Clerkenwell London: A Year In Design

Undoubtedly one of the most brilliantly ambitious projects undertaken by Clerkenwell London this year, Design Undefined debuted back in May as part of Clerkenwell Design Week. Received with love by independent designer makers and press alike, Design Undefined was Clerkenwell London’s bid to challenge our perspectives on creative convention and harness the undeniable charisma that comes with creatives who want to show you the world in a different light.

Showcasing the life-changing and innovative work of an inspiring list of designers — including multidisciplinary creative Kia Utzon-Frank (whose profile sky-rocketed following the show) and designer Benjamin Hubert, who used the exhibition to launch the world’s first 3D-printed wheelchair — Design Undefined also gave visitors the chance to get involved in workshops and panel discussions with Fiera editor and design aficionado Katie Treggiden and materials expert and Ma-tt-er founder Seetal Solanki. See what the press had to say about it here.

Fast-forward to September and we found ourselves immersed in the highly-anticipated second coming of Design Undefined. Inspired by the buzz surrounding its debut appearance, Clerkenwell London and Zetteler worked with industry heavyweights to ensure that the exhibition continued in its quest to showcase the very best in design and inspire visitors to look twice at what they think they know.

Much to our uninhibited joy Clerkenwell London’s beautiful space became home to work from industrial designer Samuel Wilkinson, innovators Adam Blencowe and Marine Duroselle, story-teller Yinka Ilori and Turner Prize-winning collective Granby Workshop. The exhibition shone throughout LDF and was a festival highlight for many major media outlets, including The Guardian, Creative Review and Homes & Property.

Another design giant who has worked consistently with Clerkenwell London throughout the second half of this year is Camille Walala. During LDF she transformed the Vinyl Lounge into an immersive graphic art experience, adorning every inch of the room (and most of the furniture) with her globally recognised, Memphis-inspired style.

Returning to Clerkenwell London for the festive period, Camille (now the planet’s most wanted graphic artist) has transformed the Front Room into a bold and beautiful reflection of her style, filled with gorgeous designs including bespoke Camille-designed crackers. For those who want to inject a little Walala love into their own celebrations, Clerkenwell London’s gift wrapping service even includes Walala wrapping paper!

If you’re still searching for those elusive perfect gift ideas Clerkenwell London is a treasure trove of beautiful design pieces with incredible stories behind them. Our current favourites include gender neutral squeeze-on earrings from Coops and elegant vegetable-tanned leather goods from brother and sister duo Tinct.