For nine days in September, the annual London Design Festival is taking over the capital, to bring us exciting events all in celebration of design. This year, St James’s is joining forces with Regent Street to launch the inaugural Regent Street & St James’s Design District, created to showcase the best of boutique independent stores, global flagship brands, as well as tucked away galleries and eateries. The Regent Street & St James’s Design District will boast a varied programme of events, activities, installations and talks, all available for the public to experience. The Festival promises to be unforgettable for both design enthusiasts and the casual admirer.
Anthropologie: Bethan Gray In Conversation with Lifestyle Journalist Fiona McCarthy
The renowned lifestyle brand Anthropologie, is hosting an in-conversation event to celebrate the launch of its collaboration with award-winning Welsh designer Bethan Gray. Gray utilises her contemporary interpretation of patterns created by ancestral indigenous Americans and Acoma Puebloans across a range of products and furniture. The designer will be talking to esteemed journalist Fiona McCarthy about her designs and the inspiration behind them. Join in the conversation with a Q&A with Bethan Gray about the highly anticipated collection whilst enjoying a drink. Book tickets to reserve a space.
Anthropologie, 158 Regent Street, 18th September, 6-8pm
Aspinal of London: Aspinal X Hand & Lock | Embroidery
Top quality leather goods retailer, Aspinal of London and embroidery experts, Hand & Lock have teamed up to allow guests to ‘meet the experts’ and view the embroidery options available across a number of Aspinal of London products. There will also be complimentary embroidery on Aspinal silk scarves purchased on the day. Aspinal of London is also offering the option of ordering bespoke handbag embroidery, available only if confirmed when RSVP’ing to the event. Book tickets to reserve a space.
Aspinal of London, 16 Regent Street St James’s, 19th September, 5.30-8pm
BOTTLETOP
Visitors to the Regent Street & St James’s Design District will be able to view Bottletop, the world’s first 3D printed fashion accessory store, made from recycled waste plastic. The store is a re-imagining of the future of ecologically responsible construction through zero waste design and the exhibition will feature robots showcasing the innovative building material. Fuelling the conversation around sustainable materials, the Techstyler x Bottletop Speaker Series on 17th September will see a panel of pioneering companies discuss their integration of sustainable materials in the construction industry, chaired by fashion-tech and sustainability expert, Brooke Roberts-Islam.
Bottletop, 84 Regent Street, 17th September, 6-9pm. No Tickets Required.
Christie’s: Italian Design at Christie's
In celebration of Italian design during London Design Festival, the renowned art auction house, Christie’s, will present a survey of Italian art and design, featuring works by PierLuigi Giordano, Paolo Buffa and Paolo Venini, which will be up for auction in October.
Christie’s, 8 King Street, 15th – 23rd September. Opening Saturday and Sunday 12pm–5 pm, Monday 9.30am–4.30pm, Tuesday 9am–8pm and Wednesday to Friday 9.30am–4.30pm. No Tickets Required.
Cubitts: An Introduction to Spectacle Making
Cubitts takes the art of spectacle making to an exceptional level of craftsmanship. Its founder, Tom Broughton, is hosting a brief talk on the history of optics, exploring the journey of spectacle creation and the art of using facial measurements for design. Tom will also demonstrate the art of frame making using traditional methods and acetate. Book tickets to reserve a space.
Cubitts, 68 Jermyn St, 20th September 5-8pm.
Emma Willis: Live Bespoke Shirt Making and Hand Embroidery at Emma Willis’ Jermyn Street Shop
Shirt-cutter to members of the Royal Family, Emma Willis, head cutters and seamstresses will be pattern making, cutting and sewing bespoke shirts throughout the day on 20th September, as well as monogramming shirts. Additionally, Emma Willis will be joined by the CEO of finest Swiss Cotton Mill, Sandra Geiger, to discuss what goes into the world’s most beautiful bespoke shirts.
Emma Willis, 66 Jermyn St, 20th September, 6-7.30pm. No Tickets Required.
E by Equinox: Designed to Inspire Performance: How Equinox have changed the face of global fitness club design
Join Aaron Richter, Senior VP of Design for Equinox, high performance luxury health clubs, for an exclusive discussion of performance design at E by Equinox St James’s, the company’s newest gym. There will also be a private tour of the space. Book tickets to reserve a space.
E by Equinox, 12 St James’s Street, 22nd September, 4.30 – 5.30pm.
E by Equinox: Equinox Design Run
Join Equinox trainer and Olympic marathon runner Jane Vongvorachoti for a running tour of design highlights in St James’s, starting at the awe-inspiring new members' club E by Equinox in the former Lloyds banking building. Book tickets to reserve a space.
E by Equinox, 12 St James’s Street, 15th September, 10.15-11.30am.
Fortnum & Mason with Scholten & Baijings: Time For Tea
For one of the festival’s landmark projects, highly sought-after Dutch design duo, Scholten & Baijings will create a contemporary tea installation on the first floor of the historic Fortnum & Mason flagship store in St James’s. Using more than 80 products, designed by companies from across the globe, Scholten & Baijings will deliver a unique take on the ritual of tea, set across uniquely designed tables. Visitors will be invited to immerse themselves in the daily tea party, held throughout the nine days of the festival.
Fortnum & Mason. 181 Piccadilly, 15th – 23rd September, daily tea times at 11am, 1.30pm, 4pm and 6.30pm. No Tickets Required.
Mexican Design Time
A pioneering pop-up exhibition delivering hand-picked, first-class Mexican design culture to London, curated by leading gallerist Marion Friedmann. The exhibition will show the diverse talent existing in Mexico through the work of around 20 established and emerging designers and studios of Mexico’s design scene. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience highly original, sensitive and utterly humble Mexican design with a social impact.
192 Piccadilly, 15th – 23rd September. Open Saturday 11am-8pm and then Sunday to Friday from 11am-7pm. No Tickets Required.
Philippine Hamen & Matteo Pacella: La Città è Mobile!
The second pop-up exhibition for the Regent Street & St James’s Design District is entitled “La Città è Mobile!” and takes place in Mason's Yard. The designers Philippine Hamen and Matteo Pacella aim to disrupt your perception of the scale of furniture with this exhibition. It interprets both the archetypal forms of classical architecture and the traditional wooden building blocks children play with, at an intermediate scale, inviting us to enter a mythological space.
Mason’s Yard, 15th – 23rd September. Open Sunday to Thursday 9am-7pm, Friday and Saturday 9am-10pm. No Tickets Required.
Rapha: Rapha Design Rides
Performance cycling clothes and accessories brand Rapha is teaming up with top creatives to host two curated design bike rides. With maps available to pick up in store, these social city rides will explore the streets of the capital following unique themes, stopping at landmarks both iconic and unfamiliar along the ways. Visitors can also join Rapha for an exciting product launch and design talk about visibility and safety in the city. Key designers from Rapha will delve into the brand's intense development process, combining cutting edge innovation and industry leading fabrics with style.
Rapha, 85 Brewer Street, 15th – 23rd September. Open Monday to Saturday 8am-7pm, and Sunday 12pm-6pm. No Tickets Required.
Showcase: The Next Big Thing
Showcase, London’s new fashion destination dedicated to discovering up and coming designers, hosts “The Next Big Thing”, London’s newest destination dedicated to discovering the best new designers, from fashion to interior design. Showcase will partner with students from a famous London design college to create a conceptual window installation in their new space at the heart of St James's.
Showcase, 12 Regent Street St James’s, 15th – 23rd September. Open Monday to Saturday 10am-7pm, and Sunday 12pm-6pm. No Tickets Required.
Sunspel: SUNSPEL England 1860
Founded in 1860 by Thomas Hill, Sunspel has been making garments in the UK for over 150 years. It is renowned for its innovative manufacturing processes and using its own premium, soft and natural fabrics. All are invited to Sunspel’s iconic Jermyn Street store to discover the brand’s heritage through an installation conceptualising the stories behind some of their most famous products.
Sunspel, 21A Jermyn St, 15th – 23rd September. Open Monday to Saturday 10am-6pm, and Sunday 12pm-5pm. No Tickets Required.
T2: T2 x LDF18
Masters of tea and teaware, T2 invite you to explore a world of tea done differently, through a partnership with renowned paper artist Helen Musselwhite. Helen will be taking inspiration from T2’s vast tea library and stunning teaware to create a vivid window installation cut entirely from paper, in her signature intricate style. Elements of design will be pulled out and used to create bespoke, limited edition packaging, available exclusively during London Design Festival. In addition, there will be a programme of masterclasses for the public to sip, blend, brew and mix their way into a bold new world of flavour. T2, 292 Regent Street, 15th – 23rd September. Open Monday to Friday 9.30am-8pm, Saturday 10am-8pm, and Sunday 12-6pm. No Tickets Required.
Food and Beverages
St James’s Hotel
Treat yourself to three British tapas dishes by Michelin starred Chef William Drabble and a glass of British wine for £20 per person at this luxury 5-Star boutique hotel set in a quiet cul-de-sac in St James’s.
MASH
This modern American Steakhouse with a Danish twist is offering diners a complimentary glass of Prosecco when ordering from its à la carte menu.
Magpie
Enjoy 15% off the total bill at this contemporary European restaurant and bar from the team behind the award-winning Pidgin in Hackney.
Brumus at Haymarket Hotel
Have a complimentary glass of Prosecco when you dine at this vibrant, colourful brasserie-style restaurant in the Haymarket Hotel.
Hotel Café Royal
One of the finest luxury hotels in London is offering 10% off room bookings during the festival, plus a design-themed cocktail on the house with lunch or dinner at its restaurant, Laurent.
