New York Design Week

From 15-18 May, the Furniture for Life exhibition will take residence at the De La Espada New York store. Twenty-one new products from Autoban, Leif.designpark, Matthew Hilton, and Studioilse will make their US debut including those launched in Milan in April and the London Design Festival in September. The exhibition will mark the official launch of the Studioilse furniture collection in the United States. De La Espada, 33 Greene Street, SoHo, New York, NY 10013. More information here

Opening reception Monday, 17th May 6pm to 8pm
RSVP nyc@delaespada.com

Belgrade Design Week

From 29 May - 5 June, Autoban will exhibit at Belgrade Design Week. Classic pieces including King, Pumpkin and Bergere will be exhibited with latest products Deco Sofa and Reedy Bookcase. Seyhan Ozdemir of Autoban will speak at the Belgrade Design Conference on 4th June. More information

Milan Review

In Zona Romana during Salone Internazionale del Mobile, we presented Furniture for Life, a series of exhibitions from our four designer-led brands. The exhibitions, brought together in one space, provided a clear picture of the singularity of each brand, as well as the shared values. Furniture for Life focused on retail presentation, acting as a pop-up showroom, where both existing and prospective retailers enjoyed the opportunity to discuss the products and the future. The event was visual evidence of what makes De La Espada the groundbreaking design management firm it is. View more images here

Roche Court Educational Trust

Matthew Hilton is participating in the education programme at The Roche Court Educational Trust at New Art Centre, by offering his time and expertise for two events in 2010. On 30th April, Matthew Hilton led a one day workshop for first year Product Design Students at his alma mater, Kingston University. Matthew is also the inspiration and the judge for this year's Roche Court Schools Competition, Artists' Chairs. Students are invited to design a chair inspired by an artist, and the competition will be judged in two ages groups: 7-13 years and 14-18 years of age. More Information

New Designer Collaborations

We are proud to announce two new designer collaborations launching at the London Design Festival in September this year.

Dick van Hoff

Dick van Hoff is an "industrial tailor" from The Netherlands, whose work is conceptual, yet keenly focused on integrity and both industrial and hand craft. He enjoys the production process, spending time making moulds and working with machines that bring him closer to the final result. His designs reflect the production process, as seen in the iconic pieces he designed for Droog including Tap Stop, Porcelain Lamp and a Felt Washbowl. He has pushed the boundaries of what can be achieved with ceramics, as seen in his work produced by Weltevree and Royal Tichelaar Makkum. Van Hoff's designs have earned their rightful place in the design landscape, and can be found in permanent collections of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, The Fonds National d'Art Contemporain in France and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He has brought his expertise to his position as a teacher at Design Academy Eindhoven. Late last year, he had his first UK exhibition at Gallery Libby Sellers, with new commissions and works created specially for show. Read recent designboom feature

Charlene Mullen

Charlene Mullen is an innovative designer of textiles and accessories. From angular prints to craft embroideries, she uses techniques that are age old but interpreted in a contemporary way. She creates modern design within a historical context. Inspiration is varied from Victorian Christening gowns to prison tattoos. Her work has an intricacy that can only be achieved by the human hand, the inherent imperfections bringing an aesthetic element to the work. Mullen has a background in the fashion industry, with over 15 years experience working as a freelance designer of textiles for clients including Dolce&Gabbana and Karl Lagerfeld. In 2007, Matthew Hilton commissioned her to produce two ranges of furnishings for the launch of his eponymous brand at 100% Design. This led Mullen to create her own collection for which she was shortlisted as Best Newcomer at 100% Design in 2008. Visit Charlene Mullen website

Zenovich

Autoban's latest hotel project, Zenovich is the first hotel from The House Cafe chain. Zenovich is located in Cukurcuma, a Bohemian quarter of Beyoglu famous for its quirky antique shops. Autoban maintained the character of the Zenovich building, bringing out its original qualities to reflect the time it was designed whilst developing modern textures such as hexagonally perforated ceiling panelling and custom-made furniture to form interiors which convey a contemporary feel within the historic Beyoglu cityscape More images

Recent Press

Monocle interviewed Ilse Crawford for Life in Miniature, a video on the role of model making in the design process. View the video here Other recent press includes features in World of Interiors, Homes and Gardens, Grand Designs, Ideat, Living Etc and Elle Decoration Travel Plus. For further press, click here