Meet the 9 designers selected for UAL’s stand at Top Drawer

University of the Arts London (UAL) will present a hand-picked selection of design products, created by 9 of its students and alumni at the Top Drawer trade show, 8 – 10 September 2019.

Organised by UAL’s Careers and Employability team and supported by Clarion events, this is the 13^th year of UAL’s partnership with the trade show which provides emerging design businesses with a discounted and supported way into trade show environments. The businesses were sourced through an open-call and many have never exhibited at a trade show before.

Exhibitors are offered a full professional development programme in the lead up to the show to prepare them for the experience, as well as PR and marketing support through the university.

The stand will feature a diverse range of products, from furniture and household products, through to skincare, handbags, jewellery and hair accessories, prints and stationary. Let’s take a closer look at this years’ chosen designers…

Kindred + Wild

Kindred + Wild is a small batch, organic apothecary based in London. Its products are made with natural ingredients, organic where possible for everyday use and rituals. The research for plants and inspiration for products is rooted in the concepts of Herbal medicine, Aromatherapy and other traditional wisdom like Ayurveda. Kindred + Wild products range from multi-purpose skincare oils and balm to essential oil diffuser blends and are handcrafted with care in London.

heimdesign

With a background in sculpture, heimdesign started out of a love and passion for making, materiality and tactility. Each object is uniquely hand-crafted, creating its own individuality. The products are ultra-light as sand, which is usually a component of cement has been replaced with different plant minerals. All objects are hand finished, either plain or hand painted with distinctive colours.

Camila Quintero

Camila Quintero is a multidisciplinary independent visual artist and designer with experience in art for interiors. Her work highlights the aesthetic traits and beauty of abstract geometry and colour presented in different mediums, facilitating a dialogue from art and design. Camila is keen to develop works that have a three-dimensional quality by exploring perspective, distortion and deconstruction.

Joanna Vanderpuije

Joanna Vanderpuije is a London based designer specialising in screen-printed textiles, accessories and fashion which evolve from her hand drawings and paintings. Each printed creation is made in London and unique to each owner. Drawing inspiration from her Afro-Caribbean heritage and mark making she transforms everyday fabrics to highly coveted textiles.

Njeri Illustrated

Njeri Illustrated is an art brand that creates bespoke products featuring local scenes for local people. The brand offers print-based products featuring custom-design artwork of local city scenes with a chic, playful style. Products include greeting cards, notecards and art prints. In addition, the brand’s bespoke design service allows clients to obtain custom-designed illustration of their city.

Nottene

Nottene are a Philadelphia-based print and pattern design studio founded in 2016 who produce their own collection of wallpaper and fabric. The studio work comes from a practice of storytelling, drawing, embracing pleasant imperfections and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in screen printing.

Zoe Sherwood

In 2017 designer/artist Zoe Sherwood started the development of the This Is ‘Me’ collection, utilising the latest 3D printing technology to produce a range of jewellery and hair accessories. Focused around the word ‘Me’ a celebration of ones self, they are wearable reminders. The collection has grown in words, continuing its story. It starts with a ‘Me’, journeying on meeting a ‘You’, going on adventures finding ‘Love’ and ‘Peace’ along the way.

Memories of Green

Memories of Green designs luxury products focusing on recycling and upcycling different kinds of materials. Their objective is to make waste meaningful through design and change the mindset that recycled/upcycled products are bad quality and short living.  Founder Arturo Soto, is an emerging designer working in London.

Porter + Trundle

Award-winning British artists Sarah Emily Porter and James Trundle set up Porter + Trundle from their South London workshop in 2019. The innovative and bespoke approach to design produces visually challenging and technically complex objects that are unique works of art. Whether you want an individual piece or a series of limited editions, Porter + Trundle work from initial design concept right through to fabrication and installation.