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Three designers will be showcased from Middle Eastern neighbour Beirut Design Week, at Downtown Design 2016. The collaboration supports the MENA region as an ever-expanding design market, with Downtown Design as a central platform for both established and emerging designers.

Steelia by ARCLINEA, finished in black, bronze and champagne, brings a new sophistication to the brand, combining perfectly with the beauty of natural wood and stone, and offering unique and extraordinary combinations.

Dubai is future focused; it’s the energy that fuels the city’s inherent ambition. In emerging regional markets as well as in the developed West, governments are increasingly looking to diversify and invest in the creative economy. Design is the new economic driver.

Studio EM is a Dubai0based creative design agency with a portfolio of clients that includes the Armani Hotel, Candylicious (Dubai Mall), Wagamama, Novo Cinemas and more.

Producing artistic mirrors for over three generations, Arte Veneziana represents the modern expression of Venetian engraving tradition. Constantly researching forgotten trends, the brand hopes to revive Venetian and European artistic history both aesthetically and in their craftsmanship, and at the same time keep up with contemporary styles and production methods. By using different engraving styles in every piece, they ensure their mirrors are exclusive and diverse. Arte Veneziana also manufacture upholstery, cabinets, consoles, bed stands, chests, tables and bathroom furniture.

The commercial centerpiece of the Dubai Design Week also gives design professionals a chance to network with like-minded individuals, gain insight from the talks programme and find opportunities to work together. With 43 new brands, 5 Destinations presenting Design Weeks from Addis Ababa, Barcelona, Beirut, Reykjavik and Taiwan and 10 regional exhibitors presenting new work; the fair will be the ultimate design destination of the year.

As a fair that supports emerging design brands, designers and innovative product; Downtown Design sees its sponsorship of the Boutique Interior Agency category fit with its ethos. With excellence in design being showcased by a budding generation of interior design agencies that work with passion, uniqueness and design edge there’s no reservation in the potential that boutique design firms have to offer.

Senior Designer at global-leading interior architectural design firm DiLeonardo; Aida Karimi believes in a collaborative design approach where each team member makes a contribution by sharing experience and creativity through effective communication to create spaces with exquisite and unique identities.

With an aim to promote Addis Ababa as a global design capital, the Design Week Addis Ababa was established in 2015 in an effort to provide an international platform for both emerging and established designers, technologists, innovators, artists and artisans. The multi-disciplinary event that’s is endorsed by UNESCO also advocates for development by design initiatives - projects that incorporate a design-centered approach to Ethiopia’s development challenges.

From the outset, Kristalia has given special attention to innovative design projects through experimentation, searching for new technical solutions and using materials borrowed from the fields of fashion and sport.

Specialists in luxury lighting design, Serip stands out for its utmost attention to detail, combination of precious materials bronze and glass, and its nature-inspired, organic form chandeliers. Designed and made in Portugal, Serip’s original and refined pieces adapt perfectly to any environment be it contemporary or classic.

When it comes to T Design’s presentation at Downtown Design 2016, Lladró, a family-owned Spanish multinational porcelain brand, takes centre stage:

Italy-based Lealpell has been in the business of leather for 44 years. The brand supplies 1700 different colours of leather including some that are fireproof, made for outdoor use and machine washable. On display at this year’s Downtown Design will be the latest pieces from the innovative highly customizable Fantasy collection.

Whether you are looking for a beautiful feature fireplace or an artistic freestanding balcony stove, Ecosmart Fire has a wide-ranging chimney-less collection suitable for mansions, villas, apartments, restaurants, hotels or even the workplace.

The brand will present new collaborations that add to an already impressive list which includes design studios, architects and solo designers such as Nendo, Daniel Libeskind and Borek Sipek.

4Space Interior Design is a dynamic and multitalented interior design firm that holds customer service and quality at its core. The firm has consistently provided innovative design solutions in various sectors including hospitality, retail and commercial spaces. Established in 1999; 4Space has grown to be a multi-award winning design firm recently receiving the BIZ 2016 Recognition award in Washington DC for Entrepreneurial Companies.

Much lauded for its attention to detail and quality manufacturing, THG bridges the gap between old-world artisanship and 21st century technology, giving birth to a timeless collection of products. The subtle nuances that can only come from THG handcrafted detail reinforce the fact that one is in the presence of an exceptionally well-designed and quality product that will stand the test of time.

The perfect bedroom varies on what customers find important. Some prefer to keep the bedroom as their place of rest with minimal distractions, while others enjoy watching a movie before bed and need space to lounge before they sleep.

At Dubai Design District (d3):

How did you arrive at the design for the Dubai Opera House?

Exposing the breadth and diversity of brands in the Middle East, Downtown Design recognizes the importance of locality in regional interior design. With the development of new hotels, commercial and public buildings, there comes a need for interior design to reflect the region’s graphic language, design narrative and love of colour. Our exhibitors present a truly broad range of unique solutions to creating a distinctly local, contemporary space.

Curated with the regional buyer in mind, Downtown Design will present leading brands in all categories from furniture and lighting, to bathrooms and kitchens, as well as innovative new design from Addis Ababa to Taipei. We tie up this year’s show in stats, for five reasons why you need to register for Downtown Design 2016:

KriskaDECOR’s cool metallic curtains are imaginative creations that have allowed both designers and architects (such as Patricia Urquiola or Rockwell Design) or even artists (as in Andrew Sabin’s ‘The Sea of Sun’ installation) to find creative methods of demarcating and partitioning spatial environments.

German family-owned company Rolf Benz may be best known for its bespoke high quality sofas but it’s its multi-purpose stools and coffee tables that are currently causing quite a stir. In particular, its “2 Go” collection.

Through moments, expressions and textures that have been seized in cities around the world, Bat Eye aims to create pieces that remind us of bustling city life.

USM Haller has reached modern design classic status and in 2001 was included in the permanent collection if the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.

Established as Barcelona’s leading event and one of the major design weeks on the international calendar, Barcelona Design Week attracts over 12,000 people from over 25 countries across the globe with more than 70 activities spread out across the vibrant city. The event has rooted itself as a hub for key agents of the design and business community and as a platform for design enthusiasts to delve into topics like business innovation, sustainability, education, and society seen through design’s lens.

Having long crossed its geographical boundaries, with a presence all over Europe, the Americas and Asia, Elica is known today as much more than an Italian brand (est 1970s), with a name synonymous with technologically-driven kitchen appliances worldwide.

Contemporary architecture is becoming more a pronounced style of architecture across the country, from the larger, urban cities to smaller, rural areas. In recent news, British architect David Chipperfield had unveiled his design for a museum located in Agra, India which is currently under construction next to the world renown Taj Mahal.

In 2009, Samovar Carpets was awarded the Guinness World Record for the largest hand-woven wool and silk carpet made in Iran, but being purveyors of traditional handmade Persian rugs is not all this thriving family-owned business is known for. Combining handpicked antique rugs with furniture and antiques from around the world, Samovar Carpets; which dates from the 1920s (when it was established by Alaa Hindi and Sons in Beirut, before moving its base to Kuwait) has a taste for the modern as much as it has a refined appreciation for the old school.

1: Soft colours Make me blush! As a continuation of what was seen during Milan’s Design Week, softer tones will continue to dominate interior design.

As one of the leading suppliers of wood and veneer in the region, with a track record of producing high quality wood, Chabros returns to Downtown Design this year with a unique display that taps into a growing trend in the design industry today, and that is the use of ‘raw’ or natural wood slabs for dining tables, conference rooms, wall art, or headboard and counter tops.

Duravit is a leading German manufacturer of sanitary ceramics, bathroom furniture, shower trays and bathtubs, whirl and wellness systems, shower-toilets and accessories, and one which has also become a household name. Why? Because the brand opts for supremely comfortable and timelessly modern solutions that enhance the quality of life - something Duravit calls ‘living bathrooms’. Its products are often instantly recognisable, as reflected in their collaboration with high-profile industrial designers and architects, such as Philippe Starck, EOOS, Phoenix Design, Christian Werner and Matteo Thun.

Canada-based, Billy Carpenter is the Principal at Vin de Garde and a patented product designer and inventor.  Passionate about collectible wine, he has patented a number of ingenious wine storage designs built by master craftsmen. Applying his experience in construction, wine and detailed industrial design, Carpenter’s sommelier-designed wine cellars are ideal for connoisseurs and have won numerous design awards including the ‘People’s Design Award’ by the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

Take the iconic chairs envisioned by pioneering Danish designer, Hans J. Wegner, whose passion for designing over 500 chairs during his lifetime is well-recognised. These were mostly organic, simplified constructions where each product is distilled to the very essence of function. Wegner is known to have said, “A chair is only finished when someone sits in it.”

De Castelli has built a solid reputation in Italy and across the globe for its mastery in shaping iron and working with metals such as stainless steel, aluminium, Cor-Ten, iron, brass and copper. Coming from a family of blacksmiths, highly skilled artisans and craftsmen, its founder, Albino Celato, is the driving force of the company.

Given that we spend most of our waking lives working, it’s a noble aim for New York-based company, Coalesse, to devote its time to making the office atmosphere more inviting, comfortable and productive. Based on the premise that workspaces have remained unfulfilling – if efficient – for too long and have recently become mobile, Coalesse has partnered with UAE-based Office Inspirations at Downtown Design 2016 in order to welcome people back to the office by transforming these spaces into open, design-driven, thoughtfully crafted areas of sociability, creativity and focus.

Aati is one of the first established businesses of Al Tayer Group's portfolio and return's to Downtown Design this year, showcasing a portfolio of best-in-class international luxury brands including: Minotti, Bentley Home, Fendi Casa and Ralph Lauren Home.

Exclusive distributor of the oldest wood floor manufacturer in the world, Nordic Homeworx is celebrating its ten year partnership with Kährs a Swedish brand founded in 1857. Kährs has a long history that is characterized by a row of innovations- some that even revolutionized the global wood flooring industry with inventions such as the multi-layer board and the glue-less Woodloc® joint.

When you take a look at Laokoon’s shading systems or wall art, it is of little surprise that the company began as a collaboration between a Hungarian textile artist and an industrial designer. Zsuzsanna Szentirmai-Joly started out designing bags before moving on to unconventional lighting made of woven fabric. Organic in structure, her Laokoon lamps resemble iridescent scaly skin in brilliant Technicolor.

v2com is the international newswire specializing in the distribution of design, architecture and lifestyle press kits to the media, by providing them with high-quality text and images through a reliable and efficient, free-to-use platform for the media.

Studio HBA is a young, growing, dynamic brand within the HBA group. With an expansive portfolio encompassing hospitality, residential, food and beverage, wellness and workplace, Studio offers the same levels of innovation, creativity and professionalism associated with HBA across a broad spectrum of design disciplines and with a keenly focused local context.

“Bringing the growing community of design professionals together to recognise excellence is something we echo during our fair in October, and it’s this synergy that has prompted us to sponsor an award for the first time this year,” says Kothari, adding: “This year, we’ve had unprecedented demand for space, selling out all stand positions in April. To see so much enthusiasm from international brands looking to enter the market has been hugely encouraging. The UAE represents for many an opportunity to be commercially active. With so many projects on the horizon and the help of organisations like Dubai Design Fashion Council, there is a strong commitment to providing an infrastructure to support the industry.”

There are certain milestones on the international design calendar that are truly worth looking forward to months in advance. And for the fourth year in a row, from October 25-28, these include the always surprising and innovative Downtown Design trade fair in association with Dubai Design District (d3).

T Design’s showroom is dedicated to the most exclusive design brands as this extraordinary piece of filigree by Marcel Wanders for Christofle testifies. The 2.1-metre high grandfather clock in steel and black lacquered wood, with intricate engravings of interlacing leaves and flowers set against a geometric matrix is from the Jardin d’Eden collection, and limited to 12 pieces.