushing ethos. This brand challenges us to see design as more than just functional but as an expressive art form and catalyst for conversation that blurs the lines between function and creativity.
Moreover, their collection has received widespread acclaim at prestigious exhibitions such as Dover Street Parfums Market, Frieze New York, and Design Miami. These accolades further underscore AMEN's position as a vanguard in the design world, where their creations continue to captivate and inspire.
Rooted in a heritage of exquisite craftsmanship, C'ERA effortlessly blends tradition with a modern touch. Their creations radiate timeless elegance, honouring the meticulous artistry of their craft while imbuing it with a contemporary flair.
Taking cues from the 1960s, this collection embodies abstract colours and designs, painstakingly fashioned with eco-friendly wax and encased in 100% sustainable, handmade Italian ceramics. These are more than mere design pieces; they are aromatic storytellers, conjuring a landscape of treasured memories.
THE SKATEROOM seamlessly merges art and design by transforming skateboards into canvases, fusing urban culture with high art. This innovative approach challenges us to rethink design's capacity to bridge cultures. Since 2014, they've collaborated with influential artists to empower international skate projects and nonprofit education.
Operating on a social entrepreneurship model, THE SKATEROOM is committed to enhancing sustainability and transparency. Remarkably, 10% of all revenue directly supports global youth empowerment, the construction of new skateparks, and the development of education programs in some of the world's most disadvantaged regions.
Inspired by the rugged beauty of Margate's English coast, Haeckels’ crafts products that deeply connect us with nature. Their sustainable, science-backed approach explores the future of skincare through bio-design, gut health, the microbiome, and natural ingredients. The biodegradable packaging embodies tranquillity and environmental awareness, underlining the interplay between design and the natural world.
Notably, Haeckels has earned a place on the prestigious shortlist for the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most pioneering brands in the industry.
Stora Skuggan’s fragrances transport us to ethereal realms, demonstrating the profound influence of design on our senses. These scents are more than perfumes- they're scented narratives infused with wearable artworks and aesthetic wonders. Every fragrance is meticulously handcrafted, inspired by stories that blur the boundary between myth and reality.
The packaging embodies modernist Scandinavian design, featuring minimalist line drawings, sleek glass bottles, and oversized stoneware orb caps. This label merges conceptual intrigue with playful mystique, transforming collaborative design into a unique line of imaginative fragrances.
In a world increasingly conscious of sustainability, Kinfill stands as a beacon of responsible design. Their products exemplify how design can be a force for positive change, demonstrating that style and environmental stewardship need not be mutually exclusive.
With a focus on reducing single-use plastics and harmful components, the brand introduces a collection of streamlined cleaning products encased in durable Italian glass bottles. Delivered in their purest form, these 100% biodegradable concentrates are crafted for easy dilution at home with tap water. They harness clean, potent, premium-quality ingredients to ensure efficacy and eco-friendliness.
As we revel in the splendour of London Fashion week and the London Design Festival, let us also take a moment to celebrate these extraordinary brands. They remind us that design is not just about aesthetics but a powerful tool for cultural expression, social impact, and environmental stewardship.
Here's to many more years of pushing boundaries, igniting imaginations, and shaping a future where design knows no bounds. London, the global centre of fashion and design, we salute you!
