ALESSI
Founded in 1921 in Crusinallo, Italy, Alessi is one of the great Italian design factories. Throughout its long history, the company has consistently been a provocateur in the realm of domestic architecture, redefining ordinary household objects.
Alessi is responsible for some of the most recognisable designs of the 20th-21st centuries. Its work with the leading designers and architects, including Alessandro Mendini, Philippe Starck and Richard Sapper, led to icons of the design world that include the Juicy Salif citrus squeezer, the 9093 kettle and Anna G corkscrew. Masters of metalwork, all of Alessi’s stainless steel offering is still manufactured at the Headquarters in Crusinallo, in north Italy, maintaining its strong bond with the traditions and cultural background of its area. Alessi is today considered a world class research workshop in the field of applied arts whose approach, while celebrating contemporary industrial technology, is strongly rooted in hand crafted culture.
Alessi is Cultural-Agenda's longest-standing client.
“A true design work must move people, convey emotions, bring back memories, surprise, and go against”
— Alberto Alessi
CONTEMPORARY APPLIED ARTS
Contemporary Applied Arts is London’s original multi-disciplinary applied arts gallery, championing and promoting the very best of British craft.
It is a maker membership organisation, which was founded in 1948 and registered as a charity in 1967.
Members include prestigious and distinguished artists as well as emerging designer-makers who create one-off or batch-produced decorative and functional pieces in ceramics, glass, jewellery, metal, paper, textiles, wood and furniture.
CAA members’ work is showcased in a gallery space at Bankside where the makers’ talent and artistic excellence are celebrated through a varied programme of exhibitions and events.
CONTEMPORARY BRITISH SILVERSMITHS
Contemporary British Silversmiths is the only professional body exclusively representing UK silversmiths both nationally and internationally. The association was set up in 1996 with the aim of raising the profile of the unique craft of silversmithing through public exhibitions.
In promoting the design and creativity of the silversmith, it has worked closely with institutions such as the Goldsmiths’ Company, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Christie’s London and the Silver Trust Collection at Downing Street to create bespoke exhibitions that support its aims of promoting contemporary silver to a global audience.
In March 2016, Contemporary British Silversmiths launches Silver Speaks an 11-month long series of events to be held around the country to celebrate the exceptional level of creativity and skill in British silversmithing today. The spotlight will shine on some of the most exciting artists and designers exploring the diverse applications of the material, from the experimental to the traditional, the sculptural to the functional. It will showcase the remarkable uses of silver and how works can be commissioned to enhance contemporary living, architecture and fashion.
Silver Speaks is sponsored by the Goldsmiths’ Company. The focus of the programme, Silver Speaks: Idea to Object and the supporting public symposium Silver in Contemporary Life, are produced in collaboration with the V&A.
DECOREX INTERNATIONAL
Decorex International is the UK’s leading design show and the only one of its kind in the UK for the luxury interiors market.
Established in 1978, Decorex is recognised among the international design community as the trusted resource for high-end interior designers, architects, specifiers, retailers and property developers.
Boasting more than 400 exhibitors from leading names to emerging talents, this annual four-day showcase attracts nearly 14,000 visitors from across the globe. In 2019, the show will return to central London to debut at its new home, Olympia, London. The 2019 edition will take place from the 6th-9th October.
HÄSTENS
Hästens has a rich history of craftsmanship running back through six generations. The company started in 1852 as master saddlers in a time where saddlers also made furniture. As the need for the profession declined when the car grew in prominence, Hästens turned its hand to creating the world’s most luxurious beds, leading to its appointment as Royal Purveyors of the Swedish Court.
Today, Hästens continues to build upon this Spirit of Excellence, crafting beds, bed linen and accessories with passion and skill. Using only natural materials, including traditional horsehair, each and every one of its beds is made by hand in its atelier in Köping, Sweden.
On a mission to spread its message of healthy sleep across the world, Hästens’ beds are designed to make its clients feel awake for the very first time in their lives, and to understand the impact of healthy sleep on the body and mind.
NIGEL COATES
Nigel Coates is a provocative designer of architecture, spaces and furniture. His HQ in Bloomsbury combines an architectural laboratory, a furniture design studio and gallery.
His product designs have been produced by renowned international brands including Gebrüder Thonet Vienna, Fornasetti, Slamp and Alessi while his architectural designs include the much-lauded Wall in Tokyo, the Hubs in Sheffield and the Geffrye Museum in London.
Many architectural exhibitions include Nigels's works such as Ecstacity at the Architectural Association, Mixtacity at Tate Modern and Picaresque at the Triennale Design Museum. A prolific writer, he has written a number of books including Guide to Ecstacity and Narrative Architecture.
Nigel is Professor Emeritus at the Royal College of Art in London and is Chair of the Academic Court at the newly founded London School of Architecture.
“An object should seduce you, and all the more when you use it”
— Nigel Coates
SHALINI MISRA
Shalini Misra Limited is a multi-award winning London-based architecture and interior design company, with a diverse portfolio of projects all over the world.
The practice was founded in 1996 by interior architect, designer and property developer, Shalini Misra. Its ability to incorporate clients’ needs within characterful, functional and timeless interiors, where colours, textures, art and design are masterfully combined, has fostered a loyal clientele.
Art plays an important part in the practice’s interiors. Working with leading artists, galleries, craftspeople and antiques dealers around the world, it offers a client service for sourcing and curating art collections.
TIMOTHY OULTON
The story of Timothy Oulton started back in 1976 with a small antiques shop, owned by Tim’s dad. Profoundly influenced by his love of antiques, his father’s military background, and an inherent affection for British heritage, Tim created an authentic, visionary brand with the deepest integrity and a passion to deliver the extraordinary.
Handcrafted with only the best traditional techniques, each Timothy Oulton piece is inspired by the past, but reconceived from a modern perspective, producing uniquely authentic collections which push the boundaries of furniture design.
On 1 September 2018, Timothy Oulton opened the doors to its worldwide flagship gallery in the historic Bluebird Garage in Chelsea, London. Featuring the largest display of its collections anywhere in the world, the gallery is a manifesto expression of everything it stands for: heritage, innovation, creativity and hospitality.
VANDERHURD
Internationally acclaimed design studio, Vanderhurd, has for the last 35 years been designing and creating bespoke rugs, carpets and textiles for discerning customers.
With its studio on London’s Portobello Road and representation in Los Angeles, Paris, Singapore and Sydney, the company works with interior designers for both private and public spaces.
Vanderhurd is recognised for its innovative approach to design. It prides itself on its inherent understanding and development of the art of weaving. With longstanding working relationships established with skilled artisans in India who hand craft their designs, the studio offers only the best quality.
The company evolved from the inspired designs of its founder Christine Van Der Hurd. Who worked for Etro, Osborne & Little and Yves Saint Laurent after graduating from Winchester Art College in the early 1970s. Following a move to New York City Christine worked with Angelo Donghia and Jack Lenor Larsen. It was the creation of a bespoke rug in 1980 that brought about a pivotal shift, and the design studio was born.
