The popular Destination at Downtown Design returns this October reaffirming Downtown Design position as a fair of global discovery and entry point into the international design scene.
With the return of the much loved Destination at Downtown Design this year, visitors can expect to see design concepts from five international design weeks from across the globe, including Design Week Addis Ababa.
After its successful inauguration last year, Design Week Addis Ababa has become the first event of its kind to celebrate innovation and design in East Africa. The event, which has been endorsed by UNESCO, serves as a collaborative hub for local designers, promoting its rich cultural capital on a global scale. Furthermore, the newly launched design week aims to help nurture and develop Ethiopia’s creative economy and offers a commercial and promotional platform for designers not only in Ethiopia but also across the African continent.
At Destination, Design Week Addis Ababa will introduce Dubai to the modern-inspired minimalist spirit of traditional Ethiopian design made locally by skilled artisans. Actuel Urban Living will be previewing a collection of furniture, rugs and textiles with a refined organic feel, while Jomo Design Furniture will display a contemporary take on traditional African chairs crafted in hardwoods, inspired by African hand carvings, baskets and traditional woven textiles.
Founding director, Metasebia Yoseph, also the managing director of creative agency Gallery 26 states, “As a newly created design week, we are looking forward to the exposure of being a part of Destination and joining the global conversation on design. The emerging design scene in Ethiopia is groundbreaking, and Dubai Design Week is the perfect platform to showcase the unique work coming out of the region to a design savvy global audience”.
See design weeks from Addis Ababa, Barcelona, Beirut,Reykjavik and Taipei at this year's Downtown Design (Oct 25-28). Click to pre-register.