BID Returns to Brisbane

May 29th, 2012

Fortitude Valley welcomed Brisbane Indesign after a 4 year hiatus with a celebration of the community, creativity and diversity of the local design scene.

Kicking off proceedings in style was the satellite event Up Late in Design, a fashion-focused evening involving retailers and restaurants in Fortitude Valley’s James St hub.

Hundreds flocked to the precinct to see the latest from some of Brisbane and Australia’s most exciting fashion designers, as well as make the most of special deals and discounts.

The rain didn’t deter many from exploring showrooms on Friday at their own time, and the Changing Lanes party drew an eager – though rather damp – crowd to Hynes Street on the eve of the big event.

On Saturday the sun was out, spirits were high and the sense of excitement was palpable. First stop for many was Miele, where chef Matt Stone cooked up a storm and green guru Joost Bakker shared his secrets to sustainable design and the story behind his pop-up Greenhouse restaurants.

Luxxbox also drew an early crowd enjoying coffee on an astroturfed outdoor area featuring the latest products from the Aussie brand, including the Calcium, Milk and Harlie stools and a brand-new, limited edition series of benches made from old skateboard decks.

Across the road at Inspiration Office there were Steelcase products on display as well as one of the most inspiring Project installations featuring the dreams of local kids, designers and BID visitors, which grew throughout the day as it was added to.

Innerspace celebrated the history of their products with a captivating showroom display, and cranked up the BBQ in a shady outdoor courtyard area with the help of celebrity grill-master Fenton Keogh.

King Furniture celebrated the launch of their new contract range with special appearances by interior designer David Hicks – who has long collaborated with King on their showrooms, and created their Project installation for this, their first BID appearance – as well as designer Charles Wilson, who was more than keen to share the story behind his award-winning Andrea sofa design for the retailer.

Over at Cosh Living, all eyes were on the new indoor range – classy, contemporary and a perfect accompaniment to the outdoor collections Cosh has become so well known for.

Next door at Argent was the place to go for the latest from Villeroy & Boch, Grohe and Bette, and after several hours of walking around a dip in one of those bathtubs sure started to look tempting!

Hettich’s new showroom was the perfect place to experience their products the way they should be experienced – by getting in there and pulling, sliding and opening everything we could get our hands on!

Jardan were looking bright and fresh as usual, showcasing a brand new outdoor range as well as some of the comfiest new couches around. They were a great match with Armadillo & Co, whose new ranges were all about eye-catching graphics and fun colours.

Chairbiz celebrated a new showroom and broke ground with a live painting session featuring 10 Brisbane artists, who created artworks live before visitors’ eyes. The day culminated in an evening auction, with several lucky punters taking home their own one-off artworks.

Milano Furniture brought European chic to BID with their display of Italian and German brands, and visitors had fun designing their own rugs to enter the major prize draw.

Reece Bathroom Life had Daniel Nikles of Nikles Showers on hand to talk visitors through his new Nikles LED showerheads, as well as presenting new sanitaryware from Caroma Pearl.

The bathroom fun continued at Winning Appliances & Bathrooms. Winnings lay claim to the biggest appliances and bathroom showroom in Australia, and it really does have to be seen to be believed.

UCI’s workplace solutions had people talking and thinking about how best to improve their own working environments.

At Sampford IXL and Streamline Products it was all about sleek high-end bathroom and kitchen appliances and, most importantly, cupcakes! Visitors took to the Neff Cupcake Designer of the Year competition with great enthusiasm, adorning their cakes with all manner of colourful treats.

Fireworks Gallery proved to be one of the highlights of the day (and not just because of the kransky stall serving up German hotdogs all afternoon). The shared space between Baseline, CDK Stone and Debetrek was a hive of activity and a great example of 3 diverse brands working well together in one amazing space.

The Zip Industries team were on hand outside with one of their 3 pop-up refreshment stands which kept visitors hydrated throughout BID – amazingly enough, with sparkling water from their new Zip HydroTap Sparkling.

ECC Lighting + Living’s simple, industrial space was a lovely showcase for their products, some direct from Milan, and the USM Challenge got people working together and having fun whilst engaging with products.

Nearby, How We Create and Palamont were set up with their live manufacturing machinery, creating Alexander Lotersztain’s ’Rock’ cups before visitors’ eyes, as well as other favourites.

How We Create collaborator Christina Waterson presented her Trace exhibition in Brisbane for the first time in a dedicated gallery space, chatting to visitors and handing out limited edition Tracelet bangles to commemorate the occasion.

The Living Edge showroom was buzzing all day but the biggest excitement came with the announcement of the winner of the Chandon/Living Edge Mini Cork Chair Competition. Congratulations to Erin Hutton and Anthony Farmer from DNA Design, who took out first place for ’Sophisticated Opulence’. Geyer’s Jennifer Hudson won 2nd place for Hairy McLairy, and 3rd place went to Commodore 64 by Peter Kuhnell from PDT Architects.

Sharing with Living Edge were Bolon for TAG, who showed off their Jean Nouvel-designed Create collection – which made a splash earlier this year at the Milan Furniture Fair.

At Space Furniture, all 3 floors of the vast showroom were abuzz. Prototypes from illustrious chair brands including Kartell and Academia, straight from the Milan Furniture Fair, gave an exciting glimpse into future fashions. BVN’s Project installation, a canopy of colour over the mezzanine, was a striking focal point of the space.

Upstairs at Mafi, the focus was on craftsmanship and the beauty of timber.

A Project installation by HASSELL and QUT created a stunning delicate sculptural element that begged to be reached out and touched – as did the colours and textures on display at adjoining exhibitor Zepel Fabrics.

In the afternoon, ILVE was a great stop for a Campari cocktail and a walk through their sunny, spacious beach-inspired showroom.

At Coco Republic the focus was on the new Oly range, direct from San Francisco – a classic collection with a quirky edge. At the adjoining Smeg space, visitors were kept busy with Italian treats and Aperol cocktails throughout the day as they perused the Smeg range, from the Classic and Linear collections to the new Marc Newson series.

Café Culture’s spacious, sunlit showroom – a converted church – was home to some of the store’s brand new pieces, including products from OMP Infiniti, Billiani and local designer Chris Hardy, who was on hand throughout the day chatting to guests about the inspiration behind his Pleat stool.

Stylecraft took a relaxed approach to BID, showcasing the new Alessi chair by David Chipperfield and new pieces from Derlot in a casual café-style setting complete with drinks and DJs.

Over at Zenith there were new products from Keith Melbourne, Sean Dix, Schamburg + Alvisse – plus the designers themselves, mingling with guests and having a chat about their new designs.

The Journeys design competition, which saw 20 leading firms re-imagine Dix’s Copine chair, was a highlight of the event, with Katie O’Brien and Ash Every of Super Tectonics taking out the top prize and HASSELL’s Miranda Boyle and Phillip Nielsen taking out the People’s Choice.

Brisbane’s relaxed vibe and bright sunshine made for a wonderful festival atmosphere, but the most striking thing about the event was the genuine community spirit visible at every turn.

Exhibitors and visitors alike launched into the event with enthusiasm, exploring everything on offer and forging connections that will last well beyond the event.

Thank you to everyone who took part and especially to our sponsors for making the event possible. The smiling faces seen on the day and positive response from Brisbane’s design-savvy public hopefully paves the way for a more regular edition of Brisbane Indesign.