Behold top designs from across globe at Dubai fair

Emirates Business

Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in strategic partnership with the Dubai Design District (d3) and supported by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Downtown Design will return this October 25-28 for its fourth edition as the commercial centrepiece of Dubai Design Week.
Hosted in d3, the creative heart of the city, it will bring together over 100 brands from 28 countries. Unique to the Middle East, the fair takes a curatorial approach to the visitor experience with the regional buyer in mind, selecting a mix of leading, established brands that need a strategic gateway to the region, as well as high quality emerging brands exhibiting on an international platform for the first time.
Rue Kothari, Fair Director of Downtown Design said: “As the commercial gateway to the Middle East, Dubai is perfectly positioned to facilitate a profitable interaction between international brands and regional buyers. In the last three years, we’ve tripled our footprint, and demand for this year’s edition led to the fair being oversubscribed. Balancing iconic names with ‘discovery’ brands and a developing an extensive Buyers Programme, Downtown Design is expanding its reach to become the ultimate forum for the design industry in the wider region to come together and do business.”
Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi, Chief Operations Officer of d3, said: “d3 has an ongoing commitment to supporting and nurturing the design industry in the Middle East, providing local and regional designers with a platform to help them flourish both here and internationally. d3 is proud to support and host Downtown Design which has become a best in class showcase for the latest trends and products within the industry, as well as the wealth of expertise that it brings to the region. We are also delighted to bring together such a diverse showcase of emerging design brands at Downtown Design, highlighting the breadth of talent from across the international design sector.”
Exhibitors for the upcoming edition of Downtown Design includes new high-profile regional brands such as Green Road and Pallavi Dean from the UAE and Samovar Carpets from Kuwait; internationally Kettal, Sancal, Swarovski, Bernhardt and Siematic will exhibit for the first time and iconic international brands such Moroso, Georg Jensen, Gaggenau and Arclinea will return after last year’s successful fair.
In addition, to offer visitors and buyers the opportunity to discover new design from across the globe, Downtown Design will host five international design weeks (Addis Ababa, Barcelona, Beirut, Reykjavik and Taiwan) that will showcase their best emerging talent. Downtown Design is open to both trade visitors and public and entry is free to those that pre- register on www.downtowndesign.com.
Downtown Design is the only platform in the Middle East for the region’s trade professionals to discover original, high quality design from all over the world. In its fourth edition, the Fair returns to the Dubai Design District (d3) from, as part of Dubai Design Week. It presents a carefully edited roster of established and emerging brands across a variety of product categories including furniture, lighting, bathrooms, kitchens, textiles and accessories. Fostering greater interaction, connectivity and commercial opportunity, Downtown Design is dedicated to providing a dynamic environment for buyers and brands to do business easily and efficiently.
Dubai Design Week is one of the world’s newest and most ambitious international design events, conceived to shine a spotlight on Dubai as a leading design hub, and share the UAE’s thriving design scene with the world at large.
Dubai Design Week was established in 2015 in partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), and is held under the dedicated patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, a strategic partner of the event. Dubai Design Week is also supported by Dubai Design & Fashion Council, Audi, Huawei and Swarovski.
In Dubai’s collaborative spirit, and as a reflection of the city’s global outlook, its design week is both regional and international in scope, encompasses public and private spheres, culture, education and entertainment, and spans multiple disciplines, ranging from graphic and product design to architecture and industrial design. Panels, keynote speeches, panel discussions, public performances and educational workshops all contribute to the greater discussion of what design means for the region and the world.
In 2015, 23,000 visitors from around the world gathered in the city to discover the work and ideas of over 150 designers drawn from around the region and internationally. The success of the inaugural edition cemented the future of Dubai Design Week as an annual event.
Coinciding with Downtown Design, the region’s leading, quality-driven design trade fair, Dubai Design Week also includes a number of unique headline initiatives, such as Abwab, the Global Grad Show, Destination and Iconic City. From October 24 to 29, over 150 events will be staged in a citywide 6-day celebration of design that will enthrall Dubai with design, engaging the local community and visitors alike.