Factory Design District is back bigger and better this year, opening in Sydney on Friday 3 June as part of Vivid Ideas. Leanne Amodeo previews the event’s highlights.
May 30th, 2016
Flashback to Sydney Indesign 2015 and Factory Design District (FDD) was a small exhibition of four designer-makers. Fuelled in no small part by a renewed interest in craftsmanship and all things handmade, the previously modest showcase has quickly evolved into a large-scale event presented as part of this year’s Vivid Ideas. Hosted by COMMUNE in Waterloo, it features over 20 exhibitors, a talks program, demonstrations and plenty of good food and drink.
What hasn’t changed is FDD’s mission to connect as many people as possible with designer-makers who are producing work of the highest quality. “Visitors will get a real sense of the human being behind the product,” says founder and curator Kobe Johns. “And see the way in which each component, thread or print is handled – not machined.”
Johns hopes the three-day event debunks myths that authentic design is only for the rich and commissioning a custom-made piece is a difficult process not for everyone. Exhibitors including Emilia Simcox, The Fortynine Studio and Kristian Aus will offer behind-the-scenes insight into their practice, reinforcing the benefits of buying local. While other exhibitors, such as Jonathan West, Fresh Prince and JP Finsbury Bespoke Joiners, shine a spotlight on local manufacture.
Emilia Simcox Camofleaur Rainforest
The talks program reinforces FDD’s curatorial championing of authentic design and is made all the more interesting for its well-respected industry participants. Designer Trent Jansen shares his recent experiences working in India’s Chor Bazaar and The Design Writer’s Penny Craswell leads discussions on the importance of making. A highlight is sure to be David Trubridge in conversation with the Authentic Design Alliance’s director Ann-Maree Sargeant on his recent legal battle with Australian ‘replica retailers’ (which, by the way, he won).
These sessions don’t shy away from issues that have long surrounded Australian design and Johns’ is to be commended for curating an easily accessible event that still packs intellectual punch. Her commissioning of design journalist and stylist David Harrison also adds weight to the program. His presentation of Established_ will be a clever reminder that the maker movement is not new, with iconic brands (and FDD exhibitors) Dinosaur Designs, ISM Objects, MUD Australia and Tait celebrated in a separate installation and panel discussion.
As Johns says, “Let’s start conversations with our designers and makers to gain a greater understanding of what’s happening in the factories and workshops of our cities.” FDD is sure to facilitate just that in a fun, relaxed environment where visitors will be entertained, can talk investment if they please and learn from the industry’s best and brightest.
Factory Design District
Presented as part of Vivid Ideas, Sydney
3 – 5 June 2016
COMMUNE
901 Bourke Street Waterloo in Sydney
factorydesigndistrict.com
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!
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.
The Sub-Zero Wolf showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne provide a creative experience unlike any other. Now showcasing all-new product ranges, the showrooms present a unique perspective on the future of kitchens, homes and lifestyles.
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
As Vivid Sydney wraps for another sensational year, Gillian Serisier spoke with Mandylights lighting designer Tom Wightwick, one of the incredible minds behind recent light events including Sydney World Pride (Opening Ceremony, Domain Dance Party, Rainbow Republic), Poem of the Eternal City (a major theatrical production in Uzbekistan) and this year’s Vivid.
Halfway through Vivid, the greatest has yet to be shown. But if you have a free moment, or coming from afar, be sure to check out these installations before they go.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Overcoming pandemic hurdles to redefine guest experiences amidst Sydney’s bustling entertainment precinct, The Darling has undergone a two-year restoration that melds Art Deco interiors with the necessities of hotel living.
MECCA’s Customer Support Centre stays put, but Studio Tate’s interior design has added totally new layers of colour and energy to the space.
Create a configuration to suit your needs with this curved collection.
The brief for the new Government Agency office in Canberra was a challenging combination of high performance and high concept. The Mill Architecture + Design turned to Milliken to bring the ambitious project to life.