As soon as temperatures cool in Dubai, a plethora of events hit the calendar and the social diary is instantly overwhelmed. This includes the eargerly anticipated - Dubai Design Week. Dubai Design Week is held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), a member of TECOM Group PJSC, and supported by Dubai Culture.
Returning for it's 10th year, Dubai Design Week is the region's largest creative festival, reflecting Dubai's position as design capital of the Middle East. This year the D3 basd event was hosted over 6 days, from 5-10th November.
The festival includes a series of installations, commissions, exhibitions, talks, workshops, a martketplace and design fair. However, our favourite bit of the festival each and every year is 'Downtown Design'. This section of the festival is a design fair, presenting the latest in contemporary design, with brands and retailers from around the world, showcasing their latest collections to the region.
We look forward to Downtown Design the most as it opens us up to new brands and designers. Let us put you on to some of the brands we loved at this year's event.
First up it's TAM STUDIO a UAE based furniture designer and manufacturer that make bespoke pieces. We fell in love with this desk, it's so beautiful that it would almost make working fun. Each layer of the desk is a slab of green marble - obsessed! Also the piece behind isn't a wardrobe or a cabinet - it's a bar!!
Next up is Iwan Maktabi 'the go-to address for rare carpets and textile art' in the Middle East. Their rugs were just that, rare. Super interesting pieces, each with their own unique charm. We wanted to take home pretty much all of the rugs on display.
Another brand we found at Downtown Design is Romani Home, a homeware brand by dubai-based fashion designer Haya Jarrar. Her unique pieces are sure to bring some personality and life to your space. They have not yet launched officially, but you can book an appointment with them, and check out their upcoming collection via their instagram.
A brand we cannot miss is GUBI. Katy has been a fan of this brand for some time, and the collection presented at Downtown Design was right up Katy's street. They are a scandinavian brand, offering eclectic and unique pieces for a contemporary home. GUBI describes themselves as the point at which the beauty of history meets the thrill of right now. With sculptural signature pieces GUBI bring substance and character to the homes and spaces where design lovers live and meet.
Our final shoutout is to Sema Topaloğlu, an interior designer and furniture designer producing contemporary interiors. We were wowed by her unique light fittings and fixtures.
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