London Design Festival affords brands a platform for artistic storytelling

Swarovski and Hästens are among the luxury brands showcasing their creativity during the London Design Festival.

During the week-long affair, brands in various sectors launch displays the look at their heritage and product category in inventive ways. As a design-minded crowd flocks to London for the annual event, brands have an opportunity to share their perspectives.

On view
Italian furniture maker Poltrona Frau is staging an installation at its London showroom.

Up from Sept. 17-25, the display takes inspiration from the terracotta army assembled to protect Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife, a sculptural recreation of the soldiers under his command during his reign. Poltrona Frau’s display curated by Neri & Hu shows rows of furniture in formation.

London Design Festival supporter Swarovski’s “Glaciarium” is a collaboration with Fredrikson Stallard. Depicting Swarovski’s craftsmanship, the display features both lighting components and finished pieces.

Swarovski's Glaciarium

Unveiled Sept. 21, Glaciarium is running through Sept. 22.

Bed maker Hästens teamed with Finnish interior designer Nina Mäklin for an in-store takeover of its Chelsea boutique.

In the Vividus room, which houses the brand’s highest end bed, Ms. Mäklin hung 60 handkerchiefs in Hästens’ iconic blue check, an homage to the 60 hours it takes a team of four to build each of the handmade beds. From Sept. 21-25, Hästens is inviting consumers to see the takeover and try out the Vividus, which retails starting at £100,000, or about $131,000 at current exchange.

Hästens' Vividus on display during the London Design Festival

Also part of the festival, Richemont’s Officine Panerai is rethinking the clock by sponsoring a large-scale installation at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

In partnership with design duo Glithero, “The Green Room” has turned the museum’s six-story staircase into a timekeeping mechanism with moving parts that rotate in minute increments (see story).

In addition, British automaker Jaguar is illuminating its brand history and its vision of what is to come through a conceptual installation for the inaugural London Design Biennale.

Based on the event’s theme “Utopia by Design,” Jaguar’s display is a laser light show that depicts its milestones over the years. Opened to the public Sept. 7 at Somerset House, the London Design Biennale produced in partnership with Jaguar includes installations, artwork, prototypes and designs from creatives hailing from 37 countries (see story).