DesignMarch is, as the name suggests, an annual design festival held in Reykjavík. Established in 2010, the festival features over hundred exhibitions, workshops and other events over the period of four days. Its aim is to showcase local design and build relations between local and international designers and companies.
Organized by the Iceland Design Centre, the need to further enhance the local design scene emerged shortly after the centres inception in 2008. Greipur Gíslason, project manager for Design March, proudly tells that DesignMarch started out as a small grassroot event but has now flourished into a full on design fair attracting 35 thousand visitors each year.
Icelandic design is considered to be exotic, new and still somewhat under the radar
“Interest in Icelandic design has increased in the past two years resulting in growing numbers of international visitors during DesignMarch,” Greipur explains. “Iceland is a part of the internationally known concept that is Nordic design, yet very few people know much about Icelandic design. This is changing and Icelandic designers definitely have a “pull”. Icelandic design is considered to be exotic, new and still somewhat under the radar – everybody knows Scandinavian design, but few know about what is going on in Iceland. DesignMarch is the best time to get an overview – and to get one step ahead in finding the next new thing.”
The 2014 DesignMarch opens today with an event called Design Talks, a day of lectures held by internationally acclaimed designers as well as local ones. This year the talks are moderated by Stephan Sigrist of Think Tank W.I.R.E. and among its many speakers are Mikael Schiller, founder of fashion label Acne Studios, and American fashion designer Calvin Klein.
Another event is DesignMatch, which organizers call a “speed dating event of sorts”. The idea is to pair local designers with international producers and retailers with the hope of a perfect and fruitful match.
Design duo Snæfríð Þorsteins and Hildigunnur Gunnarsdóttir were paired with British designer Sebastian Wrong during last year’s DesignMatch which resulted in a five year contract with Wrong for HAY.
For more information check out DesignMarch's website.
Icelandic designers exhibit their talent during DesignMarch, an annual design fair that takes place all over Reykjavík this weekend.
DesignMarch is, as the name suggests, an annual design festival held in Reykjavík. Established in 2010, the festival features over hundred exhibitions, workshops and other events over the period of four days. Its aim is to showcase local design and build relations between local and international designers and companies.
Organized by the Iceland Design Centre, the need to further enhance the local design scene emerged shortly after the centres inception in 2008. Greipur Gíslason, project manager for Design March, proudly tells that DesignMarch started out as a small grassroot event but has now flourished into a full on design fair attracting 35 thousand visitors each year.
Icelandic design is considered to be exotic, new and still somewhat under the radar
“Interest in Icelandic design has increased in the past two years resulting in growing numbers of international visitors during DesignMarch,” Greipur explains. “Iceland is a part of the internationally known concept that is Nordic design, yet very few people know much about Icelandic design. This is changing and Icelandic designers definitely have a “pull”. Icelandic design is considered to be exotic, new and still somewhat under the radar – everybody knows Scandinavian design, but few know about what is going on in Iceland. DesignMarch is the best time to get an overview – and to get one step ahead in finding the next new thing.”
The 2014 DesignMarch opens today with an event called Design Talks, a day of lectures held by internationally acclaimed designers as well as local ones. This year the talks are moderated by Stephan Sigrist of Think Tank W.I.R.E. and among its many speakers are Mikael Schiller, founder of fashion label Acne Studios, and American fashion designer Calvin Klein.
Another event is DesignMatch, which organizers call a “speed dating event of sorts”. The idea is to pair local designers with international producers and retailers with the hope of a perfect and fruitful match.
Design duo Snæfríð Þorsteins and Hildigunnur Gunnarsdóttir were paired with British designer Sebastian Wrong during last year’s DesignMatch which resulted in a five year contract with Wrong for HAY.
For more information check out DesignMarch's website.
