Design Mumbai 2024: STIR unveils the brands, designers and studios to look out for
Positioning itself as “the first contemporary design show in India with an international perspective,” and set to unfold at the Jio World Garden from November 6 – 9, 2024, Design Mumbai promises to be a juried celebration bringing together the finest stakeholders in the global and Indian design scene. As a media partner, STIR is poised to offer an exclusive preview of the distinguished design brands, designers and manufacturers that will add lustre to the design event, which will emerge as a confluence of traditional crafts and contemporary innovation.
From furniture and lighting to art and product designs, the four-day design fair carries an ambition to strengthen India’s position as a burgeoning design and culture hub. The event is led by show production and design experts with over 60 years of collective experience. Co-founded by Ian Rudge of 100% Design, event organiser Michael Dynan, and designer and TV presenter Piyush Suri.
STIR previously detailed the event’s announcement and its intent, and now reveals the trade fair’s global and national design participant lineup.
Among the international brands to look out for is the Italian furniture and custom interiors company Poltrona Frau, which will present its latest furniture series conceived by renowned creatives such as French designer Jean-Marie Massaud, British designer and artist Faye Toogood, German designer Sebastian Herkner and multi-disciplinary Italian design studio Draga & Aurel.
With over six decades of experience, Swiss furniture manufacturing company de Sede will present new pieces by its team and Atelier Oï and a seating series by British-Canadian designer Philippe Malouin. Contemporary Danish designs from brands such as HAY, &Tradition, Wendelbo and New Works will be showcased by Chennai-based furniture retailers FernandAde. Spanish rug design and manufacturing company Nanimarquina and Belgium-based furniture company Ethnicraft will also be among the international brands in attendance.
Design Mumbai is also set to introduce products comprising VitrA’s recycled ceramic washbasins and its collaborative works with British designers Tom Dixon and Liquid, and the New Delhi-based Innovative Design Studio’s range of lighting designs by brands such as Czech-based Brokis, the Italian companies Martinelli Luce, Axolight and Catellani & Smith.
Seoul-based studio VIATOV’s mirrored objects made from colourful plexiglass panels will add a touch of whimsy to the exhibit. The presence of British contract furniture firm Boss Design, UK-based industrial designer Michael Young, Italian sports equipment manufacturer Technogym, Italian design school Istituto Marangoni and luxury interior brands such as Swedish manufacturer Hästens and Timothy Oulton from London will add diversity to the demographic of Design Mumbai’s inaugural edition.
Amid some Indian brands showcasing their innovative designs with traditional techniques are FAZO Project and Jaipur Rugs with its skilled weaving artisans and Jaipur-based AKFD Studio with its bespoke lighting and furniture range.
Gurugram’s LOCO Design specialises in fusing heritage craftsmanship and technology, and will present a series of its crafted goods, decorations, accessories, furniture as well as architectural and interior solutions through heritage Pintark and Taamaa brands, along with their latest collaborative works with the France-based Studio Remi Bouhaniche.
From Mumbai, lighting designers Shailesh Rajput Studio and Arjun Rathi Design will each present their unique pieces that are a result of material exploration and partnership with local craftsmen.
Sustainability is promised as a central theme at Design Mumbai 2024, with many design exhibitions focusing on zero-waste production, sustainable designs, mindful manufacturing and partnerships. While EK Kalakaar Designs from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, creates handcrafted furnishings and objects from everyday scraps, Gandhinagar’s Morii Design empowers skilled women artisans across the country in their homes, to make their hand-embroidered and naturally dyed textile designs.
These studios will unveil their creations at the design festival, along with Hyderabad-based furniture design firm Esvee Atelier, which focuses on Indian fine artistry that promotes conscious minimalism in living spaces.
Form-driven exhibitors such as Hyderabad-based The Wicker Story’s zero-waste sustainable sculptures stemming from digital design and New Delhi-based Orikrit’s origami-inspired, hand-folded art installations made from Indian textiles and bamboo mats will captivate visitors. Among the stand-out pieces on display will be the Mumbai-based Studio Avni’s metal lightings and seatings made from repurposed silk saris.
In a nod to everyday simplicity, accessory design expert Objectry from New Delhi and kitchen specialist Vivaarta from Ahmedabad will present collections that embrace minimalism and functional art, valuing Indian craftsmanship and tactile experiences.
The extensive assemblage of international and national brands, designers and design studios is set to underline the relevance and importance of design in everyday spaces and objects at Design Mumbai this November. Serving as a dynamic platform for both established and emerging talents in the architecture, art and design industries, audiences at Design Mumbai 2024, will witness a vibrant, rich tapestry of novelty, creativity and craftsmanship that will likely transform the global and national design landscape.
(Text by Bansari Paghdar, intern at STIR)
STIR, as a media partner, will feature the best of designers, studios, brands and special projects to watch out for at the inaugural edition of Design Mumbai taking place from November 6 – 9, 2024.
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