Design Miami announces global rebrand and shares preview highlights for inaugural Los Angeles fair in May
Design Miami announces preview highlights for its newest edition in Los Angeles, taking place May 16th through 20th, 2024. Taking inspiration from the fair’s location at a private Holmby Hills estate designed by the late architect Paul R. Williams, Curatorial Director Ashlee Harrison offers a dynamic program of collectable design that expands on themes of eclecticism, imagination, and nostalgia. With the preview comes the announcement of Design Miami’s new global rebrand. Designed by Henrik Purienne, Design Miami’s Global Creative Director for 2024, the rebrand offers a new creative expression across the fair’s international programming in Los Angeles, Basel, Paris and Miami Beach.
Design Miami CEO, Jen Roberts says: “2024 is a year of evolution for Design Miami, as we continue to reach wider audiences through our expanding programming and ever-growing creative network. It feels perfectly fitting to start the year with our inaugural LA exhibition – which promises a dynamic and thoughtful gallery program that is deeply rooted in the city’s cultural and creative ecosystem. We look forward to presenting this fair through the lens of our new visual identity - designed to reflect the past, present and future of Design Miami as the global forum for collectable design”.
GLOBAL REBRAND
Designed by Henrik Purienne, Global Creative Director for 2024, Design Miami’s global rebrand is based on the concept of ‘Living with Design’. This is visually expressed through photography of celebrated creatives within their lived environments, capturing moments that touch upon the daily interactions between people and design. This is paired with a clean new graphic identity, designed to serve as a visual unifier across Design Miami’s flagship fairs, honouring the dynamic spectrum of Design Miami’s offering as the global forum for collectable design.
For the inaugural LA fair, Purienne chose celebrated LA-based artist Peter Shire as the subject of the campaign, and the photographic campaigns for future fairs will go on to spotlight different creatives, drawing on and reflecting Design Miami’s expansive global network. By capturing creatives from diverse fields living with design, the fair’s new visual language will create a space not just for showcasing but for experiencing and connecting with exceptional design - reflecting the seamless integration of aesthetics, emotion and functionality.
The decision to feature Shire in the LA fair campaign stems from his deep relevance to the Los Angeles creative scene, as well as his fluid practice and multidisciplinary approach to design - reflective of Design Miami’s diverse creative community. Design Miami’s Global Creative Director, Henrik Purienne, says: “Peter Shire remains a vital figure in Los Angeles's creative landscape, bridging the gaps between different artistic disciplines and challenging our perceptions of art, design, and their place in everyday life. His work not only reflects the dynamic and eclectic spirit of Los Angeles but also continues to inspire and provoke dialogue in the wider creative community.”
The rebrand launches during a key year for Design Miami, as 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the first flagship fair in Miami Beach. Describing how the new identity reflects the brand’s past, present and future present, Henrik Purienne, says: “The rebrand navigates Design Miami's legacy and vision, blending its rich 20-year history with a forward-thinking ethos. It's a nuanced reflection, preserving the past while charting a bold, innovative future, embodying a dynamic evolution within the design world.”
LOS ANGELES GALLERY HIGHLIGHTS
The inaugural edition of DESIGN MIAMI.LA will serve as a testament to California’s rich design heritage, set within a historic 1938 Holmby Hills estate designed by the legendary Paul R. Williams. From the post-war mid-century design boom and car culture to the entertainment industry and space-age engineering, Southern California has established itself as an international arbiter of taste. DESIGN MIAMI.LA will pay homage to the dynamic cultural exchange that has been firmly established in the fabric of Los Angeles. This year’s edition will welcome a series of engaging exhibitions that will centre around themes of eclecticism, imagination, and nostalgia - all of which have been integral to informing the city’s design landscape. Under the curatorial direction of Ashlee Harrison, this fair’s program will bridge the past with the present, using Los Angeles’s design legacy as a touchpoint to explore how the city continues to inspire and shape global design conversations.
Design Miami’s Los Angeles Curatorial Director, Ashlee Harrison, says: “I am honoured to collaborate with Design Miami as Curatorial Director of the inaugural edition of DESIGN MIAMI.LA. This edition will serve as a testament to California’s rich design heritage, paying homage to the Paul R. Williams-designed historic estate in which the fair will be presented. A land of dreamers and creators, California has always been fertile ground for risk-taking and avant-garde thinking across all realms of design. This edition of DESIGN MIAMI.LA will centre on the themes of eclecticism, imagination, and nostalgia that have informed the city’s design landscape, bringing together some of the world's leading international design galleries and voices for the first time under one roof.”
For the inaugural edition of DESIGN MIAMI.LA, Friedman Benda (New York/Los Angeles) plans to present a curated group exhibition with an emphasis on LA-based design practices. Works presented at the fair will nod to Design Miami’s global context and place within the design community while acknowledging the local surroundings of Los Angeles and its cultural significance across the international design landscape. Highlight works will include the likes of Darren Romanelli, Carmen D’Apollonio, Farrell Hundley, Misha Kahn, and Samuel Ross.
Having just opened a second location in Melrose Hill, Los Angeles, Southern Guild (Cape Town/Los Angeles) will bring a distinctive point of difference to the Los Angeles edition. For this inaugural fair, the gallery will sensitively weave narratives of hyper-sentimentalism, nostalgia, ecological concerns, craft traditions, and social politics into a striking exhibition. The presentation curated for DESIGN MIAMI.LA will mark a significant milestone in Southern Guild’s contemporary epoch, through a globalized presentation of notable designers. Exhibiting designers will include Zanele Muholi, Zizipho Poswa, Porky Hefer, Andile Dyalvane, Rich Mnisi, Cheick Diallo, Nandipha Mntambo, King Houdekpinkhou, Patrick Bongoy and others.
The Future Perfect (New York/Los Angeles) will respond directly to the classical decor within the Paul R. Williams estate, through a presentation of works that offer subtle magnitude and quiet importance. The exhibition will present works by Genesis Belanger, created in collaboration with Bower Studios - a collection of acid-etched bronze mirrors which feature sets of hands emerging from behind curtains. The mirrors, which shift from obfuscation to clarity, present a deeply evocative image, creating an immersive and striking showcase. The Future Perfect will also place a spotlight on works by Jane Yang-D’Haene, Chris Wolston, Leena Similu, and Eric Roinestad. Through presenting a melange of designers together in one conversation, The Future Perfect will draw a constellation around contemporary design and its place in history.
Moderne Gallery (Philadelphia) will present a carefully considered presentation of rare and important works by George Nakashima, in conversation with historical and contemporary works by esteemed designers, including Miriam Carpenter, Hasimoto Tomonari, and Bobby Silverman. Never before-seen pieces by Nakashima from a single estate will take centre stage alongside a masterwork by Miriam Carpenter. This exhibition provides a unique opportunity to experience the convergence of masterpieces spanning the 20th and 21st centuries, all within the intimate setting of a residential environment. Moderne Gallery will encapsulate the essence of the studio movement, offering a glimpse into this creative world and the enduring allure of craftsmanship.
R & Company (New York) will showcase a unique combination of works by contemporary designers based on the West Coast - including Hun Chung Lee, Rogan Gregory, and Jolie Ngo. The presentation will explore a design dialogue that seeks to develop new avenues for growth in the industry. Meanwhile, Gallery FUMI (London) will recreate a domestic setting with works that showcase exceptional quality and craftsmanship from an array of designers. Highlights include the likes of Kustaa Saksi’s Pitkä-Kotka Chair, crafted from woven textile art wrapped around an oak wooden frame; the Incontro Low Table by Francesco Perini, crafted from oak and inlaid with rings of black gold marble; and a pair of mirrored wall sculptures from the Rosa Luna series by Sam Orlando Miller, created in hues inspired by the Los Angeles sunrise and sunset.
PODIUM
To mark the occasion of the inaugural DESIGN MIAMI.LA, Harrison will curate a Podium exhibition under the theme “Master Works of Collectible Design, 1938-Present”. The Podium display will showcase a curated exhibition of works from multiple galleries through the lens of a historic and contemporary survey that evokes the allure and sophistication of Hollywood’s golden era. Showcasing masterful innovation and refined craftsmanship, the exhibition will spotlight the
central position Los Angeles holds within the global design landscape. The Podium curation will pay homage to the pioneers of design from the old world to now, drawing from a rich cultural heritage as well as cutting-edge creations of today. The Podium exhibition at DESIGN MIAMI.LA will embody a journey through the evolution of design excellence, celebrating the essence of what defines significant and influential work.
For more information and to keep up to date on the fairs, click the link to the Design Miami website.
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