As Melbourne continues to enjoy all things architecture and design with Melbourne Design Week (MDW), it’s heartening to see the crowds and camaraderie shared by everyone who has taken to the streets to experience the best of Australian design.

Akin to Salone del Mobile, when Milano throws open her many doors for all to feast on design, Melbourne and Australian design is shining brightly through the many events and happenings in and around the city.

The first week of Melbourne Design Week (it’s actually 11 days) was filled with openings and parties with the chance to discover new design, delight in the unexpected, meet rising stars and learn from the best. With the theme this year, Design The World You Want, there are many interpretations that push the boundaries, astound and simply make you think.

Some highlights of the first week include the outstanding 100 Lights by Friends & Associates, an exhibition held at the Meat Market Stables in North Melbourne. As a recap of this exceptional exhibition, it’s not often that 110 of the very best artists, designers and makers, established and emerging, come together in such a number. Featuring table, standing and pendant lights in every conceivable form, material, size and colour, this incredible installation proved that Australia is certainly at the forefront of global lighting design. Curated by the amazing Dale Hardiman, this ambitious undertaking set the scene for MDW and demonstrated that collaboration, friendship and support creates exemplary design.

At 47 Easey Street in Collingwood, there is the opportunity to celebrate one of Australia’s very best object makers in an installation titled Trent Jansen: Two Decades of Design Anthropology. Celebrated at home and abroad, Jansen’s prodigious talent is on show with early pieces as well as recent objects that together tell the story of the designer’s journey in design. These beautiful objects from one of the most revered designers in Australia today are a joy to behold.

Related: More on Trent Jansen and INDE.Awards success

Espousing a theme that is definitely on people’s minds this MDW is Quiet Studio: A Calming Cocoon of Design, Sound and Healing, a soothing place to visit and escape the hustle and bustle of crowds.

Quiet Studio is a collaboration between architect and artist Matthew Bird of Studiobird, Autex Acoustics and Sammy Prouse, physiotherapist and founding director, Universal Practice. As a public artwork, retreat and a wellness offering, Quiet Studio offers ‘quiet’ design and the chance to just take a breath in a wonderful setting.

Again in Easey Street, Superfabshop is indeed super fab! The design object shop and performance space showcases a variety of objects by 39 creatives that range from furniture and lighting to ceramics and jewellery. The offering is curated by Danille Brustman and is a must visit. On the opening night there was music and crowds and the occasion set the scene for the coming days.  There will be a magic show on closing night (25th May) that is certain to delight the crowds.

The studio of Fiona Lynch is buzzing with much to see and to experience. Work Shop: Low Key, Toni Maticevski X Fiona Lynch, and Fiona Lynch Archive are three exhibitions open simultaneously. While Low Key, is an exhibition exploring research and making with some extraordinary objects and furniture, Toni Maticevski X Fiona Lynch displays new ways of working with fabric remnants.

The Fiona Lynch Archives, Lynch’s personal collection of furniture, objects and lighting amassed by the studio over the past 14 years make a visit mandatory.

Another exhibition in Abbotsford at the Cult Melbourne showroom is the 7 Decades of Series 7™: Celebrating the iconic chair by Fritz Hansen. 

As a beloved icon, the series 7 chair exhibition pays homage to a timeless design and shows why the form and style of the chair continues to wow architects, designers and just about everyone else.

This is just a taste of what is on offer, with more events, talks and happenings this week – including the Melbourne Art Book Fair at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). This is the chance to peruse, touch and read the latest publications from the very best art and design publishers, and is guaranteed to stimulate the creative appetite and add to the collection in the library.

Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and is curated and delivered by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Just a heads up, it’s best to review the Melbourne Design Week program to check dates and times that events are open to visit.

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