Design Talk: DesignCrime5

I was invited to talk on the DesignCrime5 panel for the Cannt Festival. Organised by Steve Price and Max Fraser, its for all the unlucky sods not invited to Cannes. DesignCrime5 is a bit like the TV show room 101 and, in homage to the Olympics, this years theme was Patriotism.

My nominations included interior homewares brandishing flags such as, cushions, fridges and ovens - particularly John Lewis' latest range - formidable rot and best left to the mess hall. Irish pub's, of which there are (8 in Rome alone) are patriotic scurge of any self-respecting city. Australian by birth, my focus was slightly different to the rest of the panel. The Australian flag got a mention & Tourism Australia's Oprah campaign.

The worthy winner/loser for this year went to P&G's recent campaigns using patriotism to coincide with the Jubilee and Oympics.

https://twitter.com/designcrime5

http://www.designcrim.es/

Away Shirts nominated by Albion design

Nice Print

I just popped into KK Outlet on my way home tonight and Hugh Barrell from The Peckham Print Studio was there. He gave me an edition of his mum's birthday prints. The yellow is metallic. Love it!

new project

I just won a new project. I'm pretty excited about it. Here's a sneek peek...

Design event again

During CDW I went to see Ross Lovegrove and Morten Villiers Warren debating 'Can design be sustainable?'.  The panelists commenced a downward spiral conversation closer by quoting tired old shock statistics which we've all become part desensitised to and part crippled by. We've all been in conversations where some ruddy pain in the neck starts trying to convince you not to recycle as it's a pointless waste of time....blah blah blah. Frustratingly, the debaters knowingly, nay, hypocrytical criticised the education system whilst simultaneously fundamentally blocking constructive discussion of  how   design    can       be        made           sustainably . .      ... The subject of the debate. Nothing ever came from nothing.

Anyway, for what its worth, there's alot that can be done to make/create differently to how things are done now. We just need to explore, experiment and believe in it. Knowledge sharing is the start, not moaning. 

A good place to start is here.

For an inspirational design event, see an earlier post here. 
For a more reasonable review of the debate see here.

Farmiloe Building

Not Tea

This is not a post about tea. I haven't had any new tea lately. It's mostly about aperol spritzers and the little window of sunshine that we had a few weeks ago. There’s been a few restaurant openings and I’ve eating well.  


Shrimpy's, by the lovely guys from Bistroteque opened last week. Yummy texmex - in King's Cross Filling station designed by Carmody Goarke. Go enjoy a Tom Collins with the gorgeous [read incredibly hot] chef, Tom Collins. 


They have also just completed the refurbishment of Bistroteque, which now features bench chairs from Another Country. Paul de Zwart founded another country and is doing an installation with me for a project acoss the road form St Paul's Cathedral. More on that later. 


Mark Hix’s Tramshed in Shoreditch opened with Damian Hirst’s cockNbull. Can’t say I loved my pureed cauliflower cheese as much as I would have if they just served it traditionally…

Shrimpy's designed by Carmody Goarke

Worth it alone for the complimentry pork scratchin's. Yum

The Tramshed

Wilton's Music Hall

Last night, draped in as much sparkle and eye kohl as I could muster, I taxied down to Wilton's Music Hall to see The Great Gatsby. Late and flustered, the usher found me a pew. The beauty of the decayed interior distracted me from the play, which bounced along fairly quickly to intermission. I grabbed a punch whilst friends sipped on Mint Juleps, Sidecars and other nostalgic coktails in keeping with the eve. I heard some average reviews of the play, but in the setting I was transported to its era when amateur dramatics and music Halls were the hot entertainment. I loved it! After the play we danced to the jazz band whilst Charleston experts put us to shame. I didn't take any pictures but thought I'd share some of the web that capture the spirit.

Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchannan

Wilton's Music Hall requires funding for completion of their restoration to make the property structurally sound. See here.

Do-Ho Suh

‘Cause and effect’ by one of my favourite artists, Do-Ho Suh at Waddeston Manor. I saw his exhibition at the Serpentine 2002 and loved it...