An initiative by Anaca Studio and One Fine Print, The Design Co-op will host a series of events as part of Melbourne Design Week that is set to unite the industry.
March 14th, 2018
From 23 to 25 March 2018, The Design Co-Op is infusing the Australian design community with a fresh dose of optimism and imagination about what’s still to come for our living spaces. The one-of-a-kind event will unite the Australian design industry and foster valuable ties between professionals and the design-loving public, sparking a much-needed dialogue about the role of design in today’s market.
The brainchild of Anne-Claire Petre of Anaca Studio and Elizabeth Bull of One Fine Print, the event program is carefully crafted to showcase Australian design brands and empower attendees to transform any place into a meaningful “home”. The Design Co-Op will bring together 14 local brands, 3 leading interior designers, and 20 industry professionals. Whittling the line-up down to just 14 designers was no easy task, considering the local talent pool. “We wanted to work with brands that were aligned with our beliefs,” explained Anne-Claire and Elizabeth, “We started with the people we had either worked with before and who we knew would take this seriously and be meticulous about organisation.”
As is to be expected from an event curated by a furniture designer and a photographer, The Design Co-Op’s line-up marries style and functionality. Participating brands and designers span Australia’s diverse design landscape and include everything from lighting and furniture, to rugs, plants, and décor. From the rich textures of Cadrys and the tactile quirkiness of Cakebread to the colourful concrete of Fox & Ramona and the leafy luxury of The Plant Society, The Design Co-op truly has something for everyone.
Following a launch party on Friday March 23, The Design Co-Op will host a day of panel discussions that present a fresh perspective on topical issues. “The panels are all about sharing knowledge and making connections,” said Anne-Claire and Elizabeth, “We wanted to have casual discussions around subjects that are relevant to both the public and the design industry.” To kick things off, Amelia Barnes of design blog Rented Space will host “Rental is on the rise – why we shouldn’t compromise our home environment.”
Responding to an increasingly rental-driven market, the panel is sure to appeal to today’s younger generations, who are gamely exploring new ways to evoke the cosiness of home in transitional, rented, and non-traditional spaces.
And our own Alice Blackwood of Indesign Magazine will host “How to lead by design? Opportunities to create change in the industry”. Ending the line-up on a future-facing, optimistic note, this panel will empower attendees to refresh the industry for today’s market and transform any space into a meaningful home.
The Design Co-Op sidesteps the monoculture of showrooms and tradeshows, instead highlighting the benefits of ‘cross-pollinating’ different brands and aesthetics. For the weekend-long Showcase, leading Australian interior designers – Fiona Parry-Jones of Von Haus, Lauren Li of Sisalla, and Manuela Millan of Meanwhile in Melbourne – will use products from The Design Co-Op participants to craft three distinct living spaces that evoke different interpretations of ‘home’.
In so doing, Showcase will not only spark imaginations but also remind brands and designers of the benefits of working together, instead of in competition, with one another.
The Design Co-Op is a satellite event of Melbourne Design Week, an annual initiative of the Victorian Government that links businesses with communities. Learn more about the event
at thedesignco-op.com.
This article originally appeared in McGrath and is republished on Indesignlive with permission.
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Suitable for applications ranging from schools and retail outlets to computer rooms and X-ray suites, Palettone comes in two varieties and a choice of more than fifty colours.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
With over 300 events planned, the eighth edition promises another marathon week of design and its theme is at once a proposition of hope and an urgent call-to-arms.
Fender Katsalidis partner, Nicky Drobis, was recently on a panel discussing adaptive reuse and its potential to redefine our cities’ skylines. She outlines 3 ways our cities can increase adoption of adaptive reuse projects.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
When iconic brands wield their influence, the ripples extend far beyond aesthetics. And so when the MillerKnoll collective formed, the very concept of design shifted, supercharging the industry’s aspiration to create a better world into an unwavering sense of responsibility to do so.
Extrapolating the typology of farmhouse architecture, Cameron Anderson Architects (CAARCH) has drawn on the local architecture of Mudgee in both form and materiality to deliver a surprising suite of buildings.