Chair Chick

 

You Spin Me Right Round

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Chair Chick is back across the pond today to celebrate Thomas Heatherwick's nod as the recipient of the London Design Medal during the London Design Festival a few weeks ago. His whimsical "Spun" chair hit the scene like gangbusters and has been picked up by any contemporary design shop that has chops the world over. I spotted it earlier this year at Arango in Miami, which is no surprise given that the store's owner, Marianne Russell, has an eye for greatness! “It’s a huge honour and a great surprise to be given the London Design Medal," Heatherwick remarked. "London is the city I was born and brought up in; an endlessly exciting mish-mash of a place that inspires me and my team in the projects we do.” 

Festival Director, Ben Evans, said of the newest star on the design horizon: “Thomas Heatherwick is a designer who defies definition whether he is working in in the fields of architecture, product design, sculpture and urban planning. He has developed a considerable reputation for his practice, creating a range of extraordinary objects and buildings; from rolling bridges to seaside cafes to spinning chairs. His stunning British Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo demonstrates to the world that British design is innovative, creative and good for business."

From spinning chairs to, well, spinning big hair: now that's a segue, no? We stayed with the Brits for today's entertainment. You can kick me the next time you see me for getting this tune stuck in your head for the rest of the day!

Filed under  //   Arango   Dead or Alive   London Design Festival   London Design Medal   Marianne Russell   Spun Chair   Thomas Heatherwick   You Spin Me Round   YouTube  
Posted October 12, 2010
 

One-off Wonder

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B&B Italia and Wallpaper* have joined forces to create a one-off collection of Naoto Fukasawa's AGNRde Papilio chair, which was designed by Viktor & Rolf, Elmgreen & Dragset and Baron & Baron, and debuted during the 2009 London Design Festival that is winding down this weekend. The exhibition, titled B&B&3, the 3 representing the dynamic duos who were given free reign to reimagine the chair, will remain on view through October 18. The chairs will then be donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust, which will auction them off later in the year. For those who've been tromping around London to see the many venues, a reservation at the Dorchester Spa might be just the thing for your aching feet and backs. See a post on the Design Commotion blog about the dreamy redesigned spaces by Fox Linton Associates.

Filed under  //   BB Italia   DesignCommotion   London Design Festival   The Dorchester Spa   Wallpaper Magazine  
Posted September 26, 2009
 

Ghost of a Chance

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Nine lucky designers/artists are getting the opportunity to play around with Philippe Starck's Louis Ghost Chair in the London design shop Lifestyle Bazaar in celebration of the London Design Festival, which kicks off tomorrow. The participants range from street artists, tattoo artists, taxidermists, sculptors, furniture designers, product designers and interior designers. There's even a person who deals in conceptual salvage taking a crack at the ubiquitously invisible chair. Once designed, the chairs will be auctioned off to benefit the Children With Aids Charity. Though the full roster of designs have not been released, we have heard that one chair will be covered with desserts. It will be photographed by Rosie Day and then visitors will have a chance to snack on the goodies. Now that's what Chair Chick calls an incredible edible! Other happenings around London include Patrick Blanc's vertical garden at the Athenaeum hotel (see my post on the Design Commotion blog) and a Max Lamb exhibition (see my Examiner page).

Filed under  //   Design Commotion   Lifestyle Bazaar   London Design Festival   Philippe Starck Louis Ghost chair  
Posted September 18, 2009