London Design Festival 2011: Australian label Matilda presented products and furniture by 30 designers including a timber and aluminium pendant light by Kate Stokes (above) at designjunction last week.
Stephanie Armchair by Khai Liew
Matilda presents work by designers based in Australia or living in London to an international audience.
Tolix armchair slipcover by Henry Wilson
New products launched at the show included a new chair in white oak and cow hide by South Australian craftsman Khai Liew.
Dove Stools by Brian Steendyk
Matilda also designed a pop up café for the space featuring furniture by Helen Kountouris.
Filament Table by David Pidcock
See more Designjunction coverage here and all of our London Design Festival stories here.
Bronze Table by Barbera Design
Here is some more information from Matilda:
Matilda unveils 30 new Australian designers at London Design Festival 2011.
Salad Servers by John Quan for Jam Factory
Australian design and the country’s enviable lifestyle form the hub of the inaugural designjunction at London Design Festival this year, with Matilda 2011 launching works by 30 of Australia’s best established and emerging designers, as well as its first pop-up Matilda Café. This expansive country’s infinite space, sky and sea give rise to simple, fresh and sophisticated design as yet unseen in Europe.
Autumn Stools by Takeshi Lue
Matilda will re-locate after the Festival with a residency at SCIN Gallery – the new materials and architecture showroom in Old Street which is launching during the Festival.
Genie Teapot by Workshopped
Works transferring to the gallery include a unique carbon and wood bicycle from Gary Galego, a bronze table by Barbera Design and a clever, leather armchair cover for the classic Tolix chair by Henry Wilson. The 23-year-old Sydneysider, fresh from the Design Academy Eindhoven and Rhode Island School of Design, reinterprets design classics such as the iconic Angelpoise lamp that Wilson has transformed into a low energy version. He will also be building benches for the Café with his innovative brackets that transform standard store-bought timber into tables, seating and shelving.
Clasp Chair by Surya Graf
For the first time, Matilda will also be bringing the best of Australia’s lifestyle to the Festival with Matilda Café, the centre piece of which is a re-purposed bar from Soho House and with clever cardboard tables and stools by Paper Tiger Products – which are perfect for pop-up spaces. Design audiences can re-energise with formidable flat whites, lamingtons (the ubiquitous national fete-stall cake), Coopers beer and boutique Australian wine.
Carousel Table by Adam Goodrum
Three expats living in London lead the exhibition - internationally renowned Tasmanian Brodie Neill (represented by the Apartment Gallery); Marcel Sigel, former Senior Designer at Tom Dixon and Charles Trevelyan, with a new, accessible version of his sold-out, limited edition Titanic Lamp.
Spun Lights by Justin and Glenn Lamont for LifeSpaceJourney
Other products from Matilda include the Coco Pendant by Kate Stokes, a 28-year-old who launched the brand Coco Flip less than a year ago. The pendant, which is highly successful in Australia, is her first ever product and one of several designs Matilda is manufacturing locally, forming part of Matilda’s mission to bring the best of Australia’s lifestyle to Europe, whilst being firmly committed to ‘made in Britain’.
E Turn Bench by Brodie Neill
Another first for Matilda is an international launch of a brand new work by South Australian master craftsman, Khai Liew. Liew, who was named in Wallpaper* magazine’s global top 200 and has work on display at the Design Museum, will unveil Stephanie, an exquisite armchair made from American white oak and cow hide.
Lace light by Bernabeifreeman
Khai Liew’s protégé Takeshi Iue presents the Autumn stool – a simplified wooden stacking stool – and Stefan Lie reinterprets a quintessentially English tradition with his Genie teapot for Workshopped. Young design duo Daniel Emma – winner of the Promising Talent Award at last year’s 100% Design – launch four new items in their Desk Objects range.
Titanic by Charles Trevelyan
Matilda will also show work by Perth maven Jon Goulder, who produces hand crafted works of a quality that no machine could come near, such as his exceptional Amore Mio chair.
Illumini by Karen Cuningham & Mandi King for Jam Factory
Other outstanding products include Carousel table by Adam Goodrum (famed for his Stitch chair for Cappellini) from Galerie Gosserez in Paris, and Adelaide’s Jam Factory will be showing, among others, works by illumini – the brainchild of Karen Cunningham and Amanda King – winners of the 2010 Bombay Sapphire People’s Choice Award.
Wall Brooch by Marcel Sigel
Other designers in the showcase are: LifeSpaceJourney – Spun Series of table, stools and lights by opthamologist and designer Justin Lamont. Surya Graf – Clasp Series, Stylish and functional café furniture. Toby Horrocks – Flatform, angular shelving cleverly created from cardboard. bernabeifreeman – High profile lighting design duo showcasing Lace and Leaf lighting. Yellow Diva – British-Australian upholstery experts with their W and M series sofas and chairs.
WS1 by Yellow Diva
Designers returning from the 2010 Matilda LDF showcase include cloth, Luxxbox and Brian Steendyk.
Paper Tiger Stool by Antony Dann
Festival goers and the general public alike will be able to see Brian Steendyk’s modular Coral seating in action outside the Southbank Centre Shop opposite the entrance to Royal Festival Hall and Brodie Neill’s seductive E-turn bench is in the window of Wieden + Kennedy, in Hanbury Street, between Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane.
MC1 by David Walley for Yellow Diva
Matilda is made possible by Australian State Governments – Arts New South Wales, South Australia’s Integrated Design Commission and Arts Queensland. With additional support from the Australian High Commission in London.
Cushions by Julie Paterson for Cloth Fabric
Matilda Café is sponsored by Verdigris (pewter bar) and Coopers Beer and signage is provided by Doublet.
Carbon Wood bicycle by Gary Galego
Jenni Carbins – Matilda Founder
Sake Cups by Peter Biddulph for Ceramic Design
An Australian living in London for the past six years, Jenni Carbins is the former Director of Marketing at Southbank Centre. In Australia, she ran a marketing communications consultancy with clients including Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Sydney Biennale and Sydney Olympic Park.
Flatform Shelf by Toby Horrocks
Jenni Carbins founded Matilda with the aim tapping into Australia’s design talent and bringing the best of the nation’s lifestyle to the world. Matilda aims to have as many products as possible manufactured locally – either in the UK or Europe - while maintaining the freshness of Australian design. The company launched with a pilot showcase as part of London Design Festival 2010.
1984 Fish Bowl by Workshopped