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2016 - London is Open
In Design, Independent Creatives

Diving into seas of silk with Arati Devasher

Picking up a crisp silk scarf and running my fingers over it to feel the delicate textures and airy lightness gives me goosebumps. Holding such a thing of beauty! When I first came across Arati's work on Etsy, it evoked the same feeling. It's a burst of the most exquisite colours and illustrations. Every design has multiple layers and I found myself trying...

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In Design, Independent Creatives

Jay Blades on giving new life to old furniture & troubled teenagers

Jay Blades, turns forgotten old furniture to unique signature pieces of art, and that's not even the coolest bit about him! His company Jay & Co works with teenagers from troubled backgrounds, helping them transform their lives along with transforming furniture. I had an opportunity to chat with Jay, and talk to him about his journey. How did the idea of up cycling...

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In Design,

Spotlight India: London Design Biennale

ChakraView at the London Design Biennale at Somerset House. Circular forms, traditional textiles and ancient mythology weave together a sense of modern India in Chakraview. "India's utopias articulate the intersections between ancient myth and modern design", says curator Rajshree Pathy. "Like the seven chakras, our visions of utopia are simultaneously spiritual and progressive." Pathy wanted mythology to work in dialogue with contemporary design developments;...

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In Design,

Design Verdict: Vote Leave Wins

I hate to say this, but Vote Leave has the better logo hands down. If graphic design had any part to play in this referendum, then this was it. The Vote Leave Logo: Bold, honest and brutally simple. The ballot icon. The unpretentious font. Red. The colour of revolution, blood, thirst and action. In my previous posts, I wrote about Posters of Protest....

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In Design,

Floating Dreams: In search of a home

The last of the summer Sundays. I thought of making the most by walking down the Southbank Promenade. The Bankside Design District of the London Design Festival, an added incentive at the OXO Tower and Bargehouse.  But the highlight of the day was this brilliant installation that stopped me on my tracks. And it wasn't part of the Design Festival but part of the 'Totally Thames...

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In Street Art,

Brexit on the Streets of London

Brexit happened. London voted to REMAIN. A total of 2.26 million people. And this was the word on London Streets. Not street artists - just the regular angry, frustrated, Londoner. 'Boris is a Johnson' on Oxford Street 'BrExit' through the gift shop with Boris Johnson in Shoreditch Always Welcome: My neighbourhood Stoke Newington, Hackney, which voted almost 80% Remain. It is so heartening, and also...

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In Design,

Design Trends: 8 Iconic Posters of Protest - Talk to the hand!

On a recent visit to the V&A, I came across a very interesting section of posters. It was called 'Posters of Protest' - a collection of posters from the last 100 years. I am still trying to articulate how and why, they still have that powerful magnetic effect that draws you towards them, mildly hypnotic? What was it about the design, that makes every...

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