A peak into the Seattle design scene

In September, WantedDesign packed up our raincoats (which, luckily, went unused) and flew out to Seattle where we hosted an event in partnership with Design Within Reach, Be Original Americas and Gray magazine. DWR is on a mission to make authentic modern design accessible, and we were honored to team up with them to reach out to local designers and design lovers. We had a great talk about authenticity in design with guest speakers Emeco CEO and President Gregg Buchbinder, designer Chris Hardy, and the talented trio behind Brooklyn-based Egg Collective.

However, before we got down to business, we had some time to traverse the city and learn more about the vibrant local design scene. We visited the latest exhibits at the Bellevue Arts Museum, the Pacific Northwest’s preeminent center for art, craft, and design, toured the design studios of Urbancase and Graypants, and shopped at local concept stores along the way. That was all before stopping by the famous Seattle Central Library designed by architect Rem Koolhaas, a glass and steel structure that won the AIA Honor Award for Architecture in 2005.

Counter Culture exhibit at the Bellevue Arts Museum, on view until January 10, 2016

The city’s spirit of innovation was palpable, from a true respect for the environment to an overall sense of authenticity. We fell in love with Seattle, perhaps for the same reasons than Darin Montgomery, founder of Urbancase, originally from Colorado, explained to us: “There are many things that keep me in Seattle: the natural beauty, energy of the city, and the people are at the top of my list.” more

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OCTOBER 2015, WANTEDDESIGN AT HOME AND ABROAD

As the fall kicks into gear, WantedDesign is excited once again to offer a full calendar of design events both at home and abroad. Pulling on our rich partnerships, we have a lineup that will surprise and delight even the most seasoned industry veterans. From Mexico City to Brooklyn and Manhattan to Santa Monica, WantedDesign is pulling together the best of the design world to help build bridges and start conversations year-round–and this October won’t disappoint. WantedDesign will once again expand its horizons beyond U.S. shores when we partner with Design Week Mexico, and we will also set our roots in Industry City, Brooklyn with our first-ever permanent store. That’s only a taste of what’s ahead this month, check out the full lineup, here.

Happy 30th Anniversary to Intramuros magazine

WantedDesign sat down with Chantal Hamaide, founder and editor in chief of Intramuros, to discuss her special passion and fantastic eye for discovering new design talent, as well as 30 years of producing the acclaimed bilingual magazine. Hamaide, trained as an architect, is a globally acclaimed design journalist who has been known for finding innovative designers early in their career and catapulting them to front-cover status.
Intramuros, which celebrates its 30^th anniversary this year, has become a unique design encyclopedia, chronicling the depth and evolution of our industry—all thanks to Hamaide’s leadership. WantedDesign has been pleased to list Intramuros as one of our media partners since year one.

WD: 30 years of Intramuros, how many designer portrait covers does that equal
CH: Intramuros has published over 165 portraits of designers.

WD: Why did you decide to dedicate your covers exclusively to designer portraits?
CH: I wanted to write about the men and women that are behind the products. For me, the creative part of the research was essential. I wanted to explain that a product is the result of collaborative work between a designer and a company director in response to specifications.

WD: Intramuros is certainly the only international magazine covering not only the big design fairs but also the new ones around the world. What are you looking for when you visit?
CH: We are looking for new designers, new products, new companies or very old ones coming back on the center stage with new proposals. We are looking for new technologies and new ways to produce things, but we’re also looking to old methods when that industry still exists. This is the history of industry and design.

WD: What are the main changes you’ve observed in the design industry over the past three decades?
CH: The real novelty is that you can’t create anymore without a computer. Everything is conceived by digital assistance, and you can send your projects to the other side of the word. The thing that does not change is that you still need humans to work on it. The success of a company is due to the people and their goodwill. More

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WantedDesign at WestEdge Design Fair Oct 22-25

This October 22-25, WestEdge Design Fair returns for a third year to The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, bringing the best designers, makers and architects from across the nation, and the world, to the doorsteps of Los Angeles’ innovative Silicon Beach. For four days, the press, trade and public will have an opportunity to shop more than 150 exhibiting brands and products for the home, ranging from furniture and lighting, to kitchen and bath lines and to meet the designers behind thousands of inspiring products. In addition, attendees gain insight from leading names in the design industry with a full series of educational programs and special events.

“The third annual edition of WestEdge turns its focus to the appeal of handcrafted design. In addition to key, high-quality corporate brands like Carl Hansen & Son, Baker, Naula, Brenda Houston, Jenn-Air, Zia Priven and many others, we are also excited about the response to our new “MADE:MODERN” section which highlights independent makers of contemporary furniture and lighting from throughout the West Coast, New York and beyond.” Comment Megan Reilly and Troy Hanson, WestEdge Design Fair co-founders. More

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Happy September!

After an inspiring summer filled with visits and discoveries, we are getting back in September with a number of events in exciting and creative cities: Seattle, Detroit and London. In Seattle, we will co-host an event on September 18th, with Design Within Reach at the DWR Seattle studio, with Be Original Americas and Gray magazine. We will then head to Detroit Design Festival where we will explore the city’s rich legacy of creativity, innovation and design. We will also have the pleasure to participate to a panel discussion, part of the Industry Days program organized by the Detroit Creative Corridor Center, on Tuesday, September 22, discussing about the role and impact of design fairs. Join us, if you have a chance to be in Detroit. Last but not least, we will fly to London for the Design Festival to visit our new event partners Tent London and Super Brands. We hope we will have a chance to meet you in one of those destinations, but you can always contact us for information about WantedDesign calendar and how to participate to our May 2016 events. More