The 2018 edition involved an increase of 20% of the display space at Downtown Design, the trade show held inside D3, Dubai Design District. There were about 75,000 visitors, and 175 exhibitors. This year 180 international and local brands are taking part, representing 30 countries (more than ever before), including Spain and France with pavilions of their own for the first time.
Running from 12 to 15 November, the fair offers the possibility for regional professionals to get acquainted with companies specializing in high-end design from various continents. A heterogeneous overview that touches on the sectors of furniture and lighting, complements and coverings. Exhibitors include many Italian firms like Arper, Pedrali, Ethimo, Minotti, Mutina, Talenti, Illulian, LaCividina and Tacchini.
This year, three award-winning design teams are helping to reformulate the fair’s layout: Wilson Associates, Swiss Bureau and XBD Collective have been called in to bring creative features to the public areas of the event, including the bar and the cafe.
The identity of design in the United Arab Emirates will be the fil rouge: at Downtown Editions, the curator Ghassan Salameh will narrate – in an exhibition – the various passages leading to the ideation and production of design objects in the region, while the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council will bring a selection of products made by regional artisans to narrate the prowess of an age-old all-female tradition.
Here’s a gallery of some of the companies taking part at Downtown Design.
