Indesign Deputy Editor Penny Craswell visited Toronto for the IIDEX design fair last month. Here she reflects on the highlights of the fair.

A mix of international and Canadian design companies headlined IIDEX this year, with a range of different commercial furniture, lighting, finishes and fixtures on display. Canadian companies such as Teknion, DIRTT, Nienkämper, Tayco and Modern Weave had large stands to stand alongside US and international companies like Nightingale, The Global Group, Inscape, Allsteel, Dietiker and TPL.

Smaller groups such as Made: Modern Canadian Design – a retailer based in Toronto – and the Design Exchange who exhibited work as part of New Canadian Design. The student work was fun to see as small teams had 24 hours to turn rubbish into design charettes, while the keynote speakers included Danish architect, Kim Herforth Nielsen of 3XN, Trend Hunter Jeremy Gutsche and father of the Cradle to Cradle design theory Michael Braungart.

For a full report on the fair, see Indesign’s February issue #36.